Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-02-05
AN AMENDED CONSTITUTION.
" Form Of Government for VI, giaia
IAdopted l4Ih Januarv l23l


Whcreas the Delegates and Representatives
of the gooG people Of Virginia in Convention
assembled, an the twenty ninth day of June, in
the year OF our Lord II thousand seven hun
dred and seventy-six Reciting aud declaring,
that whereas, George the third, King of Great
Britain and Ireland and Elector of Hanover, be-
tore that time entrusted with the exercise of the
kIngv Office in the government of Virginia,
had endeuvoured To- prevert the same into n
detestabie and insupportable tyranny, by put
ting his negative on laws the most wholesome
and necessary for the public good by denying
ms governors permission topass laws of imme-
date and pressing Importance, unless suspended
IN their operation for his assent, and when so
suspended neglectng to attend to them for ma.
ny years; by refusing to pass certain other laws,
unless the persons to be benefited by them
would relinquish the inestmablc right Of repre-
sentation in the Legislature by dissolving le-
gislative assemblies repeatedly and continually,
OF the rights OF the i,eople when dissolved, by
refusing to call others for a long space Of time,
thereby leaving the political system without any
legislative head by endeavoring to prevent The
population ofonr country, and for that purpose
obstructing the laws for the naturalization Of
foreigners; by keeping among us, in time of
peace, standing armies and ships of war by aE.
fccting to render the military independent of
and superior TO the civil power; by combining
with others to subject us TO foreign jurisdic-
ton, giving his assent to their pretended acts
Of legislation, for quartering large bodies of
armed troops among us, for cutting off our trade
with allparts of the world, for imposing taxes
on us without our consent, for depriving of the
benefits of tho trial by jury, for Transporting us
beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences,
for suspooding our own Legislatures and declar-
ing themselves invested with power TO legislate
for us in all casesiwhatsoever by plunjcring our
seas, ravaging our coasts, burning our towns,
and destroying the lives of our people by in,
citing Instructions of our fellow subjects with
the aliuremeuts of forfeiture and ,coDfiscation I;
by prompting our negroes, to rise in arms among
us, those very negroes, whom by an inhuman
use OF his negative he had refused us permission
to exclude by law by endeavoring TO bring on us
the inhabitants of our frontiers the nerciless in
dian savages. whose known rule Of warfare is
an undistingnished destruction of all ages, SEX
es and conditions of existence by transporting
hithcr large army of foreign nercinaries, to
complete the work of death, desoaiion and ty-
ranny, then already begun with circumstances
OF cruelty and perhdy unworthy the head of n
civilized nation +; by answering our repeated pc
ttions Tor redress with repetition Of injuries
aud finally, by abandoning the helm of govern
Inent, and declaring us out of his allegiance and
protection by which several acts of nsrule the
government OF this country, Us before exercised
| under the Crown of Great Britain, was totally
dissolved Did therefore, having naturely con.
| sidcrod the premises, ard viewing with grea,
| concern the deplorable condition, TO which this
once happy country would DC reduced, unless
| some regular adequate mode Of civil polity
should be speedily adopted, and in compliance
with the recommendation of the General Con.
gross, ordain and declare, form of government,
Virginia.
And whereas the General Assembly of Vir
| GINA, by 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 ac
TO organize convention, did authorize anc
provide for The election, by the people, of Dele
gates and Representatives, to meet and ascin
| hle, III general Convention, at the CAPITOL il
the city of Richmond, on Tho first Monday o
October in the year last aforesaid, to consider
discuss and propose, new Constitution or al
teratlons and amendments Of the existing Con
stltution Of this Commonwealth, to be submitte
toihe people q 10 be by them ratified or rejected