Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-01-15

principal In this matter and that he depended upon
powerful aid, which had been promised him. He had
not intended to say any such thing. He had brought
the subject before the Hoi.e, and believing Of
the most important questions TO be decided by IL this
year, he thought II must engage in its
much higher than his He had intended to express
himself bound to make. So far as a man could under
stand his motives, he beloved that he had no pri-
vate object in this question He believed the
teman who his represen taiye could not hold
his seat under the Constitution. He had declared at
the time OF the election, that he was not satisfied with
any Of The candidates; but that, choice of evils
I'm case the votes were tied between the member and
another candidate he would step in and give his vote
to the former in preference Of all others-becase the
House might decide that he eligible and he had
the power TO do more than any other individual i'm the
general cause. He had srven to dvest the subject of
all but public considerations He had to
set aside seand he had wished that the sitting men,
Der might not be involved in the question: for he knew
when he put in the scale how powerfully he weigh
ell. He wished that the gentleman's influence might
not be thrown into the scale. He did ask gentle
men to dives themselves Of prejudces but he asked
them to look narrowly into the Constitution and decide
the question, whether the member returned from Hen.
rico, entitled to stand this floor and exercise the
Office of Delegate, under that instrument. He had
trusted that the old Constitution dead-peace to its
manes-aganst his wishes But though It had become
deunct, he did wish retain the errors and abu
ses which sprang up under it. He wished them done
away, aud he thought they had been, when the brilliant
fabric OF the New Constitution completed. He
would examine and compare the Old and the New
He thanked the gentleman for his informaon-for IL
really was information TO hm-relatve to the meaning
OF the words duly qualified according to law" To
him. they had previously been dead letter. and SEEM
ed entirely unconnected with the Constitution. Ac
cording to the gentlemans explanation what had they
10 do with the New Constitution? Those words were
considered to be applicable for many and many a wear
under the Old Constitution. The sentence now reads:
shall be actually resident and free holder within
inc District" What was its meaning' Did not the
Cd constitution require that members should be
idents and free-holders Leave out West Augusta and
the words "actually resident aud HOLDER were
used. Take in West Augusta, and the words duly
qualified according to law" made of. He had
nough that these words implied other qualifca-
uon' put the gentleman had removed that idea. He
.nougn that this Old Constitution had been done away
when the Constitution OF 1929 adopted. The Old
constitution gave each county two members-but the
New was entirely different Ii laid off the State into
iour great Districts, which were subdivded into coun
ues' Cities towns, &c each to possess representation
exactly as laid down in the Constitution To one coun-
yit gave three, to ano her two, and another one
then followed the cities, boroughs, &C. To each IL
said explicily-you shall have so much and no more
And it further provided that when county should be
divided the only way provide representation for it,
was by taking II from other part OF the District
Inc allotment OF the Old Constitution was done away
WITH and at present. If il found that one part had
less representation than il was entitled to- to increase IT,
the increase must be drawn from some other quarter
The views of the gentleman in these particulars in
stead OF going against Mr.. c. sustained the principle
which he laid down. What was the Interpretation of
the W ord "respectvey?"-"that each county civ
town, SC. shall respectively elect &c-He had refer,
red to Johnson's Dictionary for the meaning of this
WORD Iespectiuety, and was defined particuarly pc
cuilarly each To each" Then the meaning is that in
each District member may be elected who resides in
the Dstrc but he did not reside there he could NOT
the to each county city &c respectively
case by the strict definition from the Dictionary II
70 Henrico is gvenis own peculiar Delegate, and to
Mchmond Its own peculiar Delegate, must they be
taken from each respectively? The question could be
solved in no other way They were like circle with
In circle, fully distinct from each other They pre-
sent District within District, separated in their rem
he ala oil
to represent his domcie that man represented his
own domtctie, would 1t be according to the compact
where was the gentleman's domiciIe! In the CITY of
Richmond. He represents his family and his domcile
Should be sad that because had been for wears The
practice, should, although unconstitutional, be perpe-
1ated: IL was said that the language was the same
This he denied. AS far as he capable of under
standing his mother tongue, il was not the same
II the same language used as in the old
Constitution what necessity there for a new one |.
He contended that the Convention came here TO amend
the old Constitution.to reconcile all Earring interests,
and to confer benefits the people of Virginia And
he claimed fair share under the Constitution of
all the good it had effected while he was willing 10
bear his share OF the burhens of government Had the
Constitution made Richmond and Henrico one, In
speaking OF them, does 1t any such language as
could possibly connect heml In the which he
had before read 'any person may be elected member,
&c who is actually resident and freebooter i'm the
county, Sc leaving out the words '"cities towns SC I"
he would ask whether il in the power of the gen.
uenan, great as he was in argument to shew that his
residence was in the county Of Henrco?-Or whether
he could shew that he possessed the qualifications of
house keeper, head OF family, ax-payer? Where
did he pay his taxes?-At the county Office But the
people OF Henrico must pay their taxes In Richmond
Therefore that circumstance against him. The gen.
teman asked if language could be palmer than that of
the clause referred to- Mr.. c. could make it palmer
by striking out four words-"city, town and borough
and inserting cor election district" And he asked
whether the Convention ