Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-11-09

ihey would come TO The = right ahout.' and
not snfer one man 10 take money hom the
pocket III another.
Mr. Gordon then addressed the Committee
in opposition 10 The amesdment--He said, n
mirhi he ihoughi ptesnnptuons IN him TO AT.
tempt 10 enlighien tins Assembly on the grsa
question which was presented 10 them. Bn
he vas in possession OF certain facts which hs
thong III it h.. duty 10 bring before ihem.-H'
. Thought much Of this debate had been beside
the question. Prom most of the arguments
q, eed, one might suppose that the Question
was mol. whether he had net here 60 amend the
Constitution, but whether Convention shoult
be called NJ all. That question had been deoi
ded already by that class OF persons, whom
some gentlemen Seem 10 respect 40 highly
the iresholders aud they had deoised IN isvoni
ola call Ihe great proposition now was
/ whether .e should not remedy the eNth, an q
equslzr the representation OF the state ten
tlrmea we're now laboring 10 mfuse new
principle iuio the Constitntlon--to found II Ell
4 Their upoa slave population, or the PRINCIPE oil
taxation. And gentlemen argue, that there
/. portion ofthe State which will be deeply
injured by founding II upon the bats OF "hIte
! population alone. aud therefore they wish TO
Counierat this influence by iniusing ne"
! counteraciing principle INTO IT, bni no" ~ me
!
he made IN these respects Your state Is dsi-
ded INTO los counties, various IN their popula-
! ton and representation. Some OF them have
a greater delrR alton Than wou.1 be ,equ rcd
by any ratio Of representation, or hy any iheo.
rectlCa principle. Aud the question Is, vine.
Their II Is wise, calmy aud soberly 10 remove
| this injustice aud eqnaiz" this Inequality
What arc The facis7 Mr. q here eniere INTO
| a variety OF statistical statements TO snow how
unequally the middle country was represented
both ON the ground of population aud taxation
~ relation 10 the SECTIONS lie also remarked
the great superiority oil influence possessed by
the country from tide water TO the sea board.
That portion does not pay any thing Ike an
average Of the expenses Of the Commonwealth
and yet they possess a very undue share oil
| representation. die illustrated this position
by numbers) The represent alton IN the West
Of Virginia is already redundant-and also IN
the East of Virginia. Il is the middle coun-
Try winch IS to gain. You are TO carry more
OF the blood TO the heart aud IL you suffer
death rum the circumstance as IL was indeed
disease for which We have tn remedy. He
oontended, that the bass Of the white popnla.
ton woo1 make very little difference. in these
respects FROM the proposed compound bass.
Bni he insisted upon the basis of white pop.
ulaion alone, as comfortable 10 the genius of
republican, government What good can come
20 Virginia, nv az cntlTe State, by this appor
iionmenli Gentlemen had argued as II the
majorily of the Eastern country were slave
holders. lie WA disposed to think 1t was mol
the case and il 50, will not the nonslave hol-
ders be disposed to ON the irritaied and dis.
cpntenied citizens ofthe West, IN lhying hea.
w tar upon yonr stases The nnn-slave
holding class every where ia opposed TO giving
the slave property snoh an Influence IN the
Cover lie was willing 10 protect thai
property, but IN different way from the pro
POI ed one He coatended that il you eugrnft
his slave provision in the Constitution the
right of suffrage could no be so much extended
as II ought 20 be lie asked, what would be
he siiua i'm of he State, II the slave property
entered into the bass OF representation. You
would introduce dlscordaut spirit to the West
ui the inoun,ains-and even ninopg the non.
slave holders On his side. VIII they not al
tempt 10 impose the burden of taxes upon the
slaves Wit nut the voters make II test at
'hr poll
l. there any thing in our course. not conso.
naot with the great principles which Virginia
has uniformly adopted She, vino has been
the foremost III b ayiGg the tyranny Of the
VIII ole world
| He ronfrovcrted The arguments drawn from
| the Two thirds veto in the Federal Const tuition
from the fact of elections belOg decided by
| pltirnihg-frpm tho facts refarred TO in the
history OF Eueland-from the raw head and
bloody bones of the French Revolution, mera-
cling commotou and hloodshed among our
selves. tie coutended. tina !, was because the
minority had attempted TO dictate to the ma.
jor,ty OF the nation, aud refused 10 yield their
| rights, thai the commissions of the French
| Revolution had arisen. He commented upon
the a. gument drawn from the subject OF Inter
nal Improvement, and the tear that the people
! IN Lower Virginia would he tremendously
| taxed for The improvement OF the West. He
believed. That it was mol the West alone, which
| had stimulated the spirit Of Improvement in
| that direction, bnt il was genllmen at the hea
OF tide water , il was the James River interest,
! which pressed the connection with the western
waters, aud demanded so expensive a Canal
| lie threw no impnlalions. however upon any
one, lie believed thai every gentleman had
been acinated in making these Improvements
! by honorable motives. but that the tund for
| Internal improvement had been principally
sunk in James River. And unless such mat.
ters wee managed better elsewhere than they
were in Virginia, he should he forced TO come
TO his conclusion, that this subject of Internal
| Improvement was better conducted by ndlv id.
uals, than by either of the Federal or the State
Governments. He examined the various I'M
provements which had been attempted or were
contemplated, to sho" that they furnished nc
Sor, Of opposition 10 The improvement of on,
! Constitution.
His highly respected friend from Orange
! Mr.. 7. T. Barbour had ms sted that there
was great distinction between experiment,
and experience. Blu, can there be ex
perencc without experiments Have not al
our civil institutions been the fruit of expert
ments 7 Was not the American Revolution
itself an experiment All our Constitution,
were experimeniS-and what mischief had
risen from such spiriti ii conlroperted the
various positions arising from the interes
which was alleged TO actuate men and the jral
ousy which was supposed TO be necessary II
governments. He asked what would be III,
situation of the State. il this free basis we're re
iected by this Convention The people would
be discontinued, and a new Convention woulc
he called upon different PRINCIPLES. But it vii
contain, on any calculation Al least 10 NOR,