Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-12

secured to be paid tie law may direct
Now the first resolution only proposes to provide that
instead being imposed specific articles oil pro-
petty, shall be al rdivrem taxes OF the inconveni
ence and pe the ability Of the scheme,
in fnanci, vi.w, have nothing TO say. Suppose II
BE- orda ned that henceorth all taxation shall he dd
vaOren; still the power OF laying the taxes Is to be
copided To the West, and the duty OF paying them 10
be Imposed the East; still. the duty of contribution
will lie aud The right Of appropriation belong to
them; still, three dollars To be exac'ed from tn
East Ter dollar contributed by the Vest and still.
the est will have and forever continue TO have, pur-
poses TO In the expenditure OF the public re-
| venue, in which they have, and we have not direct
ner a aud Ear more exp nsive than any in which
can have any direct interest And these the very
evils against which the proposed guaranty is protested
thousand and thirty thousand dollars, should propose
throw the whole into common stock, and leave
il determine the distribution OF It between u;
should acc.de TO the proposal readily eDough-l
should he sure TO take back all that put in-and
trust-tho 10 not kno,c-I should be loih TO meet
the tsinptaon-bntl trast should restore the full
moant OF his contribution 10 him his family. But il
he should propose such community Of property and
that he should have the power OF distribution
Mr.. FirzHuGH explained. His proposition only
contained simple statement. IL did not 20 10 making
the taxes equal ALL bu' to give security against the
sppre nssn that the Mole weight would be thrown
the lave property 1t was intended to guard ainst
that only.
MIR. LEIGH II is, then, admitted. that the guaranty
was intended TO protect ms ghns unequal and oppres
yesterday, that the lar greater mass OF taxable proper
~ IF query kind we'll as Of the SLAVE property, lies
the East side OF the moun,an and what odds il
possibly mske 10 that the unequal exaction is 10 be
made by kind Of property, rather than
other. Aud how doe. the regulation against the abuse
OF the power OF tdrdiiOn effect The cortelave. and to
u equally dangerous power of appropriation? Bui
this is provided tor by the second anch OF the gentle
mans guaranty.
He proposes in order to proven, unfair ds,rihu-
ton oil the public revehue, TO require majority of tDO
thirds Of both branches Of the Lcg-lAure to make APP
preparations OF revenue Tor any road canal meaning
generally, l presume, any wok oil public improve
men nOtt he gentle frnt E,irflx Il
to his good sense and caniour-does he rot himself
perceive that this proposal distinctly implies, thatihe
scheme OF of which il inie ndcd 10 pro.
vide corrective, isin itself unaii II il be fair, why
should bare majority be restrained from making APP
propriations to any conceivable oliicH Is
QUESTION of this ma jnry Of two thirds appropriations
OF that kind; plain admission, that the proposed scheme
Of representation does not give the East
adequate 10 the protection Of property? and are
roads and canals the only Objects for which unequal
distributions oi public treasure possibly bc mad? IL
il whit more fair equitable, for example, that the
East should contribute three dollars towards the educa
ton oil the children OF the people OF the West tor every
dollar they Contribute towards the education OF
children, than that should contribute rSe dollars
their one, for the purposes OF Internal improvement:
but. SIR this reqnisi,ion of ,joIi,y OF two.
thirds oil the Legislature, TO appropi atS o. this kind
and to acts for several other purposes has been ordan
ed by the amended Constitution Of New York of 1870
And what is the efficacy of the provision. it, prac,i
cal operation derive my iniorma ton from un-
questionable source-irom the gentleman from Lou
doun, (Mr Mercer) have learned from him, tha'
the provision has been invariably defeated AMI rene
ed utterly nugatory by combinations Of the representa-
lives OF the different parts OF the State, having different
objects al heart, hut uniing 10 carry the schemc- of
all, in order % crafty the particular wishes and 10
sub+crve The local projects of each Now, can the gen
cnan from Fairfax devise any guaranty of force sui
Gent to prevent Log-roling7 q borrow tic meta
pSor from Kentucky, and IA most apt and expressive
one il i-.l II he can, then may safely pTomise-in
The language addressed years ago 10 the County
Court OF les, by the settlers of a cornsr tho
county, whose only mode of Furnishing offenders
To refuse 10 Log -roH with them, in the literal Of
nllr thsn Il safa Iu
under ciUliSed gopernment-tor it seems to be magn
ed, that government is ciurei one, unless il be
founded on the natural rights Of man, in a savage
state,
Sir, unless be labouring under some strange delu-
ion, 1t must now DC apparent to the Committee, that the
proposed guarantees wholly nugAtory.
But compromise has been recommended to us, by
the venerable gentleman from Louhoun (Mr. Monroe) y
recommended to the hearts, rather than the reason
OF the Eastern delegation in this bodyrccommendcd
in one oil feeling, such might be expected from
father seeking to heal dscords among his children; and
is the feeling that dictated IT, which alone, my mind
gives any force to the recommendation. Hc proposes,
that the representation in the House IF Delegates shall
be apportioned to the white population exclusively: and
to guard the interest opopery guard the property of
the East against unjust and oppressive taxation that the
representation in the Sencte shall he apportoned
cordng TO the combined ratio of white population and
taxation. Let me ask the venerable gentleman--sec-
ng that his object provide perfect security for the
great of pr pery held by the East against abuses
of the power of taxation by the reformed Legislature
that he acknowledges the right of the East to such
curity, and that his plan of giving us the securi-
y TO which he admits just claim is, to found the
representation in the two branches of the Legislature
upon different basesd he reflect that this kind
of security for the interests of property ought to be pro-
vidcd in the constitution of the House of Delegates the
drgUing branch, rather than in the Senate which is
not, and intends should be, the tax-giving
branch of the Legislature? While the East is com
planning of the injustice OF being subjected TO taxation
by power, which will not he raned from abuse by
any community of interest with them, and agi-
tated with the most anxious a,prehensons of the
danger OF such abuse of power, and these apprehcn-
sions are in the opinion of the venerable gentleman
re asonable--the same gentleman, toappease Just
complaints, and to allay Welt grounded arpre.
hei sons, would give security against the abuse oil
The power Of iay ion in the frame of the Senate which
IL to have original power Of alton, aud deny il
us in the House I DseSaies, in which the chief pow
Of taxation il to be vested The voice Of truth and
reason and justice must be silent
Bat sir, Jet us suppose the propo-ed compromise,
more efficient framed like principles cceded TO
and ordained in reformed Constuon-let us sup
pose the representation in the House Of Delegates has
ei upon The white ppuaon exclusivey and the repre-
sentation in the Senate based upon taxation alone.
ON the total population bond and Free upon the
OF white population and taxation ccn,hin-d-we shalt
hen have a House Of Delegate Of from on hundred
and ttoeufy 10 an hupHred and mn members and a
Senate OF HCeIfVf0ur members Let the relative pow
ers oil the two Houses, as 10 money bills, rensu
pretent-the power OF originating money bills va 4tod
exclusively ~ the lower House and the senate restrict
eel from amendment TO such bil, and bound wholly
TO rej'ct them take them without alteration. The
lower House sends up money bl-the Senate think
ing The taxation unjust or excessive, rejects 1.-THE
lower hou-e returns The BILL and the Senate again
rejects ita conflict between the two Houses:
not quite apparent, The lower House has the powcr