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

polls. Many excluded because they arc under res
traint; others because they have sufficient int eli
senee and could not exercise the right bonccialy OIL
safely for the community. Whenever the elective
qualification shall be fixed all should stand ON terms
OF equality, and he agreed with the gentleman from
Norfolk Dir. Taylor that unless it So we souH
only open the door tbe admission OF an
Influence. Co..
He would ask, by way orillustraton in what mod.
the constitution will be ratii ID, VIII IL NOT he
submitted to the people, They may exercise
their sovereign functions either directly in their own
PERSONS or by their Delegates They NAV act fur
themselves refer the matter to the Le,ri.laturc
IL the Constitution, the most important subject ON
winch the people Gun uct Is to be- referred 10 n,,n
bers and all participate equally WHY shouid
not tins be the case IN elections to the iegislaurr
Du ne uli not deem necessary TO more on the
suHlecI Oh inc basis OF representation; and he would
now "iitr some brief vicwstur the purpose OF she
mr. that the amendment ought not To be adopted
ne amendment combines persons and taxation.-
we are tod that property, being important Gle
.neh'' ought TO be represented He hoped that gen.
tcuicn would not confound mites connected
with the foundation of government, with the princ-
pl"s connected with tho progress of government
People have property, and should be protected in
thelr engagements, ana u would be idle saw tha
MAS not hit subject for representation But thai
does not eucidate the question. The lights are all
vi one character; they the rights of czens and
the government mugt protect It's citizens Eyerv
principle IN government Is opposed To the idea that
the interest of the citizens may be neglected. Tie
necessity of that protection Of propc.ty which wond
secure against the assault of the ndigen he fI!F
admitted, am that u eject THIS il should lrticiute
IN representation. He presumed that no man lind
ever thought ofproposng, to regulate the elective
irahcse az to give uct0 to the protection Of prop
cry. But because one man had ten times the pr OPP
erty OF another, he war mt disposed, on that sc-
count 10 allow HIM Ten votes To tie one vJe OF the
other. II you throw power into different districts
they VIII still have the same power. Should there
BIO combination of tho INDECENT To tukc the broper-
ty IN the Stae will this plan OF protection be- eff
c!cRH No. Tho ONLY effect OF it ,voulI lie 10 mo-
tect one part from taxation.
we are told that they who contribute BIZ their
purses should on that account have political pow-
er. Every one IS bound to contributes ne pronrr.y
holders III their purses and they who have no pro-
ty, arc bound to contribute personal services
win IA Is sometimes attended by ilnuu..nt hazard
They are liable TO be called t. military service.
IN iime OF war-to 20 Into the field oil battle ri.k
their lives ald it necessary topoIr uui their blood for
The co'"non defence. Can there be- a hi,her tax i'm
posed OH ctI2cn?-ifall are to have. power i'm pro-
portion TO thor scrviccs these men are surely emil
tied We must discriminate. Learn!ar aud talent
sNve tier influence III society hut they are com9e-
tent to obtain power for themselves, WITHOUT ic.risu-
I've uId lie maintained that rcp-e-cn. alton and tax
alton ought nos to De combined They were different
in principles, ana governed by different rules
The rule oi taxation Is to contribute rs iaf as the
means OF the individual The rn 81 represent alton
- 10 give sui. az" iur Tho commcn lcncG. IN H.
iusiraton has beer: borrowed from our rryunt onury
struggle with Great Britain, nus that WAS not u case
M point. We then claimed the right of resistance
q 1..y I.
parliament. We conteudcd Tor self Governments,
refusing 10 be bound by laws made not ONLY u.
ganSt consent but without con ,uitgti)n with
us We had nn representation III tic Brit
ISh Parliament. lie would only make q few
additional 'cnnrks. u was said there were
different Interests IN this Commonwc. III. This
Mercy proved that the different parties; oil the l. ant
mon~eath dd not constitute the same community
that oil the population not identified Ma ,.,,-
ueueu had advanced this doc,rpc. But Virginia III
tcreSts were uniied--thcrc was daa of any sep
I r.f,.. =. 81
irreooncileab!y a. war with each other. lit were
necessary that tho minority should have guarantee
against the oppression ofte majority they should be
separated bat there existed such dscOr liant prin-
cipcS The interests OF Virginia arc rol rrrconcile
able und he begged gentlemen not 10 suffer this
fiction OF cuuilycing interests 10 IN saad their iudg
mans. II there must he conflict of interests. the
plan proposed would not prevent II. There were
opposing opinions among gentlemen some subjects,
OF which our internal Improvement was one. There
is James River intc est and o Shenandoah md po-
tomac in crcst. In of this kind, there may be
combination OF interests by which other interests
Of the Commonwealth my b. injured. But thcrc
was no remedy for this bu: IN the vitae and moral
feeling of society. lie did not believe that it ne
cesar there should be Of filth in governments
thu, they should be watched with 80 much .al
ousy. lie believed that hey must be founded on
the faith md COOL feelings which exist in society or
else parchment securities good Tor nothing. Ne
must come u last to the moral sense Of ;!o comnu
nifty
He would Ak the very proposition to secure the
minority, by giving them the power, would noi give
At the time the power of abuse and thus load
10 the very conflicts of interest which VIC f,ars
Give tho power, and there will be continual dispo
sition to violate the ercurty Of property. The
TO preserve property ~ to prevent the holders from
opposing each other The amendment has tendcn-
cy n impair the great political experiment
making. Those who believe the people capable of
salfgovcrnmcnt, meet be discouraged when they sec
provision of this character introduced into our
fundamental law.
Mn. COOKE said this the first pause which
occurred aud ho would avail himself of it TO correct
n nis1pprohcnson of the gentleman from Nurthamp-
ton to admission Df his, which he, (MR. "
u'ed valuable 60 the purpose nc had in view. lie
supposed him TO have admit that in truth, and in
fact. misruu occurred under the existing
Constitution Of the government, in any department
Of il. This total misconcoptiou Of his mean
ing He made no such admission, did he advance
euy proposition that would be such meaning. lie
cndcavored 10 illustrate his idea that If the apprc-
tensions Of gentlemen were realized, and the pre-
ponderancc Of power thrown on he West, they had
no reason TO spprohond Injustice because they had