Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-01-22
AN AMENDED CONSTITUTION.
Or From Of Government for Eirginia.
[Adopted l4.h January, 1901

Or From Of Gorernment for rirginia.
Adopted l4.h January, 1901
Whereas the Delegates and Representatives
of the good people of Virginia in Convention
assembled, ON the twenty ninth day Of June, in
the year of our Lord one thousand seven hun
drcd and seventy-siH Rcciting and decl airing,
that whereas, George the third, King OF Great
Britain and Ireland and Elcctor of Ii1ncvcr, be-
fore that time entrusted with the exercise cf the
kingy Office in the Government of Virginia.
had endeavoured to pervert the same into a
detestable and insupportable tyranny, by put
ting his negative on laws tho most wholesome
and necessary for the public good; by denying
his governors permission to pass laws of irnn.c
date and pressing Importance, unless suspended
IN their operation for his assent, and when SO
suspended neglecting 10 attend to them for ma
ny years by refusing to pass certain other laws,
unless the persons to be benefited by them
would rclinquish the incstimablc right of repre-
scnta:ion in the Legislature !; by dissolving lc-
gislativc assemblies repeatedly and continually
for opposing with manly lirnncss his invasions
oftle rights Of the people wh1n dissolved, by
refusing to call others for long space Of time,
thereby leaving the political system without any
Legislative head by endcavoring to p:event the
population of our country, and for that purpose
| obstTucting tho laws for the naturalization Of
foreigners by keeping among us, in time of
peace, standing armies and ships of war by at
| tecting - render the. military iadcPondnnt of
and suHesior 10 tho oi-ii pow -, by combining
with others 20 subject us to foreign iurisdic
ton, giving his assent to their pretended acts
of legislation, for qrar;crins large bodies of
armed troops among us, for cutting off our trade
with all parts of the wour!d, for imposing taxes
Oh us without our consent, depriving us of TIE
benefits Of the trial by jury, tor transporting us
beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences,
Tor suspending our own Leg islaturcs and dcclar-
ing themselves invested with power to legislate
for us in all cases whatsoever; by plundering our
seas, ruvnging orr coasts, burning oer towns,
and destroying The lives of our people by in
citing Insurrectious of our fellow subjects wit.
the al!urements of forfeiture and confiScation
by prompting our negroes to rise in arms amorr
us, those very negroes, whom by an inhhman
use OF his negative lie had refused us permission
to exclude by law; by endeavorng to bring on
the inhabitants of our frontiers. the merciess in
daln savages, whose known rule of warfare is
an undis'lnguishcd destruction of all ages, sex
es and conditions existence by transporting
hither n latge army of foreign mercinaries to
complete tha work Of DEATH desoia,ion and w.
ranny, then already begun with circumstances
OF cruelty and peridy unworthy the head of +,
civilized nation by answering our repeatcd me-
ttions for redress with a repetition of injuries
and finally, by abandoning the helm of govern.
ment, and declaring US out of his allegiance and
protection by which several acts ofmisrule. the
government OF this country, as before exer ciscd
under the Crown of Great Britain, was total,
dissolved Did, therefore, having maturcly con-
sdered the premises, and viewing with great
concern the deplorable condition. to which This
once happy country would be reduced unless
some regular adequate mode Of civil polty
should be speedily adopted, and in compliance
gress, ordaip and declare, form of government
of Virginia.
And whereas the General Assembly of yir-
ginia, ~ an act passed on the tenth day of Fe-
bruary, in the year Of our Lord one thousand.
eight hundred and twenty -nine, entitled an act
to organize Convention, did authorize and
provide for the election, by the people, Of Dele.
gates and Representatives, to meet and ossen,.
Bile, in genera Conventions at tho C,,,oI +,
the city of Richmond, on the first Monday of
October in the year last aforesaid, to Consider
discuss and propose, new Constitution or al
tcrations and amendments of the existpo co,.
stitution of this Commonwealth. to he s,,b,n;,.
ted to tbc people and to be by them ratified or
rejected.
We, therefore, the Delegates and Representa-
tives ofthe good people Of Virginia, elected md
in Convention assembled, in purs lance of The
said act Of assembly, do submi: and propose f.
the people the following amended Constitution
and From Of Government for this Common.
wealth, that is TO say.
ARTICLEI.
The Declaration of Rights made on the 1911,
June, l776, BY the representatives of the rood
people Of Virginia assembled in fill and free
Convention, which pcrtaineG to them agd their
postcrty, as the basis and foundation of Csovorn.
mcnt requiring in the opinion of this Cosvon.
ton no amendment, shGll &c profxed 70 II,is