Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-27


not It's enforcement produce disafTection if moi I'm,
Hoii and confusion in the class of persons s,b;ec,o
to ITS operaton'--i apprehend that suc, con eonrn
Co. would Inevitably flow from the enforcement ~
arbitrary. "''
! The same principle o: na;nhil:y pervndes an,
vi'iatTs The other qualification proposed ny tie ger
TENN i!om Sputtsylvania. lii prop. - that the
qianhcaiion shall CONSIST I'm The pawn al of II GER
fd'n SIN y rr"Hey TO the cover ,nlrn' in the shane
Oh al assessed tax pfopsrtv rca o. per ~, T. t,,vn
ed by tie voter and tnt the right 10 vote .h cen,
w"cn tht TAX shall be "iter abolished reduced iI
an'rHt tf.iw Uaof eeri,H end s,~ciici sum There
orr 'nci'icnt Ia this quail ,catio t,r, urirc;n,es o
muthbih'y or dcstricton. one frfrin.sr Tho o,bo,
essehi'af md iahe,ehf.-Aiihough rccu,,,,,r,Ied
part IF |sndIu.atu L1,o ~ Mc co,tairy uh;ch
oi-course, should %; be chans.eah!e hy ORDINARY
legislation, II Is babe 10 be DESTROYED az anv mo.
n'ent. by the whm, caprice. or settled ,olicv II
you please. OF The Legislative bodies Aud this mo
on the coourable aud popular prcct OF
the burthcns of the government DO the ahSli,ion .,
reduction of the taxes. You put the tax, For ey-
ample fhe payment OF which is To- confer tho rioh,
VI 'othS al twelve and one half cents. and, TT the
tune II the adoption Of the constitution OF winch
TINS provision forms part there happens to be a
lax on horses of twelve and one half cents head
Legislature Is chosen. in which there is found
nDorty OF members, who hone t!y, and deliberately
thnk that the poorer clnsa.s of the people, cannot
sneIy be trusted with iciuat un in poli,ics
powef-ihat tie good order, and e!l-brinp of the
community, require them to be DISTINGUISHED. A
tn
abolish the tax on horses and disiranchscs at once
all those poorer citizens, WHO have beasts nlo
but neither land, slaves. And this too ns said
before, on the popular tpreteXt Of diminishing the
ourthens OF government. May, sir, the tax on hor-
ses, may become, III the course of events wholly I'M
necessary. For one of The great objects of our as
shohng mere rs 10 reduce the expenses of govern
men, ana uispense with MS many taxes possible
nu ny adopting the resolution in question YOU would
ont 1t out of the power OF the rDvernrpcnt to per
form one of the most bcnefccnt functions of a roy
ernnent the dninution of the hurthens of the peo-
pie, without, by the same act disfranchsin, consd
cradle part OF th"m.-Cnn II constitutional prn-
vision, which involves such CONSEQUENCES recon-
mend itself to the god sens" of the people of Viz
GINA?
But have said that there is, in the Qualification
which am considering n principle ~ rnut nhili,v
essential and inherent ! alluded to the provision
which makes the payment of Il ceri1in fref ami IN
ee'nSeabte sum Of m1Hay, in the shape of taxes the
qualification Of the vnter.-Now. sir il appears 10
me, that few things more unsteady M their vn-
ne than money, and that 4 worse standard could
scarcely b. tounh, hy which to measure and appor
ticn political power.
u We lco, back INTO the history ,r oh " oros and
nations, We shall find that, in England, the value of
silver decreased between 1870 ard ,"..i seventy Eve
per cen'uln. Sc that forty shWings in 1910, would
command no more abonr, would purchase more Of
the necessarlrs of life, thar ten slillnps i'm 1870
We shall! find that tho perpetual rents reserved in
nancy some centuries ago, have become by reason
OF IT'S diminished value. nominal incuInkrnnce
IL.
tanned IN corn. have preserved their propar pronor
ton TO the fee simple value Of the land Tint in tho
same manner the ulpdVs Communication of tythes
IN Kind for fixed sum Of poaey pavable annually
esta bishcd by contracts, made some centuries MOO
the Church and the propretors of tracts
OF land IN England has become a mere nominal M
cunbrance on land so situated.
But we need not resort for instruction IN rho b;s
tory ~ remote ages or distant nations. We have
seen, IN our own times, and in our own country n
It'll more forcible lus ration of the Unstsadine and
IN tub w inf hat. porI
SD to measurepotlcai power, and distribute il amor,
the people Between the year 1912 and the yeaT
1917 the dollar deprecated, in Virginia sxv sin r,r
cent so that dollar would command III 1877 no
more laoour and no more of the nccessarirs of life
than thrty-tiirce cents would command i'm 1912
Dut SILL more striking illustration is seen i'm the
fact that since 1917 the dollar has risen in whine co
h"ndre'I FER ceHtso that thirty three cents at pre-.
SENT VIII command as much labour, and as great
Quantity OF the noceSsarles of life, one hundred
would have commanded ar purchased, in I8i7.
The scheme OF qualifications Which I have had
the honour to submit, possesses ut least the negative
merit OF being free from these objectionable features
IL %ill be perceived that the proposed amendment of
or substitute foT the resolution OF the select com.
ttec' IS founded OH the assumption or posuate that
all tho free white male citizens inthc commonwealth
oil mature age, have, JIritnl Jdcie, a right 20
voice III the government.-I shall not repeat tie
arguments by which this opposition has sustained in the
winch nave taken place analogous subject
h"pe may be allowed express the opion iat those ap
meets have not bern answered aud the belief that they arc
but those who believe in original universally Of mi,
right INSIST at the time for reasons which have been piv
@ A9IC d agsn, that the majoSty OF the male adults or
fundamental law by which CERTAIN classes 6 escptios
OF persons shall he excluded from tho exeTci.e right
That the majority have right the good order well
bearing and safety Of the community require such exclusion
In conformity with this view OF the subject have submitted to
the Committee series Of dsqualihcatious which beg
leave, with the utmost breviy, TO call its attention
The hTst disqualbc includes all citizens the Uni
ted States. hut without the nus Of the Commonwealth until
they shall hsvn manifested Ivy residence of some dua.
uo an Intention To reside permanently among until they
shall have Afforded by residences least evidence of per
mdneni COMMON interest With and attachment 20 the
nifty" Tins disqualification attaches great aud think dc.
served Importance, 20 tho feeling Of love for tire natal sO
shall not attempt proCe this assembly, Ht
thew country
The second Disqualification but another Of
tive same principle sUpposes that tho
want t'c attachment Of tie aYf Which Is felt by the
OF tie county, and should be required bind Themselves
the community by the acquisition Of LiHdy the ac,itous
Of mfre-belore they shall I've admitted to share 81 the
sovereign power.
Passing 10y the disqualification " persons convicted Of u
Shcucos because they have their conduct that
they no, merely indifferent bot hostile to the community
which ey yOo persons oi uusouud mind, because OF their
uoaPaciy TO the rghCf paupCIs because Of their
dependent condition and consequent want of free agency and
Of their want If interest Nv the wcbcirg community in
which they have stake ash the attention OF the Commit