Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-08-11
k,om Me .Ns,o York .americnn.

iayette, which think quite remarkable for the Wig
or and of argument, and the felicity OF
lis rlnOhcatun OF thc Constituent Assembly which
did, unqestionably, achieve the revolution, and
not responsible for the ferociy OF it's succcssors-
1t is the more remarkable having been made uncX
pectedly, aSt without preparation.
The subsequent scene shcws how infammable are
still, the smouldering rmbers ofthe revolution.
Chamber IF Deputfes-6M June.
/ petitioner asks the repeal the law authorizing
the double vote 1t is proposed to file the petition
much interest appears to be excited in the assembly
when motion being made 10 pass this petition
and proceed to the order of the day
General Lafayette rose to speak; the most entire
silence reigned in the hail. and many members came
| i'll from the committee rooms.
Gentlemen, said the orator, am opposed to Ass
ing to the order fthe day. and although ii has been
some times sad from this place, that 1t is uubecom
my to speak i'll OF laws of which the modification is
nevertheless demanded; think myself the rather
authorized to give reasons for my opinion to this
double vote, by the fact that in order 10 carry the law
establishing It, 1t WAS found necessary, not only to
ccnsuIe the then existing law of elections, but the
Charter itself, which makes distinction among
| iectors, H. gentlemen, my opinion asked, 1t
would be that all wo pay ought by themselves
or their representatives, to have voice liz the i'm
position nj public charges and that the only eXcep-
ton To this rule should be- when there was u mani
fest and clear want of Independence, understand
ing. But are. in the circle traced by the
Charter; aud already, OF one hundred Frencintn of
competent age, ninety excluded from the RICH,
of voting. Moreover the House OF Deputies. of
which alone the members are elective, is only one
third OF the Legislative power-R remark make, in
order to tranQuiZe the last speaker, who seems to
fear the breaking forth of popular feelings aguinst
the higher ranks. BY the Charter, the right voting
na' 9oen attached to the payment of three hundred
franks OF direct taxes. ana il Goes NOV seem to me
lawful to Violate the regulation by giving the priv
| ilege OLA double vote the fourth part ofthc vo-
tcrs, who pay the highest rate OF taxes! Let lis re-
call, Gentleman, what passed in this very Hall not
long ago. One Of your Committees had reported ia
voraby on he propositionto lower the age of eligi
bility TO this lIvrsei that is do what the author
OF the Charter did, when at the second restoration
he wished he said, to repair the of the first
Yet then, Gentlemen, such your ardent and
scrupulous attachment TO the Charter, that beheld
nearly the whole ofmy colleagues rising with earn
estness III support of the order of tho day. thereby
declaring, TINT those cssanial qualities of lesla-
tor intelligence and energy, only 10 be found
at mean age of 81 to 80 years. Yet, then the
question was to restoring many citizens to the
cise OF natural and, consequently, an imprescrpt-
pie right; Winle on the question the double vot G.
the result was to vitiate and fraudulenty impair
the exercise of right duly acquired openly enjoy
ed. and soemnly recognized by the Charter.
How was this anomaly o. the double vote introdu-
ced. and by what arguments? You know gentlemen.
that deporable catastrophe had united all parties in
Inc sentiment OF common grief, when il entered int
tiie minds OF certain people to this misfortune
TINS Isolated crime, to the profit of ris and
spirit determination. would not refer to the introues
the violence, and to tire expression of the honora
Die speaker who preceded me- The scandal of that sn6
!eisati'e epoch II ne had not himself referred 10 it.
VIII not inquire how it was that the propostiop of
the double vote obtained majority of some few votes
VIII only refer to of the arguments which NAV,
be supposed 70 have weight with the House since
they nave recently been repeated here. We must
IL Is sad, 90 to the assistance Of large properythaf
Is TO say to the assistance Of those who are already
strongest becanse 1t Is most interested in sound
Legislation. In the first place. gentlemen DENY the
fact-lt is on the contrary, in the inverse proportion
OF It's extent that property has interest in rood 90
verninent. Undoubtedly the owner Of one hundred
thousand francs of revenue, when reduced TO ffjy
thousand francs, is less an object of cons;dero
than he who Is reduced from thousa md francs 20
i've hundredand still less than the vet smaller pro-
pretors whom unwise laws may reduce to the condi-
ton OF mere dependents. say nothing neither her
OF the property of persuns-tfoupi there is mn
one, imagine, SO humble not to value that at
something above zero. daughter But how is this
made question of property, when already TO be a
deputy one must pay one thousand francs, and to be
an eiector five hundred francs of direct taXes-a SIM,
beyond the mean of property in France, 1t is in be-
hail OF privilege, that this privilege is created
IL Is Tor the benefit of certain opinions of partv
and perhaps with interior views-so much So that we
may perceive leaning, and If | may so eXprcss nv
self an odour of this double vote daughter; in all
that has since been proposed and especially in the
two laws concerning the departmental aud municinal
Councils, which were withdrawn the moment The
amendments OF your committee created an apprehen-
sion that these would render them less coniormable
to the spirit of the double applause on the
Lett There was much clamor then, as now and
perceive these clamors have made an impression on
the last speaker there much cainor then abon.
democracy, republican notions, and the soyereion,v
ofthe people. All, gentlemen, believe on these sub
Iects the assurances ola colleague, whom the habits
of more than half century and his personal on,n
ions have much famarzed with this train of think
ing and these theories-thercis not word of ali that
in the charter, in any thing that has been promo
sed under lis auspices. Is not rather to be SIR
missed, that the enemies OF all liberty had cherished
hopes that the majority of the one hundred thousand
chief proprietors Of France would become indifferent
to that liberty, and TO the institutions which guaran-
" If; but that discovering their error and before
the third series Of deputies elected they sez-
CD the first pretext to find in the one fourth most
highly taxed, what they could not obtain from the
whole body of the electors. [Very marked sensa-
toni An opinion has been expressed which, if
did moi misunderstood him, the last speaker has rere
rated The charter, it is said has indeed designafed
those who cannot be electors; but those whose capa-