Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-10

u're's, "iihn winch no peculiar interest il be-
heved TO exist TO other Contiguous districts having
similar Interests, and the desired object win be attained
heh under the power they have OF dividing tho
larger Countless and under this power so Conferred
upon them Of consolidating the smaller every
and practical equality will be once accomplisboJ-
me whole scheme of representation will then remain
upon Us ancient ,unsered basis and be accomnoa-
TED IRON tune to time to every future condition of things
without changing any principle, seeking establish
Instead OF adopting course so s;mrI, 90 Gee. "a,
which, in all probability, would be so satisfactory, as
ms seems TO be proposed to apply sponge to all
the division lines within the State and to make p.rrect
tdouia rdsa OF the whole Commonweal,h-When this
IL dene new lines must be drawn, a new associations
created in the establishment of which no regard l. 10
be had according to the report of the Select Committcc)
to any thing else but the number of the free white
populaton risng within such limits. Such an idea
he believed never entered into the mind OF single man
before this Convention met, and will now be regard
ed without anazement and almost by any
other than member Of this body.
For my part, said Mr.. T. will cordiallv unite will,
any in consolidating the smaller counties every where
until the very least shall assume proper size-I will
unite them in dividing the larger counties whcrover ~,
desired until the largest shall be considered s
In the progress of this work of e9ualZa-
ueb howeversl can never consent regard numbers
oil any sort taxation property of any kind
ereiusirety or any thing else Exclusively must con
sider what the interests and convenience of the people
70 De represented require and in deciding this question
must do, what every wise statesman ought TO 10. |
think must regard and pass in review before me- every
single circumstance which exists, influence any part
oil the State materially.
ample Ii you will east your 20 over the man of Viz
gnid you will on its extreme eastern border lit
ue peninsula, containing within its limits not fftieth
part OF me territory or population probably of the
weah oil the State Suppose this territory and popu-
adon and wealth reduced TO any thing less YOU please
out still remains respectable the situation of that pcnn
sula would yet be what il now is IL would still he cor
ngnoss to neighbourng State, washed by the great
atlantic on The one side, and separated from tho rest of
tne STATE on The other by great bay, wider than tho
English Channel at Dover, than the Mediterranean AZ
inc straits oil Gibraltar This situation, you must per-
ceivecSposc5 its inhabitants 10 greater ne r than
nose OF any other part OF the Commonwealth; and at the
same time, deprves il of all hope of aid f-on an oor
IN inc hour oil ITS greatest need Inthe Re-
Vouuot ana during the late war; these people defended
themselves by their owa alone receiving no
particle OF assistance from any other portion of the
state Whatever may be though of The ingra,uds AZ
announcer part IN not erecting TO mark the
spos "hee rest the bones OF the brave men who fell
victims 10 The diseases of either camp climate no
Tear ought TO bedew the cheek OF the gentleman
from Loudoun (Mr Metcet) az similar ingratitude
here-no Western hero il there Inferred for the fool
OF no wesern hero ever pressed that soil The peo
PIE OF This ule peninsula unaiied, have maintained
and defended themselves from the hepipniao will con
"nue to do so 10 the end and thank God that they
are able so to do. But this is not ALL Our bstory
w' inform U.S. that the people Of this peninsula arc
me defendants OF the earliest settlers in Virginia
Their insular situation Inform u.s. that The an
cieht manners I'D customs OF the country are thers
preserved more perfectly probably than in anv o,ber
par' OF me STATE where the frequent striton of va
ious associations has long since buned and
down the aspcrties and sharp points of the habits of
anhqu'ty-a diferen. climate, soil. and situation has
VIII oil tn
we pursuit oil occupations there differ mt from
those existing elsewhere In short all these liver,i
tes have created an interest peculiar in that section
OF the country the like of which is TO b. found M
where else Now, with full know ledge of all these
facts, would any wise statesman, in adjusting a scbeme
Of representation for the whole Commonwealth eyer
conceive the IDEA OF allowing representative TO sncr
society az have described, merely because their
NUMBERS or their wealth, did not riso TO fhe exact
heisn OF that arbitrary standard of number OR propertv
which he had fixed. Would common orulanre nj
~ him in saying to such peoples 1T is tfue an ocean
,o; between u'i It 'true, your si'naton manners
nnos' pursuits ana interests. different from Ours.
IT'S true you are contiguous TO another State wbere
JnS'a-positon TO you may better qualify il TO learn
the true nature OF your wants and 10 extent IN vour
peculiar Interests more protection than we can hrt NO.
ver'heiess cannot regard any of these things Nv
rule is that in aolting re pr respac, L,,
had TO The number OF free white Inhabitants
and as your natural limits contain not sufficient num-
Der OF these 10 representation be allowed TO Won
and yon cantherefors, have share in the
ton OF the Government designed for the benefit of ali
need not slate what must be the inevitable result of
shch course Every man who hears me, must at
once perceive H. "
Mr.. T. then adverted 10 the little county Of w.
WICK containing as he said than about foriv
thousand acres of lard. and but little more than 900
white inhabitants. H- said that regarding ,ba s;,n,
ton OF that county the convenience of lie inhabi
ants IT was scarcely possible conceive that anv in
couu mere exi. at this day, which com
mon 70 the eircumaccnt contiguous countless upon the
principles OF the basis of representation as now estab
shed therefore, this county could be considered as
longer entitled TO separate Representations But
suppose. sr aid he that the river which runs tbrouyh
this little county precipated itself in It's course over
such cataract as that Of Niagara. Does not every
one discern In such circumstance, cause sufficient
TO convert the Inhabitants of that county into bo ~
manuac'urersi And then is il not obvious that s,Icb
an interest would require separate representation
MISUNDERSTANDING the limits Of the county its popuIa,on
and property might each remain not greater than ,bev
are at present Justice and policy weud surely re-.
qnre this II So il is perfectly clear that the existing
basis u the true basis Of represenai and bat in tbs
allotment OF representation, regard sheuId he hal -
Their to the interests and convenience of the peonls
Than TO h'Ir actual numbers, wealth. or terrory
But my venerable friend from Louloun II beg p,,dn
OF the gentleman for the familiarity Of the phrase but
he has ever been my end) has said that the prnci..
piles OF all Republican Government required, that rem
rescnta,ion should be spporiioned according 10 num-
bers alone, and should he founded the white poni,
aiion oDy-Yet, Sir, that gentleman himself tells US
That our existing government IL the best the world has
ever known--Is not this government Republican CO.
yernbenH Were not the patriots who formed IL wise
Republican, And is il not founded the purest Re-
not Republican Government, what we 10 infer
from that euogy which represenst TO be the best go
vefnment in the world! Here Mr., Showed the In
consistency OF the argument urged the other side
which, while II conceded that the present was not onl,,
republican nt but The best Of such govern
mems, yet denied to such government any one of The
ingredients necessary 10 the construction Of repubc
He next referred TO The arguments on the subject 81
the natural right OF majority to govern contsntno
that radical objection TO all such arguments would he
found in the arguments themselves. Gentlemen roDe
tend that majority OF the people have an nS"6sss
bic right TO rule the minority; and having establsbed
this proposition, to their satisfaction Al least thew
Immediately undertake TO define W no are The peopIs
and by their own de nltion exclude no than