Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-11-12

vernment. The people had been accustomed,
for hundred years and more, to the equal
Representation Of the counties, and to the
freehold Limitation Of the right Of suffrage
| II wouk have been, to the last degree, un-
wise and impohtic, at such fearful cricis,
when the whole physical force Of the people
was barely sufficient to defend the common
wealth against the superior fore OF foreign
enemy, to distract their minds by new ar
Tangement and distribution of political power.
J In leaving the counties and the frechOiders as
| they found them, the trainers of the Constr
| tuition acted like wise and practical statesmen.
4 They were well aware of the Inconsistency
between their theoretical principles and thelr
| practical regulations. Even as carry as 1871
| that Inconsistency was pointed cut by one of
our wisest statesmen. As early as 17si the
nen and ,sa'eardQf principle that, in the APP
| portioEment Of representation, regard should
| be had to the white population enly, was urg-
\ ed home on the people of Virginia, by MIR.
Jefferson, who exhorted them, in the most
| earnest and impressive language, to reduce
| the principle TO practice, so soon as leisure
| should be afforded them ''for intsenchng
| within good forms, the rights fer wk.ch they
| had bled."
Fifty years have passed by, and that period
Of leisure has at length arrived. The repre-
s~atatyes Of the people Of Virginia have at
/ last assembled in |.fuN and free conpention,n
/ to revise their Fundamental law. A specia.
! conlni1tee of th;s convention has recommend
! ed the adoption Of a resolution
/ THAT an the appointment OF representation
| an the House of Delegates, regard should be
had 70 The white population exclusively
| To the amendment sought 10 be engrafted
en- this resolution shall presently advert
| My first inquiry is, how far this resolution
accerds with the great principles of political
law sOleInnly announced by the fathers OF the
! Revolution, in ''ihe declaration Of the rights
| Of the people of Virginia have tested ii,
SIR, by these principles, and fad it in strict
accordance with them.
II looks to the people as the only legitimate
source and fountain of political power 1t
establishes the political equality Of the cleo
tors throughout the commonwealth, whose
! qualifications will be defined by separate
article of our fundamental law, which, will be
sanctioned by the expressed viii of the majo-
| rity. 1t gives practical effect to the jus anajo
ris, by making each delegate the representa-
tive Of an equal ntnnber of the people, so that
the voice of majority of the Delegates will
! be the voice Of a ma iority of the people Ii
| establishes, IN short, that beautiful harmony
] between our theorehod principles and our
practical regulations, the want Of WHICH has
been for fifty years the reProach of Virginia
! But its accordance with these great funda-
| mental principles has not ebtained for it the
| undivided support of the members of this as
J sembly. The member from Cuipeper Judge
| Green proposes to amend it by striking out
the exclusively" and adding the words ''and
taxation combined" If his amendment pre-
! vail, the resolution viii read as follows:
| "Resosced, That in the apportionment of
a., r.
gard should be had 10 the white population
| aid tn-GtiGn coasbined"
| 1t will be perceived, at once, that the OBJ
( jet of this amendment is to substitute for the
| principle of representation contained in the
| resolution OF the committee one of totally
! new and ditlerent character Ii proposes
naked or compound basis Of representation,
| the clements of which are property ard people,
| IN lieu of The simple basis of people 1,ty For
the total amount Of ferati0, does and must
bear a just proportion to the total amount of
property The direct tendency then of this
amendment is to give political power to the
| wealthy IN proportion to their wealth, and to
| lnflict political insignifcancc on the poor In
proportion to their poverty. To confer on an
electoral district, containing fe,c electors but
great wealth, equal power with another dis
| trict, concerning many electors, but little
"C"iti' " &aNC W uf .jttc, WHO dfC ittfi- d
control over the paany, who are poor. SO
| that If Stephen Girard, or any other or the
! great capitalists OF the North were to become
"A citizen of Virginia, and his wealth ccuid in
any manner be reached by taxation, the direct
operation ofthis amendment would be to con-
fer on the county which he should select for
his residence, three or four times as much
power, perhaps, as it possessed before
/ Now sir, said Mr.. COOKE without COM
menting further on the practical operation of
the proposed amendment, let us apply to it
the same test &c which we have subjected the
resolution of the Committee. Does itaccord
with the principles Of the declaration ofrights
! with the principles to which the member
! from Cmpeper, in common with us an, has
| given bHt yesterday, the sanction of his APP
proving wete?
| 1t will be perceived, on examination. that it
violates, not one of those principles, only, but
esesy 0,ae.--it repudistes the doctrine, that
! The peop'e arc The only legitimate source and
fountain efpohtcal power, and that "all power
IS derived from the people" and makes pro
perry one of the sources of power, and declares
1t 10 bederived in part from property.
| 1t denies the correctness OF the principle that
an the electors in the commonwealth are
| equal in political rights, by comforting on a
small plumber .ceaHhy electors, congregatedt to-
sether in one electoral district, the same pow
| electors, copyrighted in an other electoral dis
trict.
I II subverts the jus najorss, which is the third
great principle alluded TO- and substitutes for
it the control of the wealthy Iew--er In other