Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-07
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
WEDNESDAY. Nov. I.

He sta cd thai ~ had Yesterday considered the cX
appI Ut our ss'er states 10 far = 1t had any bear
iny on he proposition o: the Legislative Committee,
and "u the amendment, aud had adduccd their Con-
sttutons showing, N? tho general sense, that the
artendnlnt fin gcn lcrnan FROM Cllpcprr, was not
the princ,pes Of rrpuhran governments.
iIe di this hccu'se The pro POSITION charged j.
being a.IsncTntic IN - charariCr aus. became II was
designated he pilor "tt l," 0r!sucrlcy. Tie
knew well tat The g'n"nan vino aic THIS a'cnsa-
ton nitIc Io against the mover -: t" r'snlui' II.
out ony,arlin>t the proposition itself lie (Nr. |.
had shown, that IN the Convention which mt in 7G7
10 anead- Ia. Constitution 81 the United SAFES, rs
well a. IN the Glicrcnt Stale Conventions which
seulbei 10 ratitS that instrument. the representation
OF persons and property. aud slaves - ore or the
other was not considered rcpugnan. 10 lac pfiucip
OF trtc institutions
IL might strange that ha was - anxious e.
get rid Of his charge But he had lived hong enough
10 know tillt words thnTs: and that il you can
once succeed ~ FIXING an odIum proposition
it s damucd in iu4al ~ of thousands and
speedily afterwards RECEIVES inter cln i,,mna'nn.
TIL" principle hIyc TO discuss. aroi from a II
theories. republican. democratic. or ars;oc attic. Is
simply which basis of representation We shall adopt
that OF the lerI-rtVe Comm tee, that moved Ov
the grn'lrnar from Cuprpcr:--whch g The most
wise, most pritent most polite or jhe State. in re-
ference tn; entire und .es"at interests OF every
part of the Commonwealth
He called the utje.lsicn 81 the Committee to :hc
early history ui' the Gonna pnWe ,th which was curl
ors, and wnicl woull throw light on many OF the
views which hc had previously thrown ont. AnrcFi-
or to the formation OF the & institution oil the United
States, wnie the States we're bound together by
ucies of c1ncJrral ion, the II proposition to
what ench STATE should contribute 10 The support of
the Federal Government, wien the question the
ratio for the st time discussed. II IS worthy of
remark, that tho Northern States At that time, in
sisted that slaves should be Counted "a persons while
the South nIa.nt Iine nt slaves were properly and
could not he counted numbers. Tho debate had
been recently Published, aud Is before the world.
Whether this pr. ncpic WIS rt!.iei by The Slans or
mt lC mt :
proposes By the South. and Sustained 10y the North
~ CongresS, that counting The numbers n, ratio
tnonid he TIE who'll OF the ".l.e Pu!aian and three
ilbs OF The blacks.
lie hadnqured OF NIL tic boz X containing the his
tory of those tunes, and OF the agad mon personally
mt with the history. and containing the re-
the principle of the three fftns came to be adopted
or how it to be thought on what prlnci,le
the estimn;e WIS made and concluded on by all the
bI0n. But strnrr IT may apDea ?, If We SHOULD
apply the federal numbers and three fiji rs IF the 9th
crs any other than the State Legislature an! the
prlncpie always results IN nearly the same. as tn.
combined ratio of White population and taxatiun I'm
Virginia II comes within one, in every section A.
it was fashionable call II, or portion OF the Com
inOnwealth. divide you WILL either down
the conntry. The Convention who met in 1897 form
ed this principle confirmed, and ratified, far Us ne
knew believed, by the almost unani.nnus vote of
the States. The Convention found it there and they
wern Content.
We thus s> that m the origin Of that provision il
rad relation to the u. ;. Constitution and adopt
cd in 1857. t. was taken as the basis in 1881 when
it found its way ioto the National Constitution.
Il has been gravcly said there is no connection be-
tween representation aud taxation; that property as
SUCH has CLAIM to representation; and that slaves
mere property, and therefore have right TO
claim representations that the principle Of taxation
and population was and unjust; and that the Con-
EttutIon had made way Tor alton and
alton To be estimated according to the same ratio.
On what ground do gentlemen suppose the priuci-
pie Of the tbree-iiiths was adopted: They say, on
compromise. Agreed. When they say this they have
not sfdvanccdon step farther in the argument. Tie
question still recurs-Oh what ground was the com.
promise made' Was 1T not the idea that slave
are either prisons ur property, or mixed of both
and 40 entitled to representation? He would affirm
without fear ofconradictiun after The proof he shout
advance, that tie principe in the Constitution of The
Dnited States was adopted and Gcftnied on tn
ground that representation and taxation be ap
Dortioncd the same ratio that slaves are pcrson
well property; and hat the South is entitled &,
representation for them as both lie would alduc,
conclusive evidence as to be nature Of tue deionc,
and construction givon 10 n.
lie then referred To the 5lth cs ny in tho FedernI
ist. He did not pretend To know who was the ,itcr
J'Ie subject of representation here taken M an,
;, was cOntcndrd ~ 80 Gauy words that tie SUuthcrr
S:a es claim and have an unIucHtI0HuLle rght To- r.
presentation for slaves considered AZ persons IL
then read all extract from the c,say to which he la
re erred.
ut is agreed al j1cs thar numbers are he hes
scale Of we 18th and taXutUn they are tho only pre-
Per &C lie ufrcpfesentation. Would the Convcntioi
have been Impartial or conasieHt. If they had rcactc
the slav from he list Of inhabitants wien tine share
Ct representation were to be calculated. and inserted
,hcm on the lists whcu the tariI Of contributions wa
be adjusted! Could 1t be reasonably expected tia
tle SDu,hren State. wca1 concur IN a system, wiic
considered them slaves IN some degree as mon, who
burdens were TO be imposed, but refused TO c,nsi
them in tho same Eight when advantages were to b
conferred
After supp,sir 30 had esab.ishej the proposition
fic writer rocs OF
''After oil. may not another ground bo taken q
which ihis article ot tic Constitution viii admit Of
Gill more ready deienco? We have hitherto proceed
ei Oh the idea. tint related 10 person
oy, and not az all 10 property. Bot itA iust idea
Government u Ijstnu cd no lear for protection Of IT,
properly then Of tie persons OF ind viduas Tho one
rs well as tho other, therefore. may be considered
represented BY those who arc charged sill the 90
ysrnneni."
And tacB he pfocceis--
Upon this principle il y, that in several # III,
Stutes. and particularly in tic State Of Now-Nor
ono branch ofth' RoyernNca Is intended Wore espe
f.ri.f liz 60. "a