Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-09-22

Leigh will permit us to fix a mark unon Lis nsssarsS
not that they may be avoided, but that they nav be
ne, ,e n'nre reauy Recognised and read separately by
'hose VINO have not time to read the ACCOMMODATING
passages by which his contruyered: for that nur
pose, we decorate his passages with stars
A memorial OF the non-freeholders of the CITY nc
Richmond, a very able document said "a have hen
drafted by the attorney general John Robertson ESQ
addressed to the Convention, and presented AT the
commencement Of the session. praying for the rxten
ton OF the right of sufrage,-bur heir claims chief
~ ON these declarations in the Bill of Rights which the
memorial recitcd, viz. -
1st "rhat all men are by mature. .o,,.i,. g.. 80 !,
indie pendent.
ID. That all power is vested in, and consequently
derived from. the people.
sd. That rzAJodty OF the community hath an in
dubiahle unalienabie; and indeeasibe right TO re-
ioru, alter, or abolish the government.
4th. That no man set of men are entitled to
exclusive or separate emoument or privileges but in
consideration OF public service.
ON. That all men having sufficient evidence of
permanent common interest with, and attachment TO-
t'.e community have rght of suffrage; aud cannot
DC taxed or deprived of their property without their
consent or that Of their representative nor bound
by any aw, to which they have not in like manner
essential, for the public good"
At very early period after reading that memorial
Gen Taylor Of Norfolk moved the following resolu.
tons viz.
l't That the elective franchise should be uniform:
so mat similar qualification should confer smi-
lar right OF suffrage throughout the state
I'd That, among those entitled by the Constitution
TO exercise the elective franchise there should be en-
Il, elections,
slhrage ct ono qo'ied voter should avz as much as
That OF another qualified voter, whatever nav be the
disparity other respective fortunes.
Srd. That representation should be u,pfgr5, through
out The State
9TH. That as iua!vidaal suffrage should be equal,
without respect the dIspariry OF Individual fortune
SO an eqHs! number of qualified are entitled to
equal Representations without regard to the disparity
OF their aggregate fortunes.
9Th. That IN all pecuniary contributions to the pub
lie service, regard should be had the ability Of ndi-
yIfts lie .l,trF,
and this ability to pay, fron DISPARITY of fortune
is Unequal II would be unjust and oppressive to re-
quirr each to pay eqWG! amount OF public taxes"
MT Idy!9r sid-"Sir will frankly own thar have
scarcely any thing of reason argument to bring
forth in support of these resolutions. There are some
truths, so simple and self-evident, that their most
perfect demonstration rs furnished By the terms of
the propositions themselves. Az:oms, self evident
truths carry conviction to the human mind the moment
they are announced.-rhe elective franchise is an
essential part of our system. 1t looks two objects
fret the Persons who TO exercise the suffrage
second the representative who selected by it. SnE
rage should be uniform throughout the State; so that
no man shall have right in part of the State,
winch IN circumstances exactly similar, shall not be
enjoyed by another, in different part of the State
Representation also, should be uniform so that like
numbers shalt confer like rights Of representation,
without regard to the disparites OF fortune which
may exist in the Aggregate" SSr.-Sss Ds5dtes page
- to 80.
, These were the fundamental principles on which
tae report OF the Legislative Committee was founded
in relation 10 their propositions extend the right
Of suffrage, and to- fix the basis of epresentaton ON
free white population Self-evidcnt they were to
the members OF that committee, to the London Com
pany who framed the first charter of our poIit;caI
rights, or to the sages of the revolution who framed
our bill OF rights but had time in the revolutionary
crisis, explode the freehold cdcl of the kim and
make the details of the old Constitution conform to
those principle: OF liberty and equa!ity-tbe reader
will presently see with what evity the champion Of
'7eaM and p0''er of the few, treats those golden
truths
.H' Leigh said, ole did not Aose that the friends
oil the propositions reported BY the Legislative Com
mttee, would assign their support of plan
which proposes. ia effect to put the power of con
troulng the TpealM of the State into hands different
from those which he'll that wealth plan which de-
cares, that representation shall be governed BY one
ratio, and CoHHIGH!jOH by another ratio.-ue hooed
that the friends of these neg prupuslions-neO, at
least IN State, il not throush the world
would give 20 those who differed from themselves
some reasons in support Of their sckruc some better
reasons than that such principles Hno1y1 to our
English ancestors from whom derived our nstu-
lonesome better reasons than the rigiis of man As
held in the French schooi-bsner than hat they were
calculated in their nature TO lead raDinc qHgyc5y
and 6oOdsheR and in the end, to iE!drg dcs51Hgm,y
&c. &c (page So
IN Cooke of Frederick said-"He could not but
express hs unGcigncd that the gentleman
or Leigi) should have rrunreR to say to that As
scmbly that the principle of representation recon-
mcndcd by the Legislative Committee was ne7y TO
him. and ne'' IN the history Of the world Can the
gentleman have forgotten, that the principle which
he treats novelty and innovation ~ asserted in
the Declaration OF the Rights ct the people of Vr-
gnis2 And does be not know, that when the Con
s,jtution Of 1875 promulgated in that instrument the
principles Of Government on which their infant Re.
public founded, they did but announce in solemn
form, TO the people of Virginia, principles which had
received, century before, the deliberate sancton of
the most enlightened friends of liberty throughout the
world SIR, the fathers Of the revolution did but
rsifcrdi those great ard sacred truths. Driven from
Europe by King and Priests and Mobiles. those simple
truths received With favour from the genius of
Locke, of sydney and Milton, by the sturdy ycomanrv
who took refuge on the western shores of the
Atlantic. The love Of liberty. ave, SIR and the
love Of s9uGhiy too, grew with the growth, and
strengthened with to strength uf the Colonies Il
declared war, At last only against the boe Of tho
King, but against the privilege OF the noble and laid
the deep foundations Of The republic, the rgGfr of
the pcobh, and the c9uahig Of man" &c Pace 5il
. General Gordon, vt Albcmarlr sad,-"A majority
Of the eeholdsrs of Virginia, after years Of dcbsra
ton. had determined thata Convention should be cal
ed for the purpose of proposing amendments 20 tho
existing Constitution. Public opinion cannot be mis-
understood that subicc unless indeed the ingcnp.
i,y of gentlemen shall be able make the pcoplc as
has been s7id 60 INC rj-Lf-ub3uf and persuade
us their representative disregard the purposes for
which were sent here. Aud arc there no incqua,-
itcs in the Constitution which need rcf3ria! 10 nc