Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-01-14
"WEDNESDAY, Ian o.

The Convention mt at o'clock, aad wds
opened with prayer by he Rss OH. Courtney
II the Methodist Church
The char annouue ed that the Select Com.
miitce we're not yet ready 10 report on the
sslJ CT ofapporIionment
The House then proceeded 10 take up the
Amendments reporicdby the Committee OF the
Whole 10 the raft oi tbe Constitution.
The Isl amendment WAS in the 9th section
winch reacts AS follows:
Any per-ou may he elected Senator who
Il AL hns" attained the age of thi,,y yeafs, and
fhal be actual va ,csIdenl und irreholder with.
| IN the ditr OF duly qualified L. w for msm,
beers II the General Assem- ly aecof ng this
Consii'nii1 Aud any person mny b. elected
n member OF the House Of Dclrgnes. who shali
have attained iheage Of 20 years, anh shall be
actually a resident and irerhu older WITHIN the
county, city, town. borough or eee,ion dis
tric', ar duly qua fled a. vote for membo,s OF
The Genri'1 Assem- y according ~ THIS Con.
st,1nuan I idet that all Ministers OF the
Gospel aud Priests of every Denomination shall
be incapable oi beng eleeed men,bers VI her
liousl OF Ass mby
The amendment proposed TO str,ks out the
words :" or duly where they occur H. The
parts oi the section relating 10 The qunfca-
lIons ot members OF he Senate aud OF the As.
sembly
Mr.. ftsbugh saii, lha, II lbe amendment
zen the elnuf such ~ 10 confne the ri .cnoo 10
the Two Houses Of Assembly " tbf real Free.
noldett, Hhp Weie sach ~ tru h, he should be IN
favor oi It bat understanding IL TO leave mere
nominal Fses1old1s eligible, he should vote
sa'asi y.
A conversation took place bri~een Hrssrs
Laign aud frzhugb, ak TO the va'ne OF n Free.
d--ihe ia''ei conIending, that mau ight
Own % acres OF land. % poor ~ moi q be
va VI, which tho former believed scarcely
possible.
MI Clayton SAID thai he was taken Wholly
by saIp,lse,--Det having paid particular aitca.
lion 10 this ame dnieni IN Committee OF the
Whole The principle was entirely nct", that
those who bad a ,glit 10 elect, should not hhvo
'lso the right ~ be- elected. H. had uayer
h. ard such position advanced hrforn. lie
could not but admire The strangr course pa SUI
Il IN this iody--ii the power Of selection as
To BIZ exercised by ANY body pui the People. tho
UTMOST attitude oi choice as ren ll4 7et died.
II judge, for example, was 10 he apreiaied.
he mig be iake from any source whatever.
But the moment wa the People who were
10 exercise the power, II must forhwiih be
guarded and ereumscribed win The most AL
Gus care. Ire Conytnlinn Ind detri mined
thai not tnly Freeboldeis, buI thai every
l. hsrho der iiousekoeper, ard nend Of fdmi
", might exercise tie right OF voting: YET here
they were 10 be- raiord nom cboDsi < who
am. ny tbemfelYes should be Their Repf .enta.
iises Mr. &. said be had more 6eieace in
the virtue aud intelligence oil the Peaple, han
thus "a restrain them. lie Lad 40 the LEAST
Hpprehens, hut that hey woulo choose
persons Tor their representatives, ~ho s1ve
sufficient violence Of having common inter-
ost with them THREE seemed 10 he n sfrnnge
dread giving power 81 The People l. il was
pi opposed, thai they 'houid b. allowed 10 elect
the Govetnat. the HOUSE WIS immedia ely
aarme wnti The dangef of whskcy.d inkpg e.
elec,ioneelng iutrigues. lf wa pro O ed
10 allow them e. choose their own VI hi Of
Gc'.rs the same dapgers were agaIu psta5Ied
before their yiew--il would lead to vii skey
drinking aud 10 elec,inneering. Gen lemaa
we're ling TO leave them NJ other cleo ion,
but that o. their own Representa- lives --and>
now, even this was 10 be further restrained,
and They were 10 he told, "tbis man you may
take, bul this man you sball nol!' He could
approve of no such doctrine. Having first de.
clJed who were 10 be the S Jsriegns OF the land,
the Conveniion ought 10 leave theoi 10 perfect
freedom to choose among themselves whom
thev would.
Nj 1aEeneH said that if there had been
no oiher ppvisious IN this Constitution TO
which the gentleman from Cahpbell had given
his assent. and which went on the same prin-
eiple with tn. present, the argument of The
gentleman would have had more weight. But
The gentleman had consented that a man might
elect Mt the age of 81, ye he might not be cleo
ted unriI he was z5, as a Delegate, or until he
was-30, as IA Senator, or as Governor Of the
State--wIiat became OF the gentleman prin-
ciple, that every one who was qualified 10
elect, was qualified also TO be elected To be
elected man must reside in the county elect
ing but 10 be VOTER no such restriction was
necessary. Here the sen'leman's principle
faded again. And the ground OF his opposition.
VIZ: iha, the principle of the amendment was
new aud unheard of, had been de,royed by his
own acI in asserting TO these provisions He
should moi enter on the merits Of the amend
uient.
Mr.. CiaWOr admitted that in these cases he
hal certainly consented to an infringsmcnl of
| ne rrinciple-but this formed no geaion why
nc ,houii 20 farther, and consent To yet
grea er violation II il, especially when tie gen.
l Aid r,ot fen1 In nffer n single aTAts.