Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-09-23

were; and they spoke very nearly the truth; but the
people of America were not content with cirt"ai
rep, esenfoton. they stood upon the good old laws of
thor foreiathers, the maxirns of which have now
had the honour state TO your Lordship tho Sep
tenne "Coiiectire' turned deaf to their remon-
stronccs and prayers; and tho result debt TO
England n farthing of which is not yet paid off, deep
disgrace to her arms, and danger for the future, Of
which danger are at this moment tasting.
Now, my Lord, to ihc practice in the middle age
is not necessary to trouble ourselves with inquiries
with regard to the precise extent of suffrage which
existed up to the reign of the virtuous and pious,
though weak King HENRY the With it is not the a.
buses that we ought to be DESTROYS to initiate; but the
sound principles pointed out by law, and sanctioned
oy reason The nation is i'll a state wholly different
from what was even down to the reign of the last
of the SrUARTs. For many centuries the Commons
of England, that is to say, the common people, knew
nothing of tax; when poll-tax was attempted TO
be imposed upon them they resisted, and audaby re-
sisted; and the tax was given up If your Lordshp
look into that history TO which you have appealed
you will find, that down to that Reclamation
that demolition of popcry, of which your Lordshp
seems to be SO much enamoured, the English Conn
oas knew nothing of taxes that generally speaking
the Kings family, his household, his officers even his
Judges, were maintained out of his own private
estate, and out of those rights which he had with
regard to the property of tenants of the Crown that
when additional money was wanted, it given
under the name of subsidies; and paid either wool
exported or by the knights their fees; that is to
say IN proportion to the amount of the value of their
property IN hand, considerable portion of IL always
|
In the case of wars of pressing nature the King
and the noblcs, and the clergy, raised the force at
Their own expense; so that the common people really
knew nothing of taxes. Then the clergy maintain
ed all the poor and nccesstous out of the tithcs and
other revenues of the Church; there were no poor
rates necessary, and no Church-rates. Personal
service was demanded Of none, except he were able
to come forth mounted; the clcrry held convocaton
concurrcntly with the Session OF the Parliament and
they took care of the interest of poorer classes
so that these classes whether it was the practice for
Iy tIc
ourthcn of taXation and against all the misc
RES which IT inlics; but now my Lord every man is
taNed as lioRNE ToOkE said, "even the wretch that
picks up the orange peel i'll the streets TO satisfy his
craving hunger" Mr.. PREsros, the celebrated
conveyanccr, published pamphlet some years 90
IN winch he con.endcd that out of every El8 wear
earned by labourer, lie had 20 pay Clio in taxes
Upon what ground, then, has YOUR Ior,lsbip beer,
pleased to question the reasonaGicness of universal
suffrage: Ia order to cntanglc us in difficulties il
has been said land that pompols and dro gentleman
JERRY lSENTHAI, has lent his hand in the work that
We ought TO include tc0nlea well as men, because
they pay taxes too. Women are excluded bv Tho
Very nature OF Their sex, much they are from
Denlg Judges, soldiers, sailors. The DUKE of
hicHMoNDs definition of universal suffrage is quite
sulc!en namely lit is the right of every connoncr
'of this realm (inants persons of insane mind and
" CRIMINALS incapacitatcd by law only excepted To
HAVE A VOTE III the election of the represcn-
'tatlve who is TO give his consent to the maxine off
laws by which he is TO be bound"
put theIe is still another reason, for every man,
-.
persons OF insane mind, criminals aside by the law
cannot be called upon TO in the militia or 10
arm Tor the defence of the country. Every other
man may be, end every other man is so called unon
And, to repeat what have recently said elsewhere
shai the lord or the squire, any body else who has
property to defend, pretend that the defender of he
rcPery mas not as good right TO vote for reprcsen
tatlVes IN Parliament as he has. What youlJ vonr
LordshP think OF letter, for instance addressed nv
landowner to the labourers Of the parish in which
!. ne resides and containing the following words
UnfI Fnr
and fathers and mothers, come TO such nloco toLo
such arms as shall be given YOU march whtber Won
shall be ordered, fight and risk YOUR lives if i, bo
ne eeessry IN deience OF me and of my property but
the next election, will vote for tie person thai
Is TO pass laws to tax you and affect vour Iivc and
yo" ShHu hare no uote al ALL not because Won have
got no lives not because you pay no taxes but be-
cause you have not got so much land ne I boyo -
Why, my Lord, would not every man Of tie,o bo',o
right to strike tins feeble and npotent and ;neort
wretch TO the ground? What call upon men TO como
.Irth 70 deend your property and your le and tell
them at the same time, that they are unworthy 70 he
entrusted with the power of giving n vote in tho
choice OF those who TO make the laws af,cctin0
thcr own property and their own lives! To tell tba,9
thal their claim is ufOunded IN reason and that tbn,,
ought to be represented by persons chosen nv thos
their lives ~ 0''''ie
Any thing monstrous as this certainly never w,s
iieard OF Deiore and, must do opponents tho ms
ce to say that they have attempted TO defend
principles so outrageOusly offensive to common conc
ana common justice. No: their objection 10 univcr
sal suffrage is, that it would be IMPOSSIBLE in nr,;
ana that IN the words of your Lordship, il would be
species Of u1irersat cOnfusion." On this noin, |
then take them up and, after aslino vbefbortbo
DC un'gerSat confusion in the UNITED STATES of AMv
hicA, VII come TO our own country. In almost the
Whoie OF the STATES of ANERrcG not opJ, ;s tbo |
suffrage universal, exactly according to the R,Ivr
hIGHMoNos definitions but there, they carry the prin
PG INTO the election, not only of the two houses of
.ne legislature, but into that of the Chief NIo1s
.Iates the Preside n. and the Governors0 and into
ln m OF inc Shers of Counties and Towns who arc
an elected Tor certain periods. And nv Lori 10
serc uIyeTsa confusion in that country, which has
Dcch FIR If-THREE YEARS independent fbe
poPation oil winch has increased in that time from
tIee m'os TO f'oefve in which country has grown M,
navy able TO contend with ours sinoie-bsnded and
. commercial marine fast becoming enrsl ~ or
own; IS That country Of "mivsrsak coDC1sioo5S IT,
lhe whole OF The fftyihyce years there has bce b.
one single coinmotloni and that was in consco,enco
Oh an erci'e ialo, which was soon lteryard oaI
nat commotlon was PIt down upon the bare appest.
i luz " tne Cniei Magistrate. surrounded by not
SOW out rolnnfeer citizens; while in our co,,n,
NheIe' zoo Knows we are far from sufFrace uniyeyy