Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-14
representation than any other description Of property

representation Yuan oWet uesCTipuon VI property IN
tho Commonwealth.
The resolution, which have undertaken to sustain,
alike excludes representation Of counties Such is
The present representation in the House OF Delegate
and It's glarng inequality is OF the leading causes
OF this Convention. Although 70 voice has been heard
IN this Committee 10 vndicste this inequality, and the
propoed amendment s as much at with its con,in.
nance as The Resolution ITSELF yet those who are oppo-
sed TO any change Of the present Cous ion must be
regarded disposed to tolerate and bound TO defend IT,
ltequally incnnbent the advocates OF the resou-
ton 10 advert TO its extent and its operation on the
principles for which the friends Of Convention have
| contended.
There are at present in this Common eal,b fsS
counties, entitled each delegates AMI four 10.
roushs, having by law separate representation, entitled
each to one delegate. The lIou.s Of Delegates con-
sists, at present. therefore, OF 2lI members of which
los are msjsty Fifty Of the untics Of Vir-
g'n'a may, therefore, return sash maiority.-Omi-
ung with all the borouges WSa'h.SusE having pop.
ua'ion OF only 536 white ishab,,ants. and tho small
counties oil Logan Allegheny, and Pocahontas, which
have been created since the last censn'. this majority
'ay be supplied by 100000 Of the 603 o0O nh,
dns OF the Commonwealth IL follows, therefore, that
minority OF much les, than thi,d OF the people Of
virginia, may govern the other two thirds.
or the 80 counties below the ue Ridge sci c.d 10
make this proportion, five have fewer than 1000 white
inhabitants, each; one has but 620, and another but
LOTT.
or the Is beyond that Mountain which have added
to the former the sma!lc't hasa white population Of
ry near 500, and tina, il the only one which has
white population below 2000 in number
In addition to the counties having each less than
1000 white inhabitants there IL counties WHOSE
population il known, which have between aud 1900
only, and OF these, three but two West OF the Blue
Ridge.
On The other hand. there are Is counties which have
each more than 10000 white INHABITANTS OF which, all
hut one, lie either West, the Eastern ficx OF that
Mountain; and, of those lhree having each more than
5000 lie connected together.
Similar Inequalities, it has been urged by some of orr
opponents, exist without complaint, in the neigihouling
States OF Nj Tyiand and n. Carolina, wiic,, have like
virginia, equal county representation.
Neither position IL true. Complains OF unequal re-
A i'm hath Sg,ta.
wiihou; effect because the foundation them be IRA no
proportion TO the Inequality Tor which are assembled
| TO provide.
Mary land has 10 ccuntie the largest of which Fra
derrick contains few than 10. O0a inhabitants OF
every descripon and the smallest, Calvert few more
IMAM 3000 he proportion being OF TO l, the whole
popuis,nn, and rather than $50 l. il their white
population alone, he npu' ed.
North Carolina has 6e counties. Rowan, the largest
has 70 600 inhabitants, and WaSns the least very
near 1000: The popor,ion being about 2 TO L. AMI
IL the white popuiaio bs separately computed Fl 900
to 1890, or abort 70 l. While we have seen that
the total population o The largest county of Virginia
was 10 the least, as FAR back 1920. in the ratio
ceedlng 10 to l, and computing the white population
alone, of 26 10 l.
There is not within the souni of Inv voice
sail MIR. NJ, would there be one who m .r,ed the
appela,op, could BE- heard by the people OF America
VINO would consent 10 be degraded by the application OF
such scale Of political power, his own hts in
parison with t,'e OF his neighbour.
In one branch of the Legislature, similar inequa-
~ was redressedtn 1877, by new arrangement the
Senatorial district the basis of the Tree white popu.
iation Of the Commonwealth Al that Time four mem.
bers, OF body consisting Of "a
Of the entire population OF the State and Nigh, hive
been out voted by the representation Of twelfth. The
evil called aloud for redress and it redressed in IN
manner, In which ask 10 have rem -died simi.
lar inequality in the other branch Of the .neraI
sembly. was one Of those who retired from this
Hall in lSl7 prepared TO await the devc ope ut of tn
new distribution of the Senate; and acquiescng in Ia 9
existing state OF Affairs.
The arrival OF pero OF peofound Tranquility among
the parties which had divided, Virginia but the u
| Ep cln tas In.
rise 10 but transient excitement IA contest in which
Tor several years, he had felt scarcely inierc,
10 carry him to the polis had prompted him unite
with his fellow citizens in endcavouring md the
defects Of their common government.
| havng disposal Of the mixed basis Of taxation and
white population, OF slave and free popuiaon regard
ing, as he proceeded the claim of the former 10 consi-
deraion both as persons and property; and exposed
the inequality Of county representation he came no =,
to an examination Of the only remaining basis or tina.
which had been adopted and recommended 10 the Com
venion l.y N Legislative Committee numbers OF
The ree-whe population exclusively, and that with
view 10 give 10 equal numbers, equal portions opnii,i.
CO! power III the constitution oil TIE popular branch
the government.
proposition hadindeed been submitted 10 The Con.
venton, by his honorable and eloquen friend from
folk. in the form of amendment of tho Bill of Right.
which asserted that equal numbers OF legal voters
throughout the Commonwealth, should have equal DO
'tcai power, without regard to the distinction OF for
tune. AZ such sproposition might he regarded az Of
dherent character from that contained in the rcso-
| ton OF the Legislative Committee, Mr.. NJ. saiJ he
would az the incpient step towards the zion d
wa- DESTROYS 10 roach, undertake 10 shew their
cal IL not theoretical conformity. Whatever extent NAV
be given TO the right Of suffrage, the only important
distinction between these proposition. will be found
consist in the superior facility Of executing that which
requires simply periodical alton Of the white
population OF the Commonwealth To COMPUTE all tho
legal voters Of the Common alh supposinr the ex.
tension OF suffrage to be built upon the pre-
qushcaton enlarged by the admission of other classes
OF citizens, not reehollers, 10 the privilege would
require the enumeration of all ciasses1f that Isbour
ha r1a.Is .lultA
difficult TO conceive its magnitude and the DELAYS
which m",t attend IL. execution. The resolutions of
the legislative committee the practical enioy.
meDt oil the right Of suffrage TO those who may possess
In computation OF legal voters, instead of active a.
gents competent at little cost, 10 take census of the
people, learned justices in Eyre be provided in
sufficient number TO traverse every county, city, bs.
rough electionlstric in the in o. der
10 enquire who have freehold estates and have been
seized for The period required by law If TO these be
added, the of constructive freeholJs and Of ten
ants in common whose may and often do not
appear the Comm>sioners' lists. and should claim
ants in rsveTsOn and remainder of vested contingent
frceholds be empowered TO vote gentlemen
propose, many years would elapse in making the ne.
cessary enumeration aud Ii's for the spporlionment
Of Delegates. Nor would this painful and costly, not
impractcabls abnur, lead TO Jiffsreut from that
OF the census OF the free white population, we have
good grounds TO infr unler any extension Of suffrage
The more enlarged it may he, The nearly viii
The numbers Of those who legal voters approach the
number OF that population But If restricted TO landed
qualihcaton extended TO all who pay taxes
able property still the appointment to white popuIa.
ton will very nearly, If no, exactly conform to that
which might be founded on computation OF the mum.
Der Of votes.