Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-19
RrrORrkp roR nm WHICH,
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
Dc1ate of .lIondav. Nor. I6-Conciuded.

w
che House this morning, he had Little expectations aId
not the moe. remote wish take alyehsre in the d.
bate on this subject. lie had wish to participate
IN the slightest degree III the discussion OF any sub
icct CT general nature which might be depending in
tins body, - long the question presented was m
terms un3c.ued as that m which the report of the
SSect Committee was couchcd. All the knowledge
no had OF men, aud all the information he had been
able ~ acquire IN the science of politics. had satisfied
bin that good ever did, ever can result from the
discussion OF general political propositions under the
Hope OF eicng any agreement TO the bass of any
practical political scheme Al such schemes when
developed, and they must at some time or other be
developed must be brought 10 the test Of experience
and utility, and il ought 90 constitute objection 10
any political plan that il is not adjusted to precise
.rcs of nor to any other, that is sylioris,i
deduct ION from any supposed general truth. | the
principle of plan be TO be good il will be
adopted, although at war with all general basis; am
IT. on the contrary. the details OF scheme arc WRONG
l, VIII he rejected, although it mny be admitted in
t', ~, end apparently perfect in plan,
w q ntay ADOPT any detail without rCf,c,;r,r ms.
COOL end. lie had, therefore, at first rerre,SJ th
course and direction which our proceedings had tala
anu had then almost determined to take no mari N
INC dscussion until the matters in debate had assln
Ell some f'rm N which he mi eht be enabled to ir6e
.oi the fruit The debate however Ind now, oo,c 30
tar that it would probably be saving of time 10 r,sI
one step further, IN order to take view of the pre-
csc question as 1t presents itself With this Wv.
he would ask the attention OF the COMMITTEES fnr =
few minutes while he made some reply 10 tho roma l
which lad fallen from the venerable gentleman from
LoAdoun.
The question, BY these remarks is tl,s.--yVb,,
should constitute the basis of government? and ,ban
what should constitute the basis Of Government, az
virginia. W nat is most apt to that INJURY, What
Is nov the Constitution Of Virginia. When that
gentleman tells us 1t Is The best m the world that II
has endured above half century doinr eli manner
SooG 10 those Tor whom 1t was created: and where
there Is none TO testify that it has wrought any evil
We mast take th;s universal concurrence as e,ti,oo
ny III favor OF the principles on which IS nov, Sd
lie considered the Constitution of Virr.nia. which
haa TASTED above two hundred years as tu OF pracii
cal perfection, and lie would not EXCHANGE il .,r tLo
theories of Locke and Sidney or any Ohio s,no,T
tive scheme whatsoever. He did not cam fcr tb,s
constitution merely prescription of ff y-four ,-s
s4nougn mat YOU'D DC strong testimony in It's favor
OCT nc Claimed for II the benefi; of prescrr,or 20
curing To The beginning of the Contl,n,-n5l,b .,6
even beyond that, to the origin OF r.nrasa,,tstiD -,
Virginia. since that time there had been but few
changes: Whist was the first basis Of ro,rase1ta
t.on WINE ifS'aa was yet colony; II 1919 or
1890, the first House Of Burqesscs assc,,LlcI -,
. jamestown. What and when did they rc1-sser,;
They represented the different Plantations in asra.
parts OF Virginia. or, TO speak more CORRECTLY Tho &c
fereRt settlements OF the colony Our f,tbe~s e..
spread themselves along the bank, Of lanes rir.r -
me settlers were OF different degrees of wealth and
CHARACTER, AID their settlements were separated from,
each other by water courses which il was dang,ions
10 pass and forests which difficult tn Generate
In assembling to make laws for people tls scatter
Cd, the settlements were required TO send rcpresc
tatiVes without reference to wealth. Or anv other re
Terence except to the interests ofthe different settle
ments. The basis Of represcutaf ,ba-of,r, -. y
interest. The representative was TO r.i,-e.o,+ 81
interests OF The body OF which he was member Al
the foot OF the Falls there was one interest winch b
It's representatvcs; Northampton and Accomact bJ |
anotheF and Norfolk another, because their interests
were peculiar. Eseii peculiar Interest," con. -. ,
lis proportion to the whole. II wos the in,ot 90 :
eacn 10 contribute 10 the public good by prn,or,n
these peculiar interests Whence do Won d4rivn tLf
iact From the only source whence we could dhriv.
lt-iroIn tie history of the intnres, itself I did MT
inquire II 1t extended to so 500 or To 500 ~ GOO
individuals II the interest of sufficient rnoort
ance, 1t was entitled 10 repre- entation first on its own
account, and then in its relation TO the whole In nro
cess OF time these settlements extended further TO-
wards the West, and to the North and the S,outb
and assumed more distinct character They wore
then IN degree separate interests but they were
much more nearly one than they are But con. /
venlcnce,dld not permit the whole Of tue scli,nents
70 act by representative, that any one portion
should represent all.
In 1854, the Colony was divided into shiros, and
each sent two members to The Legislature Was
this representation the basis of numbers or Of.
"eath NO: IN giving represent to the shircs
lhe same principle was adhered to which gave rep
resentntion TO the plantations that inter. ST raipb
have place in the Legislative Hall. in order that
me representatives might know what their various
1.,eresls were and how lar they could be promoted
The irr".leF counties IIonricn, Northampton, Nor
fok and the Iss2 Of wight had their peculiar inter
csts In process of time, there was more than one
III the same county. In Henrico, she grew. in
importance and populations there two interests:
t'c 'c'est " tnF HoH'ef Pioneers and that of the
eastern side o! TIC county were very different and
each was entitled TO IFS representation. You who
have peculiar interest, send to represent your MIR
ucu ar power and thus sc have gone On dividing with
the increase Of populafion and wealth. and convent
ence rendered the divisions necessary in order that
each might nave voice IN the Legislature. Soch Is
The basis Oh which rcTrcs"ma'ion wac founded IN
Virginia, and that basis would hay. been perr.c,
aud would n3w BE- perfect, but for oae circumstance
which every one is prepared To- r fuodv 1T one mo-
mont In the original distribution Of The coun,ins
limos OF donarcoiiJn were rcco.earv our these yoro
dfawn round narrow spaces within Which T. ru,o~
Interests did reside. These were regarded i'm the
COnstilguotl AMI each should have IFS rcDrcs Mn
ton. The Convention. carving these dei.gns into
eXecutlon und unwilling 90 change. txccpi .ff r. IL
was necessary 10 prevent pr1cicIl mischief and Gy
ca these cmuiy limits. The object was good. An
the county Of Warwick. there vas no one plr.ir1 .
lar interest which would abide; but Warwick wa
so identified with Elizabeth City, that The saine Ear
was made 10 include both. Tho interest there ia COIN