Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-01-05
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.

tee of seven, reported conformaby to instructions,
the following Constitution:
The Select Committee, to whom the several reese
lutions of the Convention referred with nstruc
lions to prepare and report either new Consttu-
ton, amendments to the existing Constitution, and
to report an superintendent of the representation in
the Senate and House of Delegates among the
veral counties, Cities bOroughs and districts of the
Commonwealth, conformably with the resolutions to
them referred respectfully report the following form
of an amended Constitutions
Whereas the Delegates and Representatives of the
good people ofVirgina, in Convention assembled, on
the twenty ninth day of June in the year of our
Lord one Thousand seven hundred and seventy six:
Reciting and declaring, that whereas George the
Third, King of Great Britain aud Ireland, and EieC
tor of Hanover before that time entrusted with tho
exercise of the kihgy office in the government OF
Virginia he'd endeavorcd to pervert the same into
dctestabe and insupporable tyranny, by putting his
negative on laws the most wholesome and necessary
for the public good by denying his governors per-
mission to pass laws of immediate and pressing i'm
portance, unless suspended in their operation for his
assent, and when so suspended neglecting to attend
to them for many years; by refusing pass certain
other laws, unless the persons to be benefited by them
would relnqush the inestimable right of representa-
ton in the legislature; by dssolving legislative
senblies repeatedly and continually for opposing with
manly rmnesS his invasons of the rights of the poo
pie; when dissolved by refusing to call others for u
long space of time, thereby leaving the political sys-
tenn without any Legislative head; by endeavorng to
prevent the population of country and for that
purpose obstrucng the laws for the naturalization
of foreigners by keeping among in time Of peace,
standing armies and ships OF war; By effecng to
der the military independent of, and superior the
civil power; by combining with others subject us
to foreign jurisdiction, giving his assent to their
pretended acts of legslaon for quartcring large bo-
dies OF armed troops among us; for cutting Oft
trade with all parts of the world for imposing taxes
on us without our CONSENT for dapriviDg of the
benefits of the trial by Jury, for transporting us be-
yond to be tried for pretended offences; for ss-
pending our own Legislatures: and declaring them
selves invested with power to legslate for us in all
cases whatsoever; by pundering our seas, ravaging
our coasts, burning our towns, and destroying the
lives OF our people; by melting instructions of our
fellow subjects with the allurCmets of forfeiture and
conscator; by prompting negroes to rise in
among US, those very negroes, whom by inhuman
use of his negative he had refused us permission to
exclude by law; by endeavorng to bring on the nha-
bltanis of our frontiers the mercess Indian savages
whose known rule OF warfare is undistingushed
destruction OF all ages sexes and conditions of exist
ence by transporting large army of foreign MERGE
nares to complete the work of death, desoation and
tyranny, then already begun with crcunst ances of
cruelty and peridy unworthy the head of civilized
nations by answering our repeated petitions for redress
with repetition of INJURIES and finally, by abandon
ing the helm of government, and declaring us out of
his allegiance and protection; by which several acts
OF misrue, the government of this country as before
exercised under Tie crown of Great Britain was to-
tally dissoved Did, therefore, having maturely con-
sldered the premises, and viewing with great concern
the deplorabie condition to which this once hauDv
country would be reduced, unless some regular ade
quate mode of civil polity should be speedily adopted
aud in compliance with the recommendations of the
General Congress- ordan and deciiee C, form of no.
vernnent of Virginia
And whcreus the General Assembly Of Virginia
By an act passed the tenth day of February in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
twenty nine, entitled act toho organize Conven.
ton, did authorize and provide for the election by
the people, of delegates and representatives to NEE,
and assemble ingenera Convention at the Capito in
the city of Richmond, on the fist Monday of October
] limb hf, 1act of.,o
propose, new Constitution, alterations and o.
mendments of the existing Constitution of this Com
monwealth, to bo submitted to the people, and to be
by them ratified or rejected:
We, therefore, the delegates and representatives
of the good people of Virginia, elected and in Com
VentIon assembled In pursuance of the said act of As
sembiy do submit and propose the people the fol
lowing amended Constitution and form of governmen
Tor this Commonwealth, that is to say:
l. The legislative, executive, and judiciary depart-
mentS shall be separate and distinct, so that neither
exercise the powers properly belonging to ether OF
the others nor shall any person exercise the powers
OF more than one of them at the time, except
that the justices of the county courts shall be elrbc
to either House Of Assembly.
II. The Legislature shall be formed of,wo distinct
branches, which together shall be complete eeisa-
ture and shall be called the General Assembly of Vir-
ginia.
III. One ofthcse shall be called the House of De-
egates, and shall consist of one hundred and twenty
seven MEMBERS TO be chosen annually for and bv tho
Commonwealth; whereof twenty nine delegates shall
be chosen for and by the twenty-six counties living
west of the Allegheny mountains, twenty four for and
by the fourteen counties lying between the Aegha-
ny and Blue Ridge of mountains forty for and by the
tWenty-nnc counties lying east of the Blue RIDGE
aud above tidewater, and thirtyfour for and by the
counties, Cities towns, and boroughs, lying upon tide
water: that is TO say = : x x
". The other House of the General Assembly
shall be called the Senate, shall consist of thrtvtwo
members, of when thirteen shall be chosen for and
by the counties lying west of the Blue Ridge of noun
tains' and nineteen for and by the counties, cities,
tgwns' and boTougis lying east thereof and for the
election OF whom the counties, cities, towns and bo
roughs shall be divided into twenty two districts as
herein after provided. Each county Of the rcspcc
tive districts at the time of the first election of its Do
eSate or delegates under this Constitution ela vote
for one Senator; and the sherifs or other officers
holding the election for each county, CITY, town or
borough, within five days nrthcst after the last
county CITY, town, or borough election in the district
shall meet at some convenient place, and from the
polls So taken i'll their respective countless cities
towns or 6oroushs, return a Senator the person
VINO shall have the greatest number OF votes in the
Whole district. To keen thiS A 80.