Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-02-09

serves, is to be placed On the Treasury
bench in his stead.
Losses exceeding sixty-6ve thousand
dollars were susta ned by the insurance Off
-ces in the capital last week.
VIRGINIA CONVENTION. This body
was in session one hundred and three
days. The following abstract Of the
amended constitution is taken from the.
Mass Journal, which has saved us the
necessity Of making our abstract from the
southern papers -
VIRGINIA CONSTITUTION. Our readers
have been informed that the Convention
have agreed to Constitution and adjourn
ed. The vote was IS to 40.
We have read the amended Constitution.
Its principal provisions are as follows:
I. The House Of Delegates is to consist
of 1874 members; SO are TO be chosen by
the forty counties lying west Of the Blue
Ridge, and 70 by the sixty-four counties,
and four cities and boroughs which lie east
of the Blue Ridge.
2. The Senate is to consist of SO men,
bers; 13 west and 10 east of the Blue
Ridge.
3. Once in ten years, there shall be a
re-apportionment, to begin in 164l, but in
such manner as that the numbers from the
above great divisions shall not be increased
nor diminished. There is also provision
that the House of Delegates shall never ex-
coed $50, nor the Senate 36. A Senator
must be thirty and Representative twen-
ty-fve years ofage.
4. All laws to originate in the House Of
Delegates.
S. The writ of habeas corpus never to be
suspended. [Suppose gentlemen Of Virgin
ia, that your President g chieftain" held the
military command of your State.
6. Legislature may provide that no one
who has been concerned in duel or chal-
lenge shall hold any Office civil or military.
Z. Every white male citizen having a
freehold in land of the value of $25; or en-
titled to a revision or vested remainder in
fee expectaut on an estate for life, of the
value of $50; or who shall be in posses sion
of leasehold for term of not less than
five years or has been housekeeper and
head or family for twelve months. in the
county Of borough where he would vote,
and shall have been assessed or paid tax
to the Commonwealth within year--these
and no other person shall be entitled to
vote.
3. The Gpvernour shall be elected by
joint vote of the Senators and Delegates,
and shall be at least 80 years old.
9. The Prvy Council to advise the Gov
ernour shall consist Of three members, but
any number may act.
10. The Judges shall hold their offices
during good behaviour; but they may be
removed by concurrent vote of the two
houses of the legislature, two thirds of the
members present voting for it. No Judge
shall lose his Office by the court to which
he belongs being abolished, unless two-thirds
of both houses concur in the passage of the
law to abolish the same.
IL. Justices of the Peace who are also
Justices ofthe County Courts, shall be ap.
pointed by the GOVERNOR on the recon-
mendation ofthe respective county courts.
This is a very aristocratic provision of
of the Virginia Constitution. and has hi,h-
erto been the main spring of her political
machinery? These county courts have al
ways filed their own vacancies, the recon-
mendation being in practice conclusive !;
and they are said to dispose, as q Standing
caucus, Of all the elective ofices--rnember
of the State and national legislatures they
have also disposed, and are still to dispose
by their recommendation of the offices of
sheriffs, coroners and constables.l
Such are the main provisions Of the new
Constitution proposed to the people Of Vr-
ginia. 1t is very far from being what we
hoped and expected. 1t is the most anti.
democratic in the union not excepting
South Carolina. Should it be accepted BY
the people, which is very doubtful, it will
not in all probability stand so long as its
predecessor. 1t contains no provision for
future OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Journal.
CONGRESS.