Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-12-31

| ~ summoned by the monarch 10 vote sunni,
| only, aysIled themselves Of this power To es
tort IRON the throne, participation with tht
King and his mobiles, III thr legislation of ia,
kingdom. But what monarch or noble baron
nave We here, from whom 10 purchase. with ouI
treasure, the rlght II legislation Aud whai
peculiar conoeYion eau there be, between la a
ton and representation, in u co1ntry. where
II is as much he settled doctrine that the pro
pie shall be bound by no laws made without
their consent, as II is that they shall naI be
taxed without their consent. When YOU have
established that the people cannot be taxed
without the consent of themselves or ,hcir re.
nresenla'iyes, you have advanced no farther
M ascerialning how representation is To be an.
portIOned among the people, than when the
broad principle IS acknowledged that no law
affecting HE, liberty or PROPERTY, is binding on
The people without their consent Sure the
example of the House of Commons can give
no support 10 the proposition mat Representa-.
ton should he apportioned in every degree Ia
taxalion. The people OF England never in.is.
ted that each mnr should vote ms own cuntr
button, tiai the votes OF their representative
should he vnlurd according 10 the an, unit OF
then respective contributions, or that the SIEVE.
RAJ IN eresis on Which contributions were levi.
ed, should be represented, IN he proportion
OF their wealth The poorest borough, aud the
nc esi city, the laI gest aud The smallest shire,
had lis representation, without any reference
10 wealth, amount Of taxes Or population. The
torty counties IN EnGian', send each two mem.
hors 10 Pa,hanent, outstanding then great
di,p tiy in wealth AMI pop ,lalinu, and tue
~ u of the 5l3 members furnish
ed b. England are Supple by the large
cite. md the small boronsts ilhont the leas,
r. gard 10 their wealth, or then conf IbutioGs ~
Ia, Government The Large ma loriiy OF tDem
ar comparativel, poor AID nsig "ifcant while
SOME oflhem would scarcely he able 10 drhay
the expenses OF their members during sing le
session, perhaps not able 10 pay Tor The wine
drank by them al single dinner. The great
county of Mid hesex and lis towns of London,
aud Westminster send eight members TO ParIia-
ment II they were represented IN proportion
10 their taxation they would probably furnish
a majority OF he House of Commons. A stat
ment made by Bouigh thu g,eat advocate Of
English reform referred 10, probably, by the
gentleman from Culpeper, (Mr. J. s. Barbour
shews that in the latter par oil the 7th century
MiddeSex aud lis towns. paid 300 parts ont Of
6l3 al the whole land tax II the kin. DON,
permanent and annual so thai a pr portion
ate representation would nave gIvea them a
decided majority Of the whole number OF Eng
llsh members.
| cannot acre oIbear to remark that genllc
men have seriously objec ed 10 the representa-.
ton of numbers breause II its tendency To
throw tue power vi government INTO The hands
of small popu ms districts whose representa-
lives acting IN Concert would exert an H. furious
Influence over The Legislation of the cOunlsy
They tell us that b ston o, New York, or even
Baltm re, represenIed. il proportion 10 its
menbels would soon conlroHl the councils Of
Us State And what Is the Ienrdy proposed
for t1at evil , Instead Ola salutary check, by
limiting the representation IN such ovelgrOwn
districts, by Anticipating he probable growth
OF the Tide waer towns, IN wealth and popu
laupn, and limiting her representation 10 n
pres ibeG number, IL is proposed 10 give them
additional power IN the Government, by ad-
dung tLoir wealth 10 their numbers, The ely
ofHehmond. which upon the ratio of the wntle
population would be sniifIed, al ,hls tmr to
one member ooy would be epttled in the ria.
to pfIls taxes 10 more than Tour, aud ON thr
combned ratio o nearly three.
The principles oil our revolution have been
appealed TO and ii has SacH supposed that tho
spirit OF our fathers winch refused snbmis ION
~, taxes imposed by a government III Whit h
the, were not represented. Should INSPIRE a Just
oppbsllIoh TO ever scheme oil representation
which was not apportioned IN some degree
to the amount oftaXes imposed. II talS indeed
were the true prInclple Oft the revolution, Is II
MOI wonderful, how little regard was paid 10 n
by the father OF the revolution that it did not
lind some conspicuous place IN Their declara-
lions oil right, or have a controlling influence
in the provisions Of the constitution whlc' ihny
themselves formed Bat DO genlImen serious
t,yI Iii tHatI h4s of he
aied ia desire TO obtain a representation IN
the British Parliament. proporioned 10 our
population, or indeed any representation al all,
They certainly do not, for they ask us, almost
ia dersion, what would have been the fate oi Il
proposition from tae British Parliament, 10
grant her colonies a representation IN the
House Of Commons, proportoned TO their
population, on condition that they would sub
init 10 he taxed | unite with the gentlemen
in Supposing that our fathers had too muCi
good sense too much prudence and foresight
TO nave consented to surrender hen own house
of burgesses, their own power Of leglslatng for
themselves, and taxing themselves, subject IN
" TO the royal negaiyes,-tO have bound
themselves ndiSsolubly 10 a government acting
at the distance Of 1000 miles from them, 10 here
mite their consequence and their power, by
becoming an ineger of the British nations ana
have abandoned forever. all hope oil 'horpeh
dence unite with them in believing, that III,
proposition wonId have been req cled, and nol
less certainly would it have been rejected, Il
they had been offered "A representation proper
toned to their population and taxes combheG
The principles the revolution. teach US, thai
no people should be faxed by Government
~ which they arr not represented, but they dc
not instruct us that taxation and representation
should bear any gwen ratio to each other
They wond rather lead TO the conclusion, that
as representation is the organ, through whict
the public will act upon the public interest. Il
should be apporlioned with the sole view OF fair
~ embodyin ing that will.
Gentlemen endeayoring 10 fortify themselves
with authority, aud seeming DESTROYS 10 supply
for &c by numbers, have invoked The Constu
lion of the q. States, and Of several states .
the Uni.d.
They suppose the Constitution OF the Unitef
States TO furnish an example worthy OF grea
resnect, because in apportioning represenI alior
among he several States, it has abandoned thu