Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-13

in the community" I-would allow nlnanio par
ticirate IN wing the taxes, who did not n farti-
ciaaie .iapay!n@ -4arm Tins hold - "a hes. |
security for properly, security wh'ci rives to il
the only politic,l power to which i, III. ID, or
with which IL II ho- safely entrusted. nc-e then,
let gentlemen plant their Stlntard-Hcre unfIrl their
banner ami hey will draw .und an if not all n
very large proportion OF the intelligence as well as
the property ot tine State
Bat this general securityto property, am told is
not the object AIMED ai and tina moi hing is accom-
pshcd while the many are authorized 10 levy OH the
people hcaYier tax, than they themselves are re-
CURED. or have 1t IN their power to pay. The gen
tlcmnn from Hanover indeed, has gone far to
dcci1rc that tins rs the very principle against which
ancestors So gallanty and successfully
contcnded. aud hat it constitutes in fact the very
.cOns9mmation OF tyranny And does the gentleman
really think that II the government be organized as
propose, the people OF the lower country Will stand
TO their western brethren, IN the same relation that
our fore fathers occupied towards Great Brlialn?-I
OF, to use his own words that occupy to
wards the government of Ohios-Will he consider
himself t-Xcd without his consent, because his re-
preventative may be ranked among the minority in
the Legislative votcI-Or because some particular tax
may possibly bear harder himself or his county.
than on other parts of his State? If SO, we have
hitherto lived under the rankest despotism for it
will he found by reference to the tabular statements
ot the Auditor, that the middle country lying
either side OF the Blue Ridge, while it possesses
minority OF the property of the State, and is annual
" payiag nearly $4,000 more than the rest of the
State; has in the House OF Delegates 40 Rcpresen-
divisions
united
Gentlemen must pardon nae for saving that on this
SUBJECT th"'r arguments have gone beyond the pro
posi-, ION they have intended TO support and that in
pourtraymg what they deemed The Incompatible in
terests of the East and of the West ~ have gone
far to establish another proposition that the Ancient
Dominion is no longer fitted for a single govern
1nent ] confess indeed, Sir that was shocked
and alarmed, when heard the soemnity with which
the gentleman from Chesterfield in particular de
carcd the integrity of the State be now only the
second wish OF his heart and that unless the whole
powers OF legislation were thrown into the hands oi
minority he for one, was prepared for division OF
the State.
Mr. LErcH here rose to explain. 'TIe said the gen-
tleman from Fairfax had strangely mlsconccved the
characie r Of his remarks. What he mad said was
the preservation of the Star entire was the second
consideration with him. The first was that the
entire State should havH free and regular Rcpubli-
Government, founded upon thu mutual interests
Of all with just balance of those interests where
they conflicting.
Mr. FtTzaUGH resumed Ibid not misunderstood
the gentleman. | sincerely wish | had done So He
dld not, is true, desire the division of the State If
the .,"rcrnment should be organized on what he,
deemed fair T-acipcs; but when he came to explain
himself in relation - these principles they consisted
in throwing the whole pocer of legislation into the
hands OF majority of the people Against the doc
trne of dlsnnon. have uniformly pro: estCc; 1t
come from what quarter it might. | would pre-
serve the integrity of til" State at all hazards
(Mr. Upshur here nodded assent Tho gentleman
from Northampton agrees with me. | rejoice at it.
He is one Of the earliest of my friends, whom have
had the pleasure 10 ee' the present occasion and
| thought from my recollection of his character in
former days. as well as from what have seen of him
here might rely rs Jealous corporation in what
would have tendency to promote the harmony
OF our d'beraions, nni TO preserve the unity Of the
State
But sir, to return to the subject from which was
called off by the gent eman from Chesterfield Fit
be really tyrannical to vest in a majority a power
to levy taxes TO which they themselves are to con-
tribute, in proportion to their property, what shall
we say to the OF the proposition where the
minority are to be entrusted only with the purse
strings, hut with the lives and Liberties of those in
whom they are unwilling to recognize any general
community Of interest with themselves? If there
be tyranny in the case il is here where the interests
and wishes OF few TO be substituted for the in
tercSts and wishes of the whole.
10 that argument which has been deduccd from
the peculiar character of the property most prevalent
IN the Eastern section of the state, am willing to
allow It's full weight Participating very largely in
that description ofpropery myself cannot BE other
wise than alive to any dangers that NAV seem IN
threaten it-And be assured sir that nv own ;nter
est, independently of of Justice will at all
times secure my jealous co operation, in whatever
may be necessary to protect il against dangers e
ther present or in perspective.
What then are the dangers which it is really exno
sed? None, apprcheud and none, in truth to which
reference has oecn made, but that of taxa,
ton. And even this is acknowledged TO bo vorv
much diminished by the diffusion of the proper,v IN
question over every portion Of the State. Yes sir
slavery unfortunately exists in the remotast re-
gions of the West and If its subjects he less nurno
rous there than along the shores Of the Atlantic their
general distribution in smaller numbers especially in
the Valley, ensures an interest in relation to them
that will not fail to unite with the more powerful in
terost in the Enst. in opposing any attempted MUS
tice in relation 10 them.
But for one not disposed to rest on this as nv
only dependence The very fact, that this description
OF properly mas hltheftO borne disproportionate
part OF the public burdens renders it fit subject for
constitutional protection. And it is with this view
thal have already proposed so to limit the power of
TAXATION as to distribute the imposions Of Govern
ment among the different descriptions Of property
eXsctly IN proportion TO their relative value The
eIec' OF thus must Of course be- what al must &C.
knowledge to be just, TO reduce the tax on slaves TO
precisely the same level with all the other
the State -
But an told by the gentleman from Chesterfield
that TINS IS mere paper guarantees TO be executed
or not as The whm and caprice the majority NAV
hereaftef determine. ''' '"''
a paper guarantee! And what, sir. arc all the H.
m fHrv A. 1. sr n - -