Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-19

rst between counties aud ,e ,resentoon =
pear in the Legislative history of the coonv TIL lG45
= ',ae, that IN the last mentioned year. was
passed declaring that not more than four representa-
lives should he sent from each county eyccnt lame
~? coanty, which was allowed six-besides one for
.n9 'awn (3l fut it is equally true that at the
lc Or anu alter tue passage ofthat act the parish
es also were allowed send representative TO tho
Legislature whenever they thought proper.(4)
. twas not until 1861, rs have said, that the coun-
.,es, as couhles, we're represented in the General
Assembly. In that year act passed DECLARING
~ eject that the House of Burgesses should consist
OF Two representatives., and from each coun.
~, together with one from james City, 1.-THE metro
pots OF the COUNTRY" Ind, bv the same act it was
declared, "tilt county which should lav o,,,
one hundred acres of land and people with one hun
dred tlthab'e persons" should have the privilege of
sending an additional 8urrcssf5j
by advcrting to The recital of that &c, Won will find
'hat the cause assigned for the reduction and eoun
son OF the representation of the countless was the
saPense OF maintaining the grea, number of Burgessrs
sent rom the counties and parishes. Wherens the
charge of assemblies is muc, increased by tn, treat
number of Dhrgosses" &C.
Ihiis you perceive Sir, that the princ;p of renre
senfation IN Virginia, if il deserves the name ofn nr;n
cPe, received IFS hnai constlinmniiun. its last flush
from Colonial Legislature of unlettered ,obacco
painters IN 1851 The CONSTITUTE ion of Virginia which,
Is gFaVeiy declared, even this floor, to have been
tae work OF the and patriots of 1870 1cgs oct
ally Jorei and fniaed in 1861 vi has neee,. sinre
been mo.tied, IN this greot and lcaai feature or tie
TePrese"tift"' y tie people. This netmi,a5ie rrgula
representation III the ,ubjrb
Is recommended to orr love and veneratiun ms The
WORK OF orr Curious ancestors III II IS was in fac,
D patty COLONIAL r,gula,on-a devic, to sav, ,nncv
T. Mater % of ',I 1"nh"ds sIngs aud pence:
~, NC 'haI thc i1cn OF TO did ia alter it. And
sohy did they not alter ns Simply becouse Mau
couta not The infant Commonwealth wns eng,gr;l
as had occasion to remark OH Il former tebuie in
Wor' 10 WHICH Its very existence stuke-in
war whlch required the united direction OF all inter
ests, and OF its whole strength, against t5rcion
enemy The sages and patriots who composed the
convention OF l776, were wise and practical men
What extreme folly, what absolute nsanitv u,ouI1
1t have been, when hostile ssl,rdrons wer. rnrr ~
anchor IN Hampton Roads, to say to the s,,tiler
counties, exposed ny their position Lo the full onero
ton OF al the seductons and all the threats OF the
enemy, 'you must surrender 1t part nJ' The ,,o.rr
3'u haze enjoyed under the kngIy g,vernnrnf far 10
yedfs.' SIR. the members of the Convention of 70
Hau zoo much good sense-ton much cica, wisdom
10 attempt 80 mad and i!l-,itncd 4 reform. They
sad, what They We're Obliged say that the repre-
sentaflon OF the counties should min as it was
nus, SIR 1t appears, that tile idea of the rcntlc
man from Norfolk, that the representation of interests
as interests contradstlngusEcd from tie r,presen
Httion OF numbers has been. from the first settlement
OF the Colony, the theory of GU government hns nm
foundation in hisory-and that The s. atenen of facts
whch ne nus made to support his theory, is altoge-
or erroneous That the act of 1851 which establish
ed the equal representation of the counties consider
cd at this day the highest stretch of poitca sara
city, SO far from having been intended TO establish
the principle that interests and not numbers should he
thereafter represented, or nny principle was more
nscai regulation, of which RIGHTEOUSNESS and not DO
lltlcal wisdom was the author and source
In TACT Sir since the ordinance of 1921 no praci
PIE OF representation, deserving the name of a
principle. has been ac;ed on. We are assem-
b!ed here to declare what the principle ofreprescnta
ton ought to be, and shall be, in ali time to come
The question what IS the true principle is one
winch have heretofore discussed, and shall not now
touch. Ine gentleman from Norfolk says that The
true principle by which 10 regulate the apporton
taen5 OF political power is the rupresen ion of all
1nyo tcrfe
Bill OF Rights declares that the true princjp!e s the
equai representation OF the people a conf ent TO rest
tne question on the relative weight of the two au
thorites.
NOTES
see asnss Sai"es a. srse vol page 10
t3) See Eenng's Statutes Large, vol l, page 299.
90 gee enhss Statutes at Large vol !, pages ALL AL
(5) See Ieninss Statutes at Large vol. 2, page 90
MIR. LEIGH sud that reference having been made
TO Colonial Government, dsprove the statement of
the gentleman from Norfolk, he would read an ex-
tract from the history of that government for the
accuracy of which he would vouch, as he took great
pains TO ascertain facts. Mr.. LEG1 then read note
which appended to the Revised Code in Henine's
Statutes, p 3d. 1t appeared he said, that Bacon,
rebel, the first who adop edlhe notion of uni
Ncrsal suffrage in the country, and that he had it
from the soldiers of Cromwcll's army.
He stated that the substance of the note which
he had read was confirmed in its accuracy by the
late Judge ROane, and said few words rs TO the
manner of dividing The Slate into Plantations dis
tricts and hundreds, all founded on that prinple
of interest which the gentleman from Norfolk had
aluded TO- IL that principle was not ayowed there
could be no doubt that it was the principle
Again, he stated that the College of William and
Mary allowed representative until the com
Inencement Of the revolution. II was represented
IN the Convention Of 1775. Why was this but that
the principle of the interests ofdferentbranches was
acted on in the apporionmcnt of representations
Hero was a representation of the learning of his
college, which had been until lately most useful
met frYts n,,1I LII -
ne considered that the gentleman from Norfolk had
oeen fully sustained in lis statements and views.
MIR. COOKE said that he had not learned the con
situtiona history Of Virginia from the notes the Re-
vsed Code, but from the documentary and legislative
records set forth at length in ''enng's Statutes at
Jffge" am nevertheless thankful, said he, to the
gentleman from Chesterfield AIr. Lcgh,) for read
ing the lung aud elaborate note from tho Revised