Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-19

" State County Tax" (so as to require some tax
to have been demanded and paid)
MIR. WILSON accepted the amendment a modi6ca.
ton.
Mr.. CLAYTON suggested the addition Of the words
" or Cooperation" before &" tax"
which was in like manner accepted by Mr.. Wilson
l. After some conversation, the question was about "a
he put ON the amendment, as modified, when
Mr.. FIrzHUcH said, that il must be obvious, that
the proposition amounted in substance 70 Universal Su
frdgc For, all were subject to capation tax. He
condere! this capita,ion tax, Que of the most nju
rious unequal and oppressive systems OF taxation that
ever was devised and il had BEEN from the hrst, his
earnest desire 10 rid the State Of it, With that view
no moved the following snendmentto the amend
ment OF Mr. Wilson:
Provided, That eaptation tax either for s'ate
or county purpose, shall hereafter be Ieve!-and thai
no individual whose taxable property shall be Of less
value than dollars, shall be subject to any proper
ty tax whatever"
In illustration Of the unequal operation Of the CAPITA.
ton, Mr. F. referred TO the case Of an individual in
his county Of Fairfax, who Of the wealth.
| est men in the Commonwealth but who owned no
negroes. That mans contribution wa. but 80 or 90
cents under this tax. He wanted TO the State rid
Of it, once aud forever His desire was, that no man
should enjoy tho Right Of Suffrage, unless he possessed
some property, and enough TO shew that he not
vagabond he had not fixed upon any definite sum
but had left blank to be filled, with what the Con-
vention might deem reasonable.
Mr.. COOKE said, that the gentleman from Fairfax
was mistaken, in snpposing that the amendment Of the
Suffrage. There were returned, in 1928, in single
county Of this State, between six and hundred
persons delinquent, for the non-payment Of their
county levies though Il years OF age. Now, u
the delinquency extended, in the proportion,
throughout the State the amendment Of the gentlemaa
from Monongaa, would operate TO exclude 20 900 Of
these nsolvents to the public 1t could not then be OBJ
jected to Universal Suffrage II would exclude such
as he wished to excluded-ali the vagabonds and
worthless oilers He did mean TO be understood
saying that all those thus returned delinquent, ,Ders
oilers and vagabonds hut the class Of in
cluded those who were Of that description.
Mr.. FIrzHUGH said, that as matters stood, the
resolutions admitted man to VOTE who paid any coun-
~ tax OF any Sort or to any amount, however small
IL, indeed, the system Of county taxation was to be
adopted, and the county taxes TO be Of the same
kind now laid by the Legislature then he should
have no such strong objection TO it, hut that was not
the fact-and it now fell but little short Of Universal
Suffrage.
Mr.. LEIGH enquired, to what county the gentleman
from Frederick had alluded, when he spoke OF or TOO
deinquents?
Mr.. COOKE answered, the county of L,udioun.
Mr.. LEIGH said, he took il for granted, these 100
denquents could not have been residents Of L,udoun
He had, indeed, once heard, that there 500 pau.
pers in that county. IL was certainly very
state Of things: Possibly h-re were a number of per-
sons there engaged in large public work. (perhap.
on the rver) who went off before the county levy had
been demanded. He mus, confess himself very scep-
Teal, as TO the accuracy of the statement.
Mr.. COOKE replied, that he had derived The know.
ledge Of the fact from Of ,ha members Of the Lou
doun delegation. Mr.. C. said, he did not know OF any
public work, going on In that county in lS2s-and he
did not know why the proportion Of denqren's there.
was not to be considered extending to the of the
Sate-he should presume so, until the contrary were
shewn All knew what number Of young men, with
out property, there were who habtually retu,
ed delinquent for the small amount Of county lew
He took This prina Jdcie evidence, that they we're
not good citizens. but idle, worthless fellows. The
amendment of the gentleman from hfonongaia, would
exclude such from the polls; aud, that account he
was in it- favou.
Mr.. MERCER expressed his regret, that the name Of
his county had become involved in the present debate
He should not himself have introduced ii but circum
stanced as he was, he felt called upon, by his duty
the gentleman from Frederick, to avow that il was
from himself, that gentleman had derived the inorrna.
on in relation TO the number of persons ret, rned de-
nquent in single year, which he had stated to the
House. as having been communicated TO him by one Of
the Loudoun Delegation He held in his hand state.
ment, procured another occasion, and for very diff
ferent purpose, which contained an annual return Of
the number of such deinquents during eight consecu
tive years, and which, with the permission of the
House, he would now read Mr.. M. then read the fol-
lowing. viz