Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-19

Presentation oi in.erests Gay AL.
Aud, IN fact the counties were not represented ds
counties, till the year 1861; does any. the small
o. eoaerion between counties aud repre- sentdiion
pear in the Legislative historyofthe colony tll Gi5
IL Is true. that in the last mentioned year was
passed declaring that not more than four representa-
:vcs should be sent from each county, except james
'<uy county which was allowed siX-besides one for
the town. (3) BIZ; it is equally true that at the
time Of aud utter the passage ofthat act, the parish
also allowed to send rcpr,scntati, es TO tho
Legislature whenever they Thought properfD
ltwas not until 1861, as have said that the coun-
ties as conniies. were represented IN the General
hssSnoiy IN thot year an act was passed declaring,
in effect, that the House of Burycses should consist
oil TWO representatives, and more. from each coun-
~, together with one from James City, ..the metro
poi,s o' tae country" And, by Tn" act, was
ceciarcd that every county which should lay out
one hundred acres of land and people with one hun
orei tithablc persons" should have the privilege of
sending additional Burgcss.(5l
By advering to the recital of that act You viii find
that the cause asst gned for the reduction nnd cqraH
Hton of the representation of the counties was the
erpensc of maintaining the gr,a, number of Bureesses
cent from the counties aud pcrisies. "Whereis the
Charge of assemblies is mUc! increased by the rrcat
number oi Burgcsses," &c
Thus you perco.vc Six, that the pr;ncipl OF repre-
sentatohi IN Virginia, II 1t deserves the oFa prin-
ctple, received lis final contamination It's last finish
from colonial Legislature of unlcttcrrd tobacco
plantcss in .65i. The Constitution of Virginia whicl,
Us gravciy nccnrcd, even this tJnr. to have been
The work os the ssges and patriots Of II ,6 ,rs ci
qHy formed aad Gnisei ia 1861 end has necer s;oco
been n0dlfed, this ere1t and iecin- feat IRE or NE
rePreseaaiio7 # Ute peoPie. This adla,abie rculs-
ton-the equal representation nf the counties which
,s. recommended TO oui love and vencratiun AS The
Work OF our 81 riDus ancestors III i71S was m fac,
patry colonial regula'iou-a device TO save muncy
"a matter OF pounds, sii;llinGs, and pence
II Is I ue that the men of 20 did hot ai;erit And
'ehy did they not alter II? Simply because tfey
could not. The infant Commonwealth was cnrspct
rs L had occasion TO remark on 4 former debate IN
war, in which It's very existence was az sfnksn n
war which required the united direction Of all inter-
es's' ana OF ITS whole strength, against foreign
enemy. The sages ana patriots who composed the
convention OF l776, were wise and pJ,Icticui men.
nat extreme folly, what absolute insanity, would
IL have been, when hostile sqildrons were riding at
anchor IN Hampton Roads To say Ia tho srnil!er
couhics exposed by their POSITION tho fun opera
tlon OF all the seductions aud ali the threats oil the,
enemy, you must surrender q part Of .Ae pOtrcr.
you haue enjoyed nHde, TIC & iy Government far ITO
ksdisf SIR, the members Of The Cunvei,. ION of '76
Nad TOO much good sense loo much p actica, wisdom
Sto attempt so mad aud ill.tiincd {. reform Thoy
salu,wha hey wer. Obliged Ia saw that IN, r,.rrC.
se!lta'ioE of the counties should remain as il was
linus, Slr u appears, that the idea of the prntlc
man from Norfolk, that the Of interests
as interests, ran!5tinGusicd from the rcprcsen-
tation oil numbers, has bees, from the .s. .c,tlcman,
OF the Colony, the theory of OF. government has no
toundation IN history-and that th> statement Of fact
winch he has made TO support his theory is altore,
or erroneous That tue of 30 which n,t tb=h
Cd the equal representation of the counties cour
ed at this day as the highest stretch OF political sara