Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-19
Fnrp.y, Nov. 10.

FRIDAY, Nov. 10.
| The Convention assembled at IL o'clock,
and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr..
Hofner.
The President took The Chair. and the stan
ding order being read, the Convention resolv-
ed itSelf into the Committee of the whole on
the Constitution, Mr.. Powell in tho Chair.
Mr. johnson then rose in continuation Of his
reniarks--tie began with reehpiiulattng the
different propositions he had attempted to
Notwithstanding is remarks on the Inter
nal Improvement Of the Slate. he contended
thai the Underwater district had deep interest
IN the improvement Of the Western country -
and thai the large scope for improvement and
I the very variety ofiDtGresis will operate rs n
check upon the extrayBgani waste and impro'
vident expenditure OF tue public iunds-every
scheme viii be better examined, every DIS
hni semenl more narrowly watched aud the
Underwater country stands by rs an arbiter
between ihem all.-He cunleuded, thai the
most practicable combinations winch can be
devised, viii sooner result from the compound
! basis than any other--that iLe Middle District
! by uniting Itself with either OF the three great
/ div sIons Of the State, will command tho ma
Jnrily of the Legislature and carry their points
| He pronounced high rulosIum on the spirf
Of Internal MISUNDERSTANDING that II
had bean pstronissd from the days Of Wash
ngton 10 the meeting Of the Convention a.
! Charlottesville, the policy had been held in
very high confederation in this Commonwealth
that il was not recommended by the rash
the eddy and The speculatlve--bni by most Of
the sbesl men in the State. Did not The gem
ilemnn from Chesterfield aud those upon this
Committee, TO whom The people look up for
wisdom were they not active members o. the
I 10. 4. 10.
Us 10 say, whether the lamp Of improvement
which once burnt so brightly on the hopes OF
the patfio,, now glimmering and decaying.
should he chIinguished forever lie assured
the Committee, that the Valley and the Trans
allegheny Districts would freely contribute
their funds, along with the two lower Districts.
| for the prosecution oil enterprises, calculated to
he useful TO the Sts,e---thnt the lands IN the
Western District had brcome better cultivated
aud more valuable, would be now higher 8s-
| sesSed, and The better able to pay their quotas
He contended thai the very situation of ine
Staie. and the various interests will furnish a
sufficient security against ,mproyidence aud
| exhavsRance but II gentlemen are moi salts
| lied upon TINS subject. let them establish by
| IA provision Ia the Constitution, that more than
amajoriy Of the Legislature shall be necessary
10 VOTE money for such purposes; and that it
y,
political power 10 the East, Tor the sake Of
protecting them against abuses.
Mr. Johnson Sfalo1. that the citizens of the
West hnd n. mach reason to fear abuse Of pow
or from the EHsl, as the latter lad 10 fear it
from the West. Might not the district from
the loot of the Blne Ridge combine with The
Underwater country 10 carry The Improvements
no higher than the Blue K dge, and yet for this
purpose compel the Valley, and the trans.Allc-
ghany con0tdles 10 pay their quotas might
not the East take off the tax on the slaves, aud
lay il entirely on the lands ihx tho salt aud
mineral treasures OF the West Might they
not tax the distilled liquors IN thai quarter
The cattle OF the West. presented another
subject Of taxation ihey had been repea eddy
taxed since the year 1915, aud it would be re-
newed as soon rs the necessities OF the State
required IT, He contended that there were
other articles of taxation, which the Eastern
people might abuse. But gentlemen will not
irns, others They say that men are governed
by their own interests Why should not the
Western people suspect the East But II we
car trust them. why should they not within
proper bounds trust rs
Mr. j. urged as n very serious objection TO
,he amendment proposed by the gentleman
Il ON Culpeper (Nr. Creep that the Eastern
people, by throwing the taxes more upon them
selves, might tndeavor TO preserve aud perpetu.
ate their power. Was il this which the gentle
man from Northampton meant by asking whe-
ther the citizens Of the West would bld at Tins
auction of power But he knew that that
gentlemeR was not serious in his proposition
but had merely thrown II out as a rhetorical
figure.
lie commented at some length on the i'm.
provemcntS executed on the James Rver--and
m | al
me people. and the habits OF the people in the
East and the West.
lie concluded by asking whether the resolu.
hon OF the Legislative Committee was not cal.
culated to put down all distinctions, and level
all difficulty from he North Carolina TO the
Maryland 'ines--and whether the amendment
would not produce disseniions nd discord be-
tween the different parts Of the Commonwealth
lie assured the Committee that he had not
nean'to nuera single expression TO wound
the feelings OF any per>on, aud If such had
escaped him he begged leave TO relract II.
MI. Sfanard rose to I'd treas the Committee
he was sensible that he rose under every disad.
vantage Jaded audience, an exhausted sub.
Ject, ana following the very able gentleman,
VINO had Iusi addressed such a copious and
powerful argument TO the COMMITTEE. tmu>t
be powerful considerations that could impel
him TO t'se on such an OCCASION But he was
'mpeled by the duty which he owed to his
constituents whose kindness had forgotten the
circumstances OF his non residence, and genet
rousy made him one OF the repositories OF their
confidence. The Committee had been told
hat the amendment OF the gentleman from
Culpeper was aristocraiica', oligarchc; aud
there was danger lest these odious epithets
| should attach 10 hi4 opinions II was due
therefore, 10 his constituents and himssIt d,
| clear away these imputations from such opin
| ions. he congratulated the House upon the
| order and conc,liation which had prevailed in
this debate, Here the voice OF passion cannot
and ough, not to influence our decisions. He
should therefore INIT ate that spirit, though he
should scarcely attempt to soar into the region,
OF eloquence with other gentlemen for, how
could we forget the spectacle we lately saw
how tho pathetic peroration Of the gentleman
from Loudoun (Mr. Mercer,) had been dissipa.
ted by the luminous statements and the
profound calculations Of the gentleman from
Accomac (Mr. Joynes.) But il was no, the
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