Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-10-31


constituent body. Election therefore, must be lcit
~ those who part of the constituent body and
who are invested with the right of franchise.
Gentlemen had pressed into their service other
POSITIONS They told us that oil power 10 vested i'm,
and derived from the people; and Whenever the GO
vcrnmen shall b. found inadequate to tho purposes
tor which i was created, thgt the majority have the
right TO change it, He would not nj
tempt to reute the sx'omtha power vested in, and
derived from tho people Nor did he deem il ne
cessary 10 enquire into the of tho other
part OF the proposition, that the majority have the in
deieasblc right To change the government, which
ny some was considered abstract proposition
Ihese extracts, II he correctly undersood the ablo
argument of the gentleman from Brooke, (Mr. Dod-
dndyc,) were intended to show that il is in tho
nature of free governments that the majority
shall control. lie could not rctrace the ground
which had been well occupied by the gentleman
from Northampton, but he would add single idea TO
those WIKI which that gentleman had gratiiicd tho
committee AS TO this principle of maj ity uit
tn be viewed original inherent right he could
not acquirsc in the proposition. for the no
had already assigned. Majority, its relative sense,
impes anintNchanye of opinions among men assem-.
uicd 10 dclbcfltc on common principles and who
establish CERTAIN rules by which their proceedings
aie governed, and their decisions obtained. The
principle ct maJorY th,s sense, could apply to
state of things previous To the organization of Go
Ncrnincnt 30 lar dues oic of the many writer's
who have given their opinions on this subject, carry
his idea that he has said tina, in the formation Of
the social compact, there must M entire rnan-
mty, for single individual of that compact shall
declare his dissent before II shall Lave supernduced
The allegations under 1t, hr is not bound by il.
on tins subject ut majority. he hoped he might be
permitted to make u very few observations. Some
writers had given somewhat quaint account Of ms-
lJority. One has given this definition. That when
an individual IL called to vote upon question. hc
! Is bound 10 give no opinion but such as will conform
TO the public WILL and il he should be placed in a
minority, thnt circumstance alone is proof that he
misunderstood that public will. He did not mean to
give that as his opinion, but had only a,verted to
the dehnitlon as curious, aud rs showing what va
rlous opinions may exist upon this point.
lie would ask If we have any invariablc rule of
majority He requested the gentlemen to look q,
the Fed 'ral, as we'll the State Government and
they must no convinced that there could Zoe no uni.
FORM unvaryng and Interchangeable rulo on this point
without being productive of Inconvenience and dan-
ger Let us, said he, look at the construction of
the Federal Government. In the Legislative in the
Executive, and IN the Judicial Departments are
there not in each of these provisions which give to
minority power over the majority, Even minority
OF onc-third ut the whole has, III some cases. power
20 control the other wc-thirds If the President of
tue l. States return bill to Congress with his Veto
then requires vote Of two-thirds TO pass the bill
Consequently one third oithe whole possesses con-
troulin9 power over the majority oftwu-thirds Look
at the Executive Department. The Senate it Will
De recoHected exercises not only functions oflcgsla
t"l' OUT Is also branch of the Executive. In the
performance OF IT'S Executive fuDc ions, it requires
vote oil twothTds of thai body 10 concur in ADVISING
the resident to raiiiy treaty, and if that majority
shat not vote IN the Affirmative, the treaty cannot bc
ratified In these cases then il would he secn ,a,
minority of ono bird NAV control majority
other two thirds. Look at the same body. sitting
IN its Judicial character, for it has quasi Judicial
character, and IS sometimes required TO exercise
Judicial powers. In cases of impeacbncut hefnro
the Senate, that body sits as JUDGES and -
then requires concurrence oftwo-thrds TO convict
cii a~ln tho majority Is subjected 10 the will
OF the minority.
He would now como nearer home and he vopId
ASK now elections were conducted throuobout tho
entire State OF Virgine which is the system which
prevails throughout almost he whole of the u. States
is II IN virginia that majority only can scnd renra
sen,atlves to the House of Delegates and TO the Son
ate no such thing but Is it not plurality Of votcs
which deci"es oil cur eections' If III any county OIL
the STATE Zen candidates appeared ind any one of
NOSE Graduates receive but vote more than nnv
OIL the remaining candidates. he would be elected ara
his VIII would pass that az all the others Surely
NJ person can say that tine majority waa consulted
here. IL would be imposs ibe in our elec,ions to o.
certain the W OF the majority unless by the adoption
OF the general ticket system But need refer fs.;J
MIR. b. for further illustration Of INV ago.,
mont to the constitution Of our subordinate con1ts
throughout this state, Look ut the constituti, ~
our jurlcs, where one individual often b,Ion.as 81
remaining eleven: and this practice ia founded on
eXpedency, and ths constitution of inres ba. ,,,;,
ca Tor centurIes-the constant theme Of praise and
admiration OF all the distinguished mon ,,,Io 60. w
existed, either this or the other side nj Tho A,,
TIC. lie had then shown that in the onero,ions nr
our government--Init It's three departmcntsrtho To-;
iitEc' executive ana Judicial that some cases ono
third controls two thirds and that in the cone,,t;
Of our juncs the will of one man counterbaIsnrcs
lhat OF the remaining eleven.
but IHt us follow one link further in this Chain NJ
lhVestgatoh-iel us come into this Hall lie held
az matter requiring demonstrations that tho voice
Of me majority could not be expressed in this Hall
unless tne votes were obtained by general ticket
Much as tho public will was obcycd In other eioc,ior
yet the voice Of the majority was not heard in his If
all the citizens OF Vrginia could assemble and would
vote Tor the same individual, then the election would
express the will of the people. But in any system NJ
practical election, whether by districts or precincts
as IN INC election Of federal officers the naiorites of
one district cannot be transferred 10 another II NAV
frequently md Will happen that if VIC could add the
maJorit"s OF one district tho miuores of anotbor
we night have prevented the passage Of many bills
"hch nave become laws, and may prevent the pas
sage OF many others which will become such if The
new constitution should go into operation.
What conclusion said Dir. b. do derive from tbfs
process OF reasoning That there is fixed invari-
err Of any majority hero to mport such prnciplrs n