Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-03-26

those gentlemen called horse thieves should take n
liking To her and ride her Off some night where is
his vote! Under the whip and spur of tho horse
thief IT'S no better with the house Keeper who
has one save-no better on either hypothesis Ifthc
slave should not die, but if he should run OF into
Canada, he carries bis masters citizenship in his
knapsack into his majcsty's dominons, and makes
tcndcr>of lit George the Fourth.
But IN the absence of these contingencies there
are others still as fearful Suppose the housekcep-
or's horse negro should never die or run awnv IL
is IN the power Of ono than the half of the Leu
slaiure, nay In the power OF more than tho half
OF tho quorum of the Legislatures by takinr the tax
OF horses, or oil single negro 10 dsfranchisc eve
~ housekecpcr and head ui family in the Com
monwealth who are by tho Convention allowed to
vote for the new constitution. If then the .hcads
of families" thus enfranchsed should ever vote
more than once they owe the privilege not TO the
constitution but to the Legislature. 1t is not con-
stitutopa privilege secured to them, but Legislative
right, vouchued ut the will and pleasure of one moro
than the hall ola quorum of the General Assembly.
but again, vest OF the Blue Ridge ten votes will
be given on single horse for given on single
negro. On the East Oft the Ridge ten will be given
on ssnglc negro for one given on a single horse
Take Richmond city and the town of Wheeling for
example. How many votes will be given i'm Wheel
ing on single negro, and how many votes will be
given IN Richmond on single horse? Answer this
question and then you may in what jeopardy is
placed the vote OF q western housekeeper and head
OF family If the Legislature should tnkc The tsy
of horses mules and asses alas for the cnfranchised
honsckecpers west of tho hills. To reply that one
than the huff of an ordinary Icgislaturo ia ,oo
honorable for such decree, would be to contradict
Judge Green's data Which makes self interest the
only primuni Ulo0iie and it would be to calculate
more upon the magnanniity of our Eastern masters
than they would allow us-thau they have vet au-
| thorized.
jority of the General Assembly one more than the
half OF quorum would be always willing to bestov
vote upon our poor housekeepcrs and heads of fam
lilies, and suppose it should become unnecessary be-
| mr. Of
quite possible, to continue taxing horses or ncproes
| one or both,-what then? The benevoence of the
majority towards these unfortunate housckeepers
must induce them to tax them for no Other purposc
than to give them vote What n prcdicanient
and how probable too :! Yes, housekocpers they
must tax you because they wish you to vote thew
must tax YOU to make citizen ofyou. Your paving
tax for your own heads avails nothinr-that Is ne
revenue tax You must pay tax upon the head OF
horse mule, or an ass. II you had Sir Isaac
! Newton's head upon your shoulders, wife such as
Solomon would approve, house and the full of it OF
children, and had not horses. mules ass's or no.
groc's head on which to pay tribute you have no
vote in the great wise, enlightened, hshminded and
republican state Of Virginia
One word to the respectable yeomanry and free
holders Of Eastern Virninia-and perhaps Some in
Western Virginia. You have often said that no
class ofinhablants is less Worthy of citizenship than
the poor houskeepers and heads ofamlies nor is any
vote more to be feared than theirs. II will you saw
humble the responsibility of the elections or selec
tons of representatives Grant it for the sake of
gument, could you not then have ncutraizcd the in
huence ofthat vote by bringing the polls your own
adult sons' Would not they with you have secured
your interests and your wishes by combining with
II you How lnpoitic then to dsfranchse your oyr
sons! Frceholders of Virginia, say how impoliti,
To disirahchse your own sons and to enfranchise
class which you fear more than anyother Will yor
then vote for Constitution which cnfranchsey
whom you call the least deserving, and disfranchse
those most deserving, and whose assistance YOU vii
SO SO much want upon your own premises if the new
Constitution be ratified
So much for the extension OF the rpht of su(frooa
IN the shelter Constitution" IL is really and in ia Il
an illusion, perfect allacy, boast of superiority il
this comparison. It's very ifu,ited very precari
Gus, and very tmp0iic extension viewed i'm the mos
\ favorable light
But after ALL how much is it worth to the prospcrit,
and honour OF the Commonwealth, and TO WestcrI
Virginia to extend the right of suffrage as far as spe
cihed! 1t IS not worth the wing of moschcto whe
ther every man, woman and child black, white ant
mulatto, were permitted to vote ACCORDING TO TN,
Amended Constitution Ofwhat use is many voters
hthey have no representation; if they have no powe
/ beyond the court yard! If one man be elected b,
fue hundred votes, and another by fire thousand ani
when they meet in the capitol if the vote of the ont
weighs as many pounds, ounces and pennyweiphts a.
the other, what was the Of the IorLyue h,ndre,
votes gwen for representative more tban tho 9th
err 1t is dream, perfect vision for rs 10 value in,
extension of the right of suffrage, when that exten
sion cannot gam US one scrupe weight of power il
the Legislative department Of government. Phe pre
the West one grain of power in q million of ares
the Amended Constitution should be ratified and con
time so long.
Undor the Constitution of 70 VIC have 50 repre-
scntatives in the house of delegates from the q
counties west ofthe Allegbany-under the Amended
Constitution we shall have 81 representatives Pbi
in house 1884 members is less proportion than 8
in house 213-we lose about 1-l5 of our power il
the house OF delegates by the Amended Constitution
In the Senate 1t is abuot the same it was. Thus
the Amended Contribution shears us of our forme
power, and is so much than tho old Constitu
ton that 1t makes no provision for our ever GAINING
an atom more-Under the Constitution Of 70 W.
might in proportion 20 our increase Of population rr
n new county, and with it two representatives. bu
now II we make new county we must lend it
representative from somc old county and do without
ourselves. For It is deereed that although the coun
tics west of The Allegheny should increase and mul
u iIpy seven fold they must DO confined and chained
down TO 81 representatives.. OF what use is il {,
bonst oftIe extension of The right of suGtage when
can be ct no use to It's except annually to meet q
murmnr at our mnstors and condole with ono ano