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

The question now TAX Mr.. Cisyor's afne nd
SO the amendment to the Instructions was rejected.
Mr.. LEIGH moved to amend the instructions by
adding that the 4h section also relarg TO the appor,ion
ment OF the Ssnai) be referred TO the comm H.
Which having been agreed TO, the House then al
journed.
WEDNESDAY,, Jan. 6.
The Convention met at Ii o'clock and was opened
with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Courtney Of u--Afethod-
is Church.
The chair announced that the Select Committee
were not yet ready 10 report the suhect Of sppor
uoument.
The Houre then proceeded to take up the amend.
mens reported by the Committee OF the Whole to the
draft Of tho Constitution.
The l,t amendment in The 9Th section, which
reals a. follows:
v. Any person may be elected Senator who shall
have attained the age Of irtv years. sn shall ba
tuay resident aud freebooter within the District.
duly qualified 6 vote for members Of the G.nefal As.
sembly according to this Constitution. Aud any per-
may be elected member Of the House Of Dele
eaes who shall have attained the age Of % years. and
shall be actually resident and freebooter within the
county. city, town. borough or election dirrct or t,i-
ly qua I'll 10 for members of the General Assem-
BY according to this Constitution. Provided, that all
Ministers OF the Gospel and P,ess OF every denomna
ton sh.l no incapable Of being elected members o
either House Of Assembly. 4
The amendment proposed to strike cut the word.
or duly" where they occur in the parts Of the acc
ton relating the qua Of m mbcrs OF the Sen.
ate and Of the Assembly.
Mr.. FIrzsucH said. that II the amendment left
the clause such as TO confne IN. election 10 the two
Houses Of Assembly, 10 the real Freehoider. who
were such In truth, he should be in favor sf il but
understanding to leave mere nominal Freehoders eli
kible, he should vote against IL.
conversation took place between Messrs Leigh &
Fitzhugh, as TO the value Of a Freehod-,he latter
eontendng. that man might own IS OF land so
poor not 10 be worth 81, which the former believed
scarcely possible.
Mr.. CLAroR said. that he wa, taken wholly by sur.
pr''',-Hct having paid particular attention to this
amendment in Committee Of the Whole. The princi.
pie was entirely new that those who had a right 10
elect should not have also the right be elected He
had never heard such position advanced before He
could not but admire the strange pursued ia this
sodysf the power Of selection was to he exercised
~ Spy body but the People, the utmost latitude Of
thors was readily accorded Judge. for example.
source whatever. But, the moment II was the Peo-
pie whowere to, exercise the power. it must forth.
with be guarded and circum'cribed with the most
jealous Gaze. The Convention had determined, that
not only Freeholder., but that every Leasehoider
Housekeeper, and head Of family, might exercise
the right OF vo'ing yet, here they were to be re-
strained from choo ling, who among themselves should
be their Representative. Mr. C. said, he had more
confidence in The virtue and Intelligence of the PEG.
pie, than thus to restrain them lie had the lie
apprehension, but tina. thy would choose persons Tor
their representatives., who sufficient evidence OF
having common interest with them. There SEEM
cal to be sr,ngs dread OF giving power TO the
People. u it was proposed that they should he al
lowed TO elect the Governor, the House was imme.
dateiy alarmed with the dangers OF drinking
and erng inrigues u was proposed to al
low them TO choose their own Militia Officers, the
same dangers were again paraiei before their view
], wou'd lead TO whiskey-nking and to eiectioneer.
ing. Gentlemen were willing TO leave them no Other
election, but that OF their Repre- entatves; ani
now even this was TO be further restrained and they
were to be told, :" this man you may rake, but this
man You shall no He could approve Of no sbrh doc.
trine Having first decided who were to be the SOW
ereigos OF the land, the Convention ought to leave
them in perfect freedom 10 ch,o.e among themselves
whom they would.
Mr.. TAzEwELL said that if there had been no other
provision, in this Constitution to which the gentleman
from Campbell had given his assent and which went ON
the same principle with the present, the argument of
the gentleman would have had mo weight. But the
gentleman had consented that might elect nj the
age OF 81 yet he might be elected until he was 25
as Delegate, or until he was 80, Senator, or as
overlor oil the State; what became Of the gentlemans
principle, that every who was qualified TO eject
was qualified so to be elected? To be elected man
must residen the county electng, but be voter no
such restriction wa necessary. Here the gcntlemans
principle failed again. And the ground of his opposi
ton, viz that the principle Of the amendment
and unhear Of had been deroycd by his act in as
scntn to these provisions He should not enter on the
merits of the amendment.
Mr.. CLAYTON admitted that in these cases he had
certainly consented TO an Infringement of the principle
but this formed why he should go farther and
consent TO yet greater violation OF IT, especially when
the gentleman did not pretend to offer a single argu-
ment in its behalf What need coald there be for such
Imitation Did the possession of Freehold any better
qualify man for the duties of Legislation Unless some
good were shewn him he could consent to the
amendment.
The question was taken and decided by Yeas s. NAYS
follows
AYES-Mcssrs Barbour (PrcsidenD ones, Leigh of
Oh. Taylor of CHI. Broadnax, Dromgoolo, Alexander,
Goodc Marshall, Clopton, Johnson Mason of :. Trez-
want, Claiborne. Urquhart, Randolph Leigh of H. Logan
vcnsblc, Madison, S'anard, Holiday, Cooke, Boyd,
Y ndI-ton, Roane Taylor of Caro-, Morris, Garnett
Barbour Of c. Scott, Green, Tazewei IoyalI, PreDts
Grigsby, Branch, Townes, Martin, Pleasant, Gordon
Missile, Bates, Neaic. Rose, Coalter, Perrn--47
NOES--Messrs Anderson, Cofiinan. Harrison, Will
Hanson, Baldwin, MCoy, Moore, Smith, Miller Baxter,
Mercer, Fitzugb, Henderson, Osborne Powell Griggs
Mason of +. NayIor, Donaldson, George, M'Miiian
Campbell of w. Byars, Coyd, Chapman, Matthews
Oglesby, Duncan, Laidlcy, Summers See, Doddridge
Morgan, Campbell of Brooke, WiI.on Clayton, Saun-
ders, Cabell, Stuart Thompson, Joynes, Upshur--I2.
So the amendment was agreed to.
A similar amendment having been proposed, as an.
plying to Senator's MIR. Clayton demanded the Yeas and
Nays also: hoping that who had insisted this as
qualification for Senator, might not insist in
egae.
The question accordingly taken by Yeas and Nays
follows:
AYES-Afrssrs. Barbour, (P) Jones, Leigh Of Ch.
Tayl OF Cb., Giles, Brodax Dromg ooIe ande
Goode, MarrhaII OF H. Clop,sD, johnson, Mason Of s.
TreZvaDt, CIaiborne, Urquhart Randolph, Leigh OF
II. Logan, yenable, MsdisoD, Stsnard. Holiday,
Go k-, Boyd, Pendleton, Roane, TAYLOR Of Car Nor.
as Garnen, Barbour Of c., Scott, Green, Tsz-weiI,
Loyal, Prents, Ciigsby, Branch, Townes, Martin,
Pieasants. Gordon, Massie, Bates, NeaIe, Roc, Coal
ter and PeniR-4s.
NAYS.-Messr- Anderson, Coffnan, Harrison, VIII.
Hanson, Baldwin. M'Coy. Moore, Smith, Miller, Bar.
ter, Mercer, Filzhugh, Henderson, Osborne, Powell
Grggs, Mason OF f. Nayior, DonsIdson, George, M.
MILAN, Campbell Of w. Byars, CIoyd, Chapman, Ma
the ws, Ogesby, Duncan. Lsdley Summers, See, bod
d,idge, Morgan, Campbell Of Brooke, Wilson, Clayton
Saunders. C.bel, Stuart, Thompson, Joynos and Up
thur-42.
The next amendment was the insertion of the word.
in he