Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-19


Convention adjourned.
SIoSDAY, NovEstrEi, IG
The Convention, after prayer, was called to orter
ct IL O'Clock.
The President then presented 10 the House Tho r
lowing letter.
R;ctulond, IL, month Io,ll, 1920
Respected Fricnd,-Jumes Ernroe, President Of
the Conrcuton.
Elisha Bates, Minister in the Religious Society
Of Friends respectfully requests the Opportunity of
so:igioas meeting with the members of the Conyen-
ton this evening at . O'Clock.
ELISHA BATES.
| On motion of Mr.: Dromguolc, the letter was or
| dc-ed to be laid on the table.
| Mr. Henderson presented Memorial from the
non feehoiaers of Loudoun county, praying that they
should be allowed the privilege of voting.s7aa=
| Thc Memorial WAS ordered to be referred to the
L-oEI'rittee of tho whole.
Tho Convention then resolved itself into Commit
| tee o. the whole, Hir. Powell in the Chair.
Mr.. Scott then Withdrew his proposition to amend
Wcn was 70 add to the original resolution the words,
land IN The. Senate to taxation exclusively"
! MI LEIGH of Ches' erfeld, then moved to amend
the original resolution BY striking on, all uter tho
word that, and inserting the words, "reprcscntn-
ton IN the House of DelcgAes be- apporsionG among
the several counties, cities mud towns in the Com
HonW eath, according 10 their respective nunha,s
which shall be determined by adding to the whole
nnmhr OF free persons, including those bound t. SER
vice for term of Yeas, and cYcudiprr Indians not
taxed, G-5ths of all other PERSONS"
Slr. LEIGH said, that it had already bnen sufficient
~ explained to the Convention that the General rp
s!l!t OF the scheme OF apportionmGt in this p-opo-
slsioH applied to the present circumstances OF TIC
country, Is the sage the basis OF the gentleman
/ from Cuipeper; the intention in now o!crur the
amendment was to try tho Of the Committee
Gu the adoption of the Federal numbers as the basis
III the t9ousc Of Delegates. There was some differ
| ence 1T would be seen, between this proposition and
that OF the gentleman from Culpeper. In the course
ofhe debate Oh tne other propusitio was SUGGEST
cd, that to edop the compound basis taxation. and
nopuiaoii, was to put 1t in the power of the East BY
according Just proportion of taxation On the Wesi
10 increase Its own power to the injury Of the YEA
ker portion of the country. It sail that such is
the desire 10 retain power was manifested bv the
coEs'an of the llwlands in the Convention
that we may reasonably expect that the legislatures
would, to retain the power the East be anxious
to lay additional burdens Of taxation on that district
and to tighten the burdens Of tie West and that this
apprehension consti utcd the objection "a the scheme
OF Uniting taxation to numbers He was not s.re
that soFae members may not have voted, not against
the Y7t'cPts OF the compound basis IL it were fairly
applied. but on account of The great inconvenience
ard abuse of power, which they unprecedented ,nioh
/ grow cut OF the application of that principle These
were his reasons for offering the present propositions
TO the C"nnllttee lie was content with the federal
numbers, beng satisfied that it would prodmce as
good result any other basis which could be adop-
cd for We have already had experience OF it's efca-
cy under the Federal Constitution. tbs basis
recommended TO his mind, by the conye-
niencc, with which it has been applied aEl with
| which it may be applied in practice. He therefore
hoped that the amendment would he edopted
M: NtcnoLAs, stated that ever since lie had ia
ken his seat in the Convention lie had fct an awful
responsibility resting upon him. He felt it not on
ly as representing portion OF this Commonwealth,
and therefore as representing in part the whole OF
this state but peculiarly as regards the district By
| winch he had been delegated to the Convention.
| The change which is contemplated in our Con-
st!tntion IS radical IN its nature, and calculated
| change our whole system of civilized polity. The
convection OF that fact supera!ed to the RESPONSE
bilisy he felt citizen OF this State called TO decide
on question which is to operate TO all future tiues
and particularly in reference to his cvn district
which will be exposed to the greatest share of suffer
ing if this changc should BE made, fearfIlly i'll
creased The weight of his responsibility. He felt
deeply, because on the issue Of this question de-
Ponds the future peace and tranquility Of TIE Com
monweath. lie had hitherto taken no part in the
deliberations this great subject. He had not the
vanity to believe that he could bring forward any
thing which would be worthy of the attention of the
COMMITTEE; yet conscious Of this, and although he
preferred listening to the wisdom Of others, had he
not been prevented by the feeble state of his he:th
he should have felt it bis duty Offer seine few re-
marks Ill vindjcaton of the interests Of those who
had placed confidence III his integrity as.i discretion
We had arrived at awful period of the delitcra-
tons BY the gentleman who last addressed the
Committee, and whose solemn appeal he felt dccpIj
impressed his heart, it was suited That tlo rcsc
luton would, rejected, be rejected only bv ,aIo
rlty OF one or two members. He could not conceive
more awful situation in which any country could be
placed, when about to make fundamental changes il
its institutions, than to have those changes produced
by such majority. What is the situation of ,hC
country? One IaI 0! the country is opposed to Sic
Change, and what adds to Tie Importance Of th
view, Is that the majority is entirely made up By
persons separated from lie last by the Blue RIDE
but is made up part ard is only produced by the aidi
ton of members on this side the nountuin and WHOM
We had ondy regarded natural allies. lie die
not censure those gentlemen for their course, for ~
knew they acted from what they supposed to be the
wish Of their constituents, but be would say that Chs
fact superadded to what he had already stated place.
in on alarming view the situation Of the country
q asked ~ to
a change RADICAL when one half or the country ha
pronounced it to be unwisc-when one half the COIN
try has pronounced that the change will subvert tn
rights, injure the interests and destroy the happiness
of half the Sate' What must be the situation Of an
country under such circumstances? Is it expecte
that any country can be content when half consci