Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-21

i Augusta had gwen somewhat ,fyeSsn, ,nes,;,, :,
cue 'e,1ls OF he resolution from what had been be-
'ore received; and it was possible that suoe pcntIe
men %ho had opposed the resolution in its orirrina
iorih wnuld be willing to take it with the noditc.
'on Witch that gentleman had suggested JIo yyould
VEL 70 look lnto the character of that modification
ana 70 understand It's limits. lie would therefore
move th1t the Copvenion pass over this resolution
ana proceed to the consideration ofthc next subject
Dir; MERcER said that the object of The ge.tleyna
lou fauqoler woald be obtained without any mo-
lon. 1t was usual whe.i further propositions OF
ans ndIEent were offered to pass over the suhect
which had been under consideration He should no
so,1y We're such course now 10 be taken under the
oeief that the resolu'na should be again taen no MT
lu.ure day, Ter the purpo of again Ynovinr amend
nens to 1T MS VIC have already been engaged on this
single resolution mere than three .eeks. as to the
minority, what security had they, what could they
nave II even any compromise were proposed that it
would meet the wishes of a majority! Dvination
would only enable the een,hnan 80 foreteH TIE re-
sun. As lar rs he could Judge from what he had
anendy seen, no compromise which could be Offered
would De able to ce,ginpnd the acauiescunce of a
majority.
The gentleman from Eauquier haa referred to the
nallress oItbe majority. lie referred that
to the sHl.ness OF the majority in Conuress nv which
me uecarat ton OF war was adopted For Some time
twas believed that there would l.. no minority M
a ana some gentlemen who had encr aimed sc.u-
pies had not surrendered them, and CHANGED their
course there would have been no majority. As il
was there was asnaiority OF only two. On the cues
ton OF the renewal Of the Charter of the Bank of
deemed a ihp
highest Importance To restore specie payments the
Senatr refused to the cilrter by ONLY the cnst
ing vote of the Vice President himself not member
OF the Senate but presiding in his official character
! ne e dfrai Convention was adopted by majority
OF only nine. He night refer To o. her instances in
winch questions of great Importance had been settled
by small majoritics. He reminded tire conmittee
.hat they were no" only engaged on incipient uea-
snres tor tho purPos n preparing convention which
was TO be submitted 10 the peoples it was therefore of
secondary Importance what was the majority here
lheEe are measurcsto be taken up in their order
winch are in some dagree, dependant ~ tL,is--the
ION or the Sfnut Che poEcr of The Courts
the election and tenure OF the Judges. II. did not
see how the majority could be charged as unconpro
niislng' when they know not what compromise gen
enen the other side were dsposed To ofI;r. and
know the other side what COMPROMISE cn,lI
be offered, which could carry with it n majority.
tuner propositions are TO be made q perhaps they who
are he majority now, may be less fortunate hereafter
lie had nuver been long in q majority He eynres
sed the hope that we should not pass this subject
with an understanding that it should be kert omen.
aithongh he knew that it would be open It was
Ills WISH mat the COMMITTEES sonlA pass on 10 the
next resolailnn dncss proposition was made TO o.
mend this. II any amendment was desired he no.
PED gentlemen would proposet Il Iasi be known
TO many gentlemen here that it is not the practice to
take the vote Iii Committee on the original promo
sisior The cause is, If amendments are agreed
TO- to rise aud report the subject without amendment
The whole merits are then brought before the House
MIR. DoDpRIDGE said he wished to notice n re-
(Air Scott III reference to resolution of the rem
t!enan from augusta (Nr. c. Johnsonl. The zen
t!enan from augusta had been understood to say that
HIS osSR Intention, whatever the words of the rcso
luton reported by tue Select COMMITTEES. m;t,it he
supposed to import, TO moee a notification of
tie phrase vile population so as to confipe II IN
what lie teFnedqUa|I roteyS It was further said
that the gentleman from Augusta had inimatcd his
belief that such was the intention of the mover of
the original proposition in the Legislature Commit
tee. Mr.. D. sad nc was the mover of the resolu-
tion IN the Sele't COMMITTEE and such not su1e-
~ his Intentlon and if such the intention of the
Select COMMITTEE, he could only say that it was en-
tirey unknownto him. He was for the basis of
white populaiiql as the element of representation;
after that was disposed of another question would
arseas to the fet of suffrage; ind then as to the
persons to whidl the constitution should be sub
! mtied FOR 0pprtva
The gent!HmAn from Fauquicr had asked whether
50 small magnify WGuld endeavor to coerce or
trout the minority. He knew the majority here was
small, but he fd said earlier stage of the de-
bate, what was the majority in the country which
would be represntsi by this majority, and the result
confirmed his site .Hlt. Small the majority is
here, 1t represents large majority of the people
He had objection TO leave door open for con1ro-
mise by proceeding to the next subject before the
Committee.
Charge an ,inconpronsing disposition to the majority
His remark was not open to such construction fhe
gentleman from Loudon, however, had said that he
could not listen te compromises BECAUSE dyinatiou
7
world be agreed to by majority. AS no man is gif-
ted with the powers of deviation, such an opinion
must ever be fatal to measures OF compromise ii
compromise not to be listened to, lest ID should
not be agreeable to n majority.
| Mr.. MERCER said he understood the gentleman
as charging the majority with an unconipromising
spirit.
Mr.. ScoTr sndhe had 10 such purpose The ren-
tleman was averse TO giving opportunity to COM
proulse not from All uncoInpouising spirit, but be.
cause he had not the power of dviiation. In tina,
mortal possesses the power of dfvination therefore
at no time he be certain. lie had another re.
mark to make TO the gentleman from Brooke. lie
had understood that gentleman to say, that although
the majority here small it represents large ina.
jority ofthe white population. However that nigh,
be, he would tell the gentleman from Brooke that the
minority here represent large majority of the free
holders divided by the Blue Ridge as 3 to4. The
minority represent the tax payers ofYirgna all those
who contribute cent to the public revenue; and the
tax payers bear the proportion to the frechoders