Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-24

he plan which hud the honor Of Proposing az stop
ed) would ut the end of twenty years furnish the
means OF giving five years education To every free
White child born IN the Commonwealth of Virginia:
ND well sir, those Of the eastern part of the
Did Dominion rs those of the Yes Sir, TO
III! And whatever other gentlemen may think rfrtrn
his subject, thin; that would render more I,
substantial benefit to the people than all we have
1one-l Indeed we have done nothng)-l may say
more than all we can now possibly expect 10 do.
But II must be abandoned for the present.
THIS brings me, Dir. Chairman, TO the question be-
fore and have before said, will cndoavuur to
argue from facts to conclusions.
The proposition now under consideration justiics |
an enquiry int the state of government: and be-
hevc Will DC found 10 be arsiocralcal III it prnci
pies III you agree that arIstucracy Is properly
defined tn DO government of the few over the many
and that those few hold their authority 10y virtue of
their estates can prove that government is un
arstocracy, or at least astouratical IN nature and
principles-lf II shall DC found that the powers uf
this government III the hands Of the few to the
exclusion ut the many and these few 10 be ascer
tanned ami known by the estates they hold, surely
must b. Urstucruicai in its nature. And venture
TO that such Is the uatlon OF the government
Of Virginia nj this time.
In ls28 when the election was before the pcople
Ito determine whether they would call this Com
ventinn, or not, thirty thousand ve-hundred
and thirty three votes given, and returned
from the whole State [eO,e75 east of the Blue
Ridge and 1925 wes..1 Aud here sir, must
beg leave to correct of the very erroneous cal
|
few days ago in the discussion of the question upon
the basis oi representation The gcntI1mnns calcu-
iatons were taken from the argumon Of the gentle
man from Augusta whose argument was founded
upon documents furnished by the Auditor, known by
every person here to be inaccurate, faacious, and
not 10 be depended upon. These documents purport
To exhibit the number of freehold estates in the
monwealth. which Will auth riZe II must be
r"colcctcd that they Included all such estates who
thcr held by men, women children foreigners. or
even free negroes If any such persons have free
holds But not only each porSou's fire. hold in every
county, counted, so that the sumo man is counted
once for his freehold or freeho!ds in each equity
Many men are counted 3, 4, aud times. and some
perhaps oiteher' IT Is very common, particularly IN
me Eastern part at the State Il, gentlemen 10 have
icchnldS IN many couuies but not so freuut in the
" est But this = not all In several of the Wcs-
tern counties, few years ago, large quantities Of
lands returned delinquent for The non-pnvu,cpt
of taxes. and sold Most Of these lands now hrlonr
to the Literary Fuad. Thy do not appear ON the
commissioners books; and consequently we're no, re
port'd oythc Auditor These documents are not to
! b. reli"d on. can assure
| give you better proof oIcr you the freehold
ers themselves when called 10 the polls: and not at
one time, but several timcs-when all felt an inter
est. and when nearly all attended offer Won the
ist OF votes from all the counties cities 81 bosoughs
both from the East aud from the West. II is not
tHa every voter did not attend but more presume
were prevented from attending III the West than in
inc Last There were circumstances in that coun
try to prevent their attendance. which did not one
rate here In some fthc large counties where there
were no district elections were prevented from
attending the polls by intervening mountains and yn-
Ter courses; and even where there districts n 4
who Filled 10 attend the first day were compelIrd
d'te'"aT!s 10 go 10 The court houses for the law on
y reGulrcu inc polls to BE- kept open after tho first
DAY. at the court houses during court DAYS Tbuse
dulcuies were not much felt III tins part of the
State F " ~
can assure you, that tho votes weret taken &, tbo
p"ns examined with great care, and doubt wh"-
ther ne VOC % any non-fre-hoIder, ever reached
me Executive Chamber. The Judges qualified IN
take votes and purge the polls were vipilant. and
performed their duty with The utmost strlctncss so
iar as nave been informed. Indeed they were of
al men III the Commonwealth, the last To permit i'm.
proper votes TO be counted, for It must he rcoect ed
tlrt these Gentcm Tho county court clerks sIer-
MS; ana commissioners OF the rcvcnuc) had but little
iechng or desire for the formation ofa Convention
Fhcy did their duty fully ard amply
The number of freehold voters in the State NAV
uI cs.ha'eu at 4o'ooo a"d not more. / shall con
sider them as of that number From the frec viii;
population of 1920, and the Lvnotbc,;loI So;
SINCE mat time, there are now in the Srate moro
''sah '4o'guO Tree white male citizens over u vcora
4" age Dcdli.'t from this number the voters and
You iInd $4,000 free white men eyrInd.d ~, -
polls But Sir deduct from thi, last nur,bnr u" ~
or you please 1000 for paupcrs and ottc5s who
ought To DC excluded aud you still have go OoO-L.a
3 me eorci hnent III The hands of little more than
one MIRO OF The people am then justified in saw
ing tlnt inc Government is in the hands of the
mat II Is held and eXerc ed by that few who hold i,
! oy virtue OF Their freehold estates. ask YOU now
/
toc'acal in its form' II is so considered Inv some
ncn OF great wisdom and believe generally by tho
/ PeoPe oi the o her States Of this Union Are wc
~ 80 our cyss 10 these iacts' or TO consid-
CT theiH as having some influence on our delibe H.
uo W,, ST. w" ought to consider them
w Hen use tins argument to prove the aristocrat
Iou, Plnc'ple5 OF our governments, do il with dno
respect t." the opinions of all the members of This
body and also, with due respect to The reebold"rs
no sent me here-wh'sr opinions and interests I
"lsn 70 represent. But Sir, from these G,cts I
must contend that the right of sniTag. unrh oreat
70 be extended. The freehold suffrage is cSnirn
~ 10 the genius OF or peoples and may well saw
Hteu ointes. IL 1t not unwisc to contend G,y
rhCc'pe 50 much opposed to the will Of the great boz
Slall now attempt 10 slcw that tho fr.cI,oJ .;t,
" eII"og' Is contrary TO the genius offhe Aue,ica,
people IN doing this will Introduce. for tbs co,si
,u1on VI tne committee, general analysis of tho
equations on The right Of suffrage in each Of ti,
o.o'Gs ol Tins Onion' which viii dcycope some cny;
Gus facts and correct some in5ronor ;r. .uIi-
Dftf lf. oil