Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-01-07

Intended 10 apply 10 Psuper.: was made for h. lr.y
able men: Tor sturdy beggars: no, such deere
He objected to the amendment on another ground. -
Inc convention were acting on the Legislature ~ .
spider acted on ny; they were tieng up s iegs and
binding last ns wings, 80 that had .iter leg
wing to 20 with. He heard much said about trusting
the people, every body was ready asd willing 10
the people; hut the delegates Of the people, whom the
people had chosen their own i,nmrds.e
TVS, th,se were held unworthy Of any sort Of conf
denee. lie thought ,h- people were trs',worthy-ju.,
90 lar a" ihis-hey were very capable OF choosing their
own agents They had sagati'y aud virtue enough To
decide between worth and wisdom and on
the ont side and their opposites the other aud they
having es'ah he'd their agents with power act FIR
ue,n' ne was Tor leaving more 10 those agents tan
some gentlemen seemed willing 10 do n gentlemen
would have no csptaion tax then in the name Of ir tie
let the exemption be equal. Here Mr.. Randolph sup.
posed the Of two counie one with aud the other
without slaves, and showed the unequal operaton of
the capi,aon tax il slaves only He said this wa.
unjust and unequal and grievously did he feel that
want oil nerve and want Of decision which caus-
ed gentlemen from the Eastern p,rt of m, State. A,
the beginning OF the proceedings Of this
not to claim what they had right to enjoy the repre-.
senta'ion OF the, .0ho'e population Then they would
have had something 10 stand on. They would have
had the (Pou sro) OF ArchimeJes Then the
on the othe, side would have been glad 10 ,n.et ,he m
on the basis Of Federal Numbers. And Why because
he would not cast HE brethren of the West such an
mpu,ation as TO say, that they would not have been
willing TO grant to their brethren Of the Ea,t what
was granted to the Southern States in hard-driven
bargain by the other brethren the Yankees-what was
granted them by Brother jonathan.
MIR. FIrzHUGH said. the gentleman from Charlotte
had represented that az the main argument urged for
the ansndment which had not be % urged at all The
ground he had taken had been. that most unius,
to compel a man not worth cent III the world TO
pay as mnch tax as another man worth 800 OOO.-
Aud another consideration had been urged bv o,bsrs
that 1t would tend to limit the right OF suffrage from
going 4" uni,ersality.
Mr.. RANDOLPH replied. The gentleman now said
that was unjust to compel poor man. dtcher to paw
as much tax as man worth 100000. The Injustice
was not half so great-it precisely half "a
great-as to tax the slave of the poor man who
owned but one negro and hired him out as a la
bourer-whie the man who held thousands in Bank
Stock paid no tax at all Here was a case not whore
rich and poor taxed aiSe but where thew taxed
the poor man and exempted the rich altogether where
they taxed the negro Of the poor man. but left the Bank
Stock Of the rich wholly free from taxation Ifit
was unjust to tax the laborer and tho rich capitalist
equay Jorfor' mustt be unjust TO tax the poor and
let the rich go free.
He was very sorry.--very sorry, inleed-that the
gentleman IRON Chesterfield hal brought his mind to
vote for this amendment. TIe was going IN vo. for n a
a restraint upon suffrage. He would not give straw
for the restraint. Suffrage by this Constitution was
universal intact and 1t might well be so in orms:-t
extended it they had done the Convention had done
act of monstrous injustice. and by consequence Of
equal impolicy. They had excudedE the we-brourht-
up sons OF Freeholders. That was class AZ he had
said on fomer occasion. rds whom his heart vearn
ed, and in whose favour did not his Judgment forbid IL
he felt strong inclination to extend the Right of
q from ha-
ing unwilling to trust the Legislature 10 make C,n
sttu'ion IN for all the experience he had had 10 the
Convention he had ten thousand times rather the L..
gisIature should do II than those who had an
the tax: he firmly believed IL would he In safer hand.
He dehed any Legislature in the country 10 make a
Constitution "ss WORTHY Of appreciation than that which
,hey nad constructed He would not give ST. for that
long list oil restrictions about parsons and what mott in
practice il would he perfectly unavaiing unless TO ex.
Glade the meritorous class of persons he had mention
ed He was not afraid to trust the Legislature And
n fear IN et tha Dao
and how so' Because the People were the only com
pe'ent authority to select their own agents. When
this DONE they had the principles OF free Govern
ment. IL was now 10 be determined whether they
were to have Government that would stand or vhe.
tber the ruite' attempt was to be persevered in TO
make stand upon its apex Their Government
under such Constitution would be futle-it was i'm
possible IL should stand for = century.
The question was now taken, and decided by yeas
YEAS-Me.srs. Jones. Leigh and Taylor of Ch
Anderson. Coffman, Harrison, Williamson, Johnson
MCoy. Moore. Smith, Miller, BAXTER, Claiborne, Ma
Olson, Stanard, Mercer Fi,zhugh II. nderson Oborne
Cooke, Powell Nayior. Donaldson, Psndleton, George
Byars. Taylor Of Car. Oglesby Duncan Lsidley Sum
rners Doddridgc. Morgan, Campbell Of Brooke, Will
.on Barbour Of c. Srott. Marshall OF F. TazsweII
Prentis, Clayton, Saunders, CabeIl, Martin. Stuart
Joynes and Upshur.-4S.
NAYs-Ms'.r'. Barbour: {p) Giles. Bro,lnax,
Dromgoole. Alexander, Goods, Marshall Of r. Tyler
Nicholas Ciopton, Baldwin, Mason Of Trezvant Ur-
qnhart Randolph, Leigh of III. Logan VenabIe EIoI,a.
day. Grigrs, Mason of F. Boyd, M'Mian, Campbell
thew' Sc, Green Loyal, Grigsby, Campbell Of Bed
Branch Townes, Ples.ants, Gordon, Thompson Ma..
sic, Bates, Neale, Rose, Coater, Bayly and Perrin
IS.
Mr.. CLAIBORNE moved to amend the Nth section
by striking out all that part OF il which following de-
clare that the Governor .ball he elected as foo,vs:"
and TO insist provision Tor the Governors election bv
the two Houses of the Assembly.
Mr.. MILLER stated t'at hi. colleague (Mr Bierne)
was absent Tor sickness and he should take il as IA
YOUR, IL the gentlemen would consent postpone this
important amendment until he should be able To re
sumo his place, which he had reason to hope would be
The case on the following day.
MIR. CLAIBORNE Instantly compiled 1i.cairning all
intention to press any measure under such circum.
stances
Mr. NICHOLAS sad he mi gbt probably he absent the
next day, and he hoped the same indulgence would
| be extended in that case.
Mr. Henderson, said if the gentlemen should he
taken sick before the Rext day the indulge ought
to be ex,en led him: but il absent on private
professional bu.iness.
Mr. CLAIBORNE agreed in this view Of the sub
ject. and should act upon IL.
MIR. CABELL, af er frw predatory rem arks ofsrsd
the following sms ndns to the 22 Il section:
The General Assembly shalt have power TO modi.
W or to abolish the said Superior Courts, at such times
and to substitute for ibem II in their sion IN
deem II xpedient, such tribunals az the public good
may require. And upon the nodifc a.ion or abolition
or in any wise pppurtrnant thereto. shall be ab..hed
unless otherwise directed by law"
The amendment gave rise 20 debate, in which
Messrs Marshal, Tazewe Giles AMI CabeI took part
The amendment was resisted being unne ce .sarv
The clauses retained in the section going the whole
length OF its provisions. This was specially pr essed
by Mr.. TszewelI, who agreed in sentiment with MIR
Cabeil az TO the s,ain question involved
The question WAS at length taken, and the ain nd.
nent Of Mr.. CabeN rejected.