Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-09

l'SouiCCs' ot inc uppHSatoh VI '""Sc va
He would, said Mr. NJ. proceed one step farther:(
to rcuc this charge, briefly state afew of the rea-
sons which prompted the frutcs' cflost tn OBTAIN n
Convention in 1878. and which have SINCE been
mo.e successfully urged. Among the most prominent
Of those reasons that very Inequality of repre-.
scntaton. which has given rise TO this debate, and
which so shocks every feeling Of political Justice, that
no argument has yc. bc-n heard in its viisdcauon-
Anoihcr grievance, thcn also pressing on the public
consideration, the ovcr-grown and dsproporion-
ate numbers ofihs House Of Delegates.
When our i1rciathers penned the present Consii
tuition, there were about 10 members in that House;
and they chose -four, suitable proportion
for the number oi the Senate: body designed no;
only Ia revise the acts Of the popular branch of the
Legislature hut to constitute check on the possible
ambition OIL leaders. But while the Senate, by the
constitutional limitation of its numbers, has been sta
tonary, the House of Delegates has been extended,
ron time to time, hy tho MULTIPLICATION Of counties
70 2,4. More than seventy members have been thus
added to the numbers Of the Legislature, during ape
ROD IN which the territory ct the Commonwealth has
been greatly reduced. For from the county of Hi
nois, wrestcd from Great Britain in I779, by the for
Cos Of the Commonwealth under tho command Of the
gallant Clarke. and coded in 1894 to the t. States
no less than three States 10 the cast, AMI orc th,
vest Of the Mississippi, nave arisen. The COUNTY Of
Torghicganin, represented on thus floor ,ow
supplies less than eight counties 10 Western Penn
syvana,-kcntucky has becO erected into separate
State; and. along our southern border, Moth Caro-
lima has slip OF Our former territory brgnniug NJ
point on the Atlantic, and gradually widening towards
tho Cumberland mountain.
While reduction of,hc sphere of legislation II,
commended n correspondent limitation of the NUM-
berS of tho legislative body the progressive anucn-
taiioE of its annual expenditure nrri'Ci rC-lri I'm
1910, the entire cost Of this Department Of the Co
vcrnnlent did rnt exceed 80 Ol0 dollars Year. 1t
has. SINCE mounted NJ more than twice that SUM.
To rCSto.c the OrIr,ll prODnrtiCn bo'N.rcn the
TWO branches ri tho General Assembly. and pre-
ven. sill farther aurucn;at on CT nc naulacr o.
the House nj Delegates measure required by no
state necessity, and forbid by due nyd "a como
my, was always IA the scope 90 tIt constitutional
reform contemplated b. IL friends oi'a Conventions
The abolition o the Council Of Sretc was another
Of their objects. Economy condemned this worse
than useless appeu6uge to the Executive, which in
destroying lis unity Impaired both ia vgOr and re-
sponshilIiy feeble chief MAGISTRATE is the tool ~
this Council, while TO able and unprinciPcd Go
vernon, they serve bat as n cloak.
| The friends Of Convention. Vl:h jut few i any
exceptions had another and more aggravated cause
! of complaint. Is there member a. this BODY. who
thinks that the right OF suffrage now rests on propc.
basis Who would if disposed 10 restrict its eX-
crcse to freehold qualica,ipn substitute for
tlty valuation of the land required 20 couicra vote.
Should freebooter be allowed 10 exercise tho rirIl,
/ OF suffrage on fifty of land situated upon the
summit OF i barren mountain whore the crow would
not build her nest while this right is withheld from
the proprietor of farm Of 81 in fertile
valley, which with It's improvements may he worth
many thousand dollars, In one Of the most -four
lshlng townships Of Connecticut, territory of more
ing twenty-five acres III dimensions the minimum cs-
tate which the present Constitution annexcs to the
right of suffrage. without regard 10 rs value.
Are we then. Mr.. Chairman with these apologies
for COnv niinn. to be regarded as coming here IN
The prosecution of schemes ofnarrow and sor,id spc
culatlon: May not pronounce such charge To be
the offspring of prejudice, and say that is repealed By
the history Of the proceedings which hive led TO this
Convention
There is yet another of analogous birth which re-
mains TO be reiuted before proceed with ny enquiry
into the expedicncy Of the proposed amendment Of
the gentleman from Culpepcr.
IL has been than nsinuaicd that Lv the l-nns-
fer of political power from the Eastern 10 the Yves
tern portion Of the Commonwealth. the friends of
Convention design to shake the Gsccndancv Of GER
tam political doctrines, supposed to be essential TO
the nights OF this Commonwealth member Of the
Union.
IF this transfer is required by political justice, how
poor compliment does this insnuation pay TO
the rights which 1t thus seeks 10 defend
But of the members of the Virginia dclepafion in
Congress residing to the West of the Blue Ridge
how few arc there who differ from a majority of
the people OF the Stnte IN consruin. the consti-
tuition OF the United States to saw nothing Of the
gentlemen this floor. from the counties below the
mountain, who alike advocates fJr the slrlctcst
construction OF that instrument, and for THOROUGH
amendment of our constitution of ctD,c c,o,.,r1-
Inent,
His venerable colleague, said Mr.. u. had SUCCESS
fully repclIcd other prcudlccs which il not utterly
uniounded might prove Of fatal influence 10 the object
Grafton of the real proposition before tic Committee
The resolution of the Legislative Committee pro-
poses TO make the white population Of the Common
wealth erci"S1oefy the basis OF the apporonmcnt OF
representation in the House of Delegates II Is mo.
we'd by the member from Culpcper 70 rest such an
portonmcnt on white population and taxation com
bnad After the most iaborious attention to all tho
arguments as we'll of the Of This amendment
as Of the gentlemen who had sustJireA him
Mr. NJ SAID he was at loss 10 know how this ror,
bnatIon was TO be eii"cted-in what proportion.
population and taxation wuc 10 BE- combined II
mat OF perfect equality, then what description OF
e were 70 be balanced against the rights eeonen oi
Virginia. Shall one of the compounds determined y
a" me property OF every citizen visible and To this
almost unsuperabie objections might ur.p some oC winch
nan bseh iDfciby pointed out by the from Noranp
ION, VIZ IPshur) u visible property, only, shall be taxed
- al iai man possesses 10 be- cOupfehcndc movable aud
hnoveathG II one description only, u portion oay o
each, which, OF what pah aud by what rule OF
afio ~ numbers quality OF yaiur' j. practicable 4,
ofn tins combined basis, and Oiupan IT, tie simplicity ,
saDlhy, 10 y1y nothing Of is Intrinsic Justice OF nrypyefv
"ich should, ~ Combination u Government designed n In
people,