Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-02-17


keeping among time of peace, standing armies
1ul ships of War; by affecting to render the military
independent of and superiour to the civil power; by
combining with others to subject to foreign juris-
dicon, giving his assent to their pretended acts of
legislation, for quarcrng large bodies ofared troops
among u.s. for cutting off trade with all parts of
the world, for imposing taxes us without con-
sent for deprivng US oil the benefits of the trial by
ry, for transporting beyond seas to be tried for
pretended offences, for suspending our oUn Legisa-
tnrcs and declaring themselves invested with power
to legslate for in all whatsoever; by plumber
ing our seas ravagng our coasts. burning our towns,
aud destroying the lives of our people; by melting in
surrcctions Of fellow subjects with the allure
ments of forfeiture and coniiscaiion by prompting
negroes to rise in arms among us, those very
groes, whom by an lnhuman use OF his negative
lie had refused us permission to exclude by law;
by endeavouring to bring on the inhabitants OF
our frontiers, the n,erccss indian sayagcs, whose
known rule of warfare is undstinguishcd dcs-
truction of all ages sexes and conditions OF exist
cnce; by transporting hthcr large army of for
egn mercenarcs to complete the work death, dcs-
olation and tyranny, then already begun with crcunl-
stances OF cruelty and pcrfdy unworthy the head OF
civilized nations by answering our repeated petit
tons for redress with repetition of injuries; and
finally, by abandoning the helm Of government, and
declaring out OF his allegiance and protection: by
which several acts of msrule, the government OF
this country, as before exercised under the crown
OF Great Britain, totally dissolved did, therefore,
having maturely considered the premises, and view
ing with great concern the deporable condition, to
which this once happy country would be reduced,
unless some regular adequate mode of civil poity
should be speedily adopted and in compliance with
the recommendation of,he General Congress, ordain
and declare, form of government of Virginia:
Aud whereas the General Assembly of Virginia,
by act passed the tenth day of February, III the
ycaro our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
twenty mine, entitled, an act to organize Conven-
ton, did authorize and provide for the election, by
the people, Of Delegates and Representatives, to
meet aud assemble, in General Convention, at the
Capitol in the City of Richmond, on the first Mon
day of October in the year last aforesaid, cousid
er, discuss aud propose, Constitution, alter
atoms and amendments ofthe existing Constitution
of this Commonwealth to be submitted TO the pco-
pie and TO be by them ratified or rejected
We, therefore, the Delegates and Representatives
ofthe good people of Virginia, elected and in Con-
vention assembled in pursuance of the said act of
Assembly, do submit and propose TO the people. the
following amended Constitution, and form of Govern
nlent for this Commonwealth, that is to say:
ARTICLE I.
The Declaration of Rights made on the 18th June,
iII6, by The representatives OF the good people oil
Virginia assembled in full and free Convention, which
pertained them and their posterity, the basis
and foundation of Governments requiring in the opin-
ion of this Convention amendment, shall be pre-
6Xed TO this Constitution, and have the same rea-
ton thereto it had TO the former Constitution o.
his Commonwealth.
Article II.
The Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary Depart
mens sal! be senarate and distinct, so that neither
exercise the powers properly belonging to either OF
the others; nor shall any person exercise the powers
Of more than Of them at the time, except
that the justices of the county courts shall be eligible
TO either House of Assembly.
ARTICLE III.
/. The Legislature shall be formed oftwo distinct
branches. which together shall be complete Legis
iaturc, cDd shall be called the-G Assembly o.
Virginia,
2. One Of these shall be called lhe House Of Del
egates and shall consist of one hundred and thirty
four members, to be chosen, annually, for and by
the several counties, cities, towns and boroughs
the Commonwealth whereof thirty-one delegates
shall be chosen for and by the twenty-sX counties "
ing Vest Of the Allegheny mountains; twenty five
for and by the fourteen counties lying between tho
Allegheny and Blue Ridge of mountains; forty-twc
for and by the twentyninc counties lying East Of the
Blue Ridge of mountains and above tide-watcr; and
thirtysx for and by the counties, cities, towns and
boroughs lying upon Underwater, that is to says OF
the tWeny-slX Counties lying West of the Allegha-
ny, the counties of HARRISON Montgomery, Monong ga
LA, Ohio and Washington, shall each elect two Dele
gates and the counties of Brooke, Cabcll, Grayson
Greenbrier, Giles, Kanawha, Lee, Lewis, Logan
Mason Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Preston, Ran
dolph, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Tyler, Wood and
Wythe, shall each elect Delegate. Ofthe four
teen counties lying between the Allegheny and Blue
Ridge, the counties Of Frederick and Shenandoah
shall each elect three Delegates; the counties of Au-
gusta, Berkeley, Botetourt, Hampshire, Jefferson
Rockingham and Rockbridgc, shall each elect two
Delegates; and the counties of Allegheny, Bath
Hardy, Morgan and Pendleton, shall each elect one
Delegate. OF the twenty -nine counties lying East
OF the Blue Ridge and above tidc-water, the county
of Loudon shall elect three Delegates the counties
Albemarle, Bedford Brunswick, Buckingham, Camp
bell, Culpeper, Fauquier, Franklin, Halifax, Neck
enburg and Pittsylyania, shall each elect two Dele
gates; and the counties of Amelia, Amherst, Char
lotto, Cumberland. Dinwiddic FluvanDa, Goochland
Henry, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Nelson, Motto
way Orange, Patrick, Powhatan and Prince Edward
shall each elect one Delegate. And of the counties
cities, towns and boroughs lying tide-water the
counties Of Accomack and Norfolk shall each elect
two Delegates; the counties of Caroline Chester
field Essex, Fairfax, Greensyille Gloucester Hano-
yer, Henrico, Isle of Wight, King and Queen, King
William King George, Nanscmond, NorthumbeT-
land, Northampton, Princess Anne, Prince George.
Prince William, Southampton, Spottsylvania STAFF
ford Sussex Surry and Wcstrnoreland, and the city
Of Richmond, the borough Of Norfolk, and the town
of Petersburg, shall each elect one Delegate; the
counties Of Lancaster and Richmond, shall together
elect Delegate, the counties ofNTatthows g. Mid
dlesex shall together elect one Delegate; the counties
of Elizabeth City and Warwick shall together elect
one Delegate, the counties of James City and York,
and the city Of Williamsburg, shall together elect one