Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-10-31

ccunervailcd the combined wealth of the other e50'
and from this he ucludCd. that tins system .,.,
to the few power uNcr the many, and wns pre,s,,n,
with destruction tn lair systems of Representation
How does the gentleman from that prei,ise arriyont
this conclusionwh,ch in fact adverse To his pro.
position? How does he make the middle terms H.,
answered, however, BY the gentleman from Nor,h
ampton, and ifho would be permitted TO refer to tn,
proceedings IN the committees by the gentleman froui
Ches'orheid' The reply was, that there no
danger when there existed community and identi-
ty OF interests But he had another answers IL is
the nature oi every representative government TO be
bused ON the responsibility of its public officers
Such must be the foundation of it. if is TO stand the
test of Iime but If are To be taxed us a ueoplc
by individuals who In their official Character owe
us responsibility, then is the government at an end
He would draw the distinction between what wri-
GERS cab civil liberty and political libertv In mo-
narchical countries there exists civil liberty In
Rome during the reign of Augustus. the pcopie Ell
loycd civil liberty, but not, us writer's say political
liberty. The liberty they enjoyed owing to Tho
iofocarance of the monarch who governed them and
IL called civil liberty The possession of the peat,
10 secure tins evl liberty is that which confcrs pS-
'"'c"i hoerty. To apply this principle the nrpu-.
mcnts of the gentleman from Norfolk tho propo.;
ton IS conceded at once, regards the same dis
trc'' but II does not bear any analogy the case OF
different Districts? In the same countv tho ren,o
Sentative is responsible TO the voters for wI.trvcr
taxation lie may have supported. In short time
ne WI nave 10 give an account of his Stewardship
ana II nc be mol good and faithful steward verify
he siai meet his reward But how does il applv 10
opposite parts OF the country, where there arc Lis
thct interests, aud where he who assists to i,prosc
the tax imposes 1t "pon those TO whom he never re.
turns, WHO are perhaps ruined by the measures L.
supported and to HON he is not RESPONSIBLE, II,
has no account of his stewardship to render
| MI iAf LOR said he waited until the gentle:
man had completed his argument on that point. u
was not ms intention, for the time TO Ii
swer It, lie rose solely for the purpose of cxpain
ing the grounds lac took and the principle he rested
on. lIcstated that government rested upon tho
principle of equal rights among all who were wo,-
ut Dpilft Il.
'hat on this great principle rested the safety aud en-
isrnce oi our free and equal institutions If Won H.
the term OF quahcation--if by Fundamental law
You Tx VINO shall exercise the right of voting-thcr
my position is there should be- equal rights ailpnc a.,
the voters. He sud, that if in given county t6cr,
arc 800 voters qualified by lawif the candidate lis,
choice of the go. do succeed, but If he wbo i,
supported by the remaining so be elected Lecaur,.
the property Of the latter exceeds that of the former
then he SAID that such result would DESTROY the 6r
prime pies of government, and would eetablj.I,
III our country the most ojous of nil arisocracies an
aristocracy of wealth That was his principle ana
1t was one without which there could be no free re-
presentation under any government. To reject
that principle would be To establish the Oovernn,on,
OF the few over the many, which would be noibir,
else out an nrstocracy of wealth. If that princi,,.,
was carried into operation III the elections Ct
countess IL must be precisely the same, when you
organise districts IN such nanncr, that fewer
men OF greater wealth would cl.-ct ropresenlniiv,
, IN opposition To tho voice of the nsorty. lie Ind
; not heard that argument satisfactorily answered.
: q
R5' all qualified voters and Establishes all arstocru-
cy o. wealth.
Mr.. BARBOUR said he would never knowingly,
mstaEe an argument and in this instance, after ih.
explanation which had been given, le found that Ee
had not mn understood the gentleman. He Lad un-
derstood tia argument proceeding on The bnss z
equality. andy akng the rule of q single district m
plying IL 10 MI other districts. 1t was not for him To
say whether tho answer he had ryen WAS ss,iei:,c
tory.
He was going on to show tho essential fIndamer,.
81 difference between the principles While in -
single district tho rep, y. cntavc ho mposes tho IN -
Ia accountable 10 all, Wlsn np mo difFeren, Ia
trcis, the representative "a portion IMPOSES bmr
dons upon those of the otter portions to whom, no
owes no accountability He would hero n,oke ,b;.
enrn'st and sincere dlsclancr. He did not dcsicp :,
1mpute to single citizen of Virginia anv 1npTop,r
motive. lie gave that full mct.,ure of credit 10
others which he claimed for himself and for bis own
people While faith ~ the principle which lies Mt tl,
foundation OF religion, the Of that was true
rs relates to government, ut The basis oC which enl
ouSy and vigilance should ALWAYS be lound 'TIc
Wiscst men of all ages have told that governments
can only be Kept pure by constant caution end yic-
lance lirre so extensive is that policy of
thn II exhibits Itself in the provisions which or GOV
chn nts nave Incorporated into tioir constitutions
to protect them from each other Even tho reno,, ~
The Judicial Committee itself contains m indcpinl
OF that spirit of distrusfu caution IN the provision
which preclude the election of member of the Stat,
Senate who shall be under 30, and of member Of
Inc House of Delegates who shall be under - ycnr1
Of ago Here thoio 10 even restriction mn, ,,,c,
pubic will. Ilc intended to
---------- ".Nofiing erfr,,vafe
Nor set dorm orghf N nritcc;'
he attributed nothing 10 one section of tho Stofo
nor individual, more han To uno her lie had mere
~ made tho illusions To- show that universal cyucr
oncc has established the converse Of tho proposition
that luth lies Mt the foundation of governments and
70 SNOW that no nation remain long fcc unlc-4
thcrr existed IN 1t ceaselesS watchilnCss and cnrr
gy 1gninst ,n'sru!c, and to preserve civil liberty.
ne had heard II said that this union OF TAXATION
WIN persons referred power to Tie wealthy and dro,.
HI'e o' separation between citizens. When the priv
ciplc came to be applied to districts he did moi mt
elpato that 1t would make my practical distinctions
Det"ecn rich md poor. lie was Of opinion tlrt
there waa no cause for alarm NJ TO the prcdoninnucG
i" property Nothing liable To huctuaion
90 woalth as may 6o seen by casting the ccr
over the history Of Virginia. H. who occupies q
foremost place to-day may fil tic lowest tomorrow
hau pecn beautifully SAID in reference to the Ene-
. "sn ~ n'e"' innt Tho promigenturr and entail