Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-17
this plan Il lies In the fact that all property not as
ssssed but only horses and negroes. el..,,.. .f.s

turc fixing an average value upon and horses
and thcnl LEI them well az all other property, be
tered OH the Commi books by its value alone
These hooks then, being exhibited the polls, will
furnish test Of every mans tight Of suffrage, 80
far property Is concerned. His residence must DO
proved in different manner.
Think this will be less exceponabie plan than
FIXING definite amount oftax. sugg est it to him
But II he declines offering it, and his amendment shall
ISL, purpoe 10 offer myself at some future period oil
Mr.. LEreH said that he had expenied--rather vast
ed, much thought and labour the subject. aud he
could the gentleman from Fairfax that II would
be Impossible 10 accomplish his object without enter
ing into specification and that very minu,eiy: without
this there OF avoiding universal suffi age
IL that desired. the course the simplest in the
world. a few words would answer all the purpvse
But lift was ntrn led to tx the limit Of suffrage at any
point short of unive rsaty specification must be OF
the essence OF the scheme He knew, very WELL that
the moment definite amount Of tax fixed, the right
Of suffrage certain extent, put within the pow
sr the Legislature, who might give the qualification
10 almost whom they pleased but then he wouli b.
fr fixing the point OF requirement high tina, the le-
gisature would not 20 up to II for the sake oconveyng
thu right.
lie believed IL the blank should be filed with the
sum Of 90 cents, those whom il desirable In ex.
clude womld not pay tina, for the right Of vot.
ing. For, though the right OF suffrage had been rep.
resented In this debate as the very dearest privilege Of
man, IL so happened that there few in the
world who were willing to pay money for Il: very few
But Mr. l.. added that ii the amendment should pre-
vail, he should nevertheless vote against the whole
woui he under any FORM give his vote to con.
fer the right OF suffrage house keepers which was in
effect to give a vote to his laudlord-to increase the
power not OF The poor but oil the rich. Ii always had
operated to Increase the power Of the rich man. and
gave his property influence others not such a.
eg'iimaiey belonged to II. or TO this he had ohiec
uon) but such as worked by direct corruption. Ii the
gentleman from Fairfax would fix upon any form of
words which would exclude universal suffrage while n,
admitted honse-keepers TO vote lie should be ready to
with him in the support of such an anne MIN mi; bu,
could but believe III yyhoIlv
Mr.. FIrzHUGH liked. il the gentleman did no,
think, that the amendment he had read, covered the
whole ground except providing for remaindermen.
Mr.. LEIGH replied, that il did not cover such Free
holders, as did not reside on their lanI. , -.
MIR. FrTzHuGH replied, that he had attended to
have added the word Freebooter and would still do II,
Mr.. DopDRIDGE said that The controlling argument
against fixing an amount Of tax when the question
had been debated in Committee of the Whole, wa.,
hN enabled the Legislature, by putting the tax
cent below the constitutional limit 10 curail the
Right OF Suffrage at pleasure-and they would he in
elined, probably in that direction aher than the other
lnasmuch as they were themselves for the most par,
Frceholders. Was il not little extraordinary tina,
this limitation, which sai was to prevent throw
ing power into the hands Of rich men, should be urged
ny that SIDE OF the House, who were for throwing the
entire control of the Government, into the hands of
rich men!-They urge the argumen,they feel the ar.
gument.
The question was then taken on Mr.. Lr1cp,s
amendment, and decided in the negative, by yeas and
nays, as follows:
uAYES-Messrs. Barbour (President) Jones, Leigh of
chesterfield, Taylor of Chesterfield, Giles Broinax
Dromgoole Alexander, Goude, Marshall TYLER Niche.
aas, johnson, Mason, Trezvant Claiborne. Urquhart
Randolph, Leigh of Halifax, Logan, venable Sianard
Holiday; fitzhugh Roane, Taylor Of Caroline, Norris
Garnett, Barbour OF Culpeper, Scott, Macrae Green
Tazewcll, Loyal, Prenis Grisgby Branch Pleasants
Bates, Neale Rose, Coalter--i2.
, NoES-Clopton. Anderson, CoIinan, Harrison. Will
Hanson, Baldwin, MCoy, Moore Beirne, smith Mil
Ter, Baxter, Madison, Mercer, Henderson Osbornc
Cooke, Powell, Griggs jun. Mason NayIor. DonoIsan
Boyd Pendeton, George, M'Mulan Campbell of w BY
Nlnxxi Mann,
ley, Summers, See, Doddri ge Moran CamnbeI ~ "a
Wilson, Campbell of Bedford, claytor. saunders
Iownes, Cabell, Martin, Stuart, jun. Gordon THOMPSON
Massie, Jun Joynes Bayly Upshur Pcrrin-5i
Mr.. STANARD moved TO amend the Resolution b,,
inserting after the words "who shall have been assessed
se above) the words shy tax property owned by
MN. lie did this that the Legislature might not by
laying some triling tax of cent or few cents intro
ducc, in effect, universal suffrage
Mr.. SUMMERS opposed the amendment He thought
the gentleman's fears unreasonable The Resolution
confines the Legislature to house-keepers and bcads If
ianes-beyondhat limit they could not 20: and if thew
should admit all the house-kcepcrs and all the heads Of
iamies m the commonwealth, he, for one, should not
consider any instance OF their misrue. Such clause
would exclude useful class of men, he meant those
VINO hred slaves i'll performing Jobs and contracts The
TAX on the slave was for the tme being charged upon
hen they were pro hGc rice the owners of the slaves
yet they could not vote under this amendment
Mr. DoDDRIDGE said that there was another class
wnom would exclude viz: shop keepers and such as
followed any hu'iness which required license
Mr. STANARD said It was that class whom he wish
Ell 10 exclude He wanted 10 keep ont show men and
mounebank' Why orgh, the sbop-k who cell.
foreign gools TO he admitted while the industrious me-
ehanc who sells his own work is sIu, ont, What was
meant by the term head of family. DID il mean
bachelor who occupied house? or must he have wife,
must he have children? would gentlemen 90 into rle
question OF colour? il not an uuronmnn thing IN
eau trusiy female black house keeper-VIa wish.
eel to expo! this loose indefinite p,,rase-The Charter
oil Wiiiian'Siurg allowed house keeparto vote-and
II berane vexed question in that cty-Ie related an
anecdoe OF student COLI who over 81 and hsd
ms study In an onbuiling, who pPrnittod to vote
as a house-keeper Such te,m would proyo mere
ball oil contention, and would be Interpreted in one
way or in another Just circumstances al tho nonen,
rendered desirable. II was seeming iimitaiion bu
wonih operate IN practice as none:t was in fact and
in truth, nothing else bur universal suffrage
Mr., DoDDRTpGE observed that whcnevcr any pro-
posa' was male 10 enlarge the EXTENT of suffrage |, was
10 be met by declaration of the danger Of fraud
but surely the came danger might "a we'll he urged ar
the othrr side against Freehold suffage That wa, Ii
able TO as many and as great fraud. as e her uIans
The question was PAT agree inv 10 NIr St,nard's
amendment, and decided by yeas and nays in the mega
tive f,lows: -
.AYEs-Messr.. Barbour. (Pre.iden0 Joac,. Lsph
ot Chesterfield Taylor Of Chesterfield Giles RroI,ax
Dromgooe, Alexander, GooIe Marshall. Tyier. Niche
lasbaldwin. Johnson. Mason If Southampton Trezvan,
Claiborne, Urquhast {. Randolph, Leigh of a ,lif,x a.
gan, Venable, Sanari, Hoi, dsv Griye, Jr Psndls.
ton, koane, Taylor Of Caroline, Morris Garnet r.
hour OF CuPeper, Scott M,crae, Green TazsyveIl
Pren'i', Grgsby, Branch. Townes, Pleasants, Bates
Neale Rose and CoaIter-4t
NOES-Copon. Anderson CofJinsn Harlan VIZ,
Hanson, M'Coy, Moore. Beirne Smith, Miller Bay
Ter, Madison, Mercer, Fiizhugh, Henierson Osborne
Cooke, Powell, Mason Of Frederick NayIor D,nal1o
Boyd. George, M'Miilan, Campbell of Washington Bv
s's, Cioyh, Chapman, Mathew, Oglesby, Duncan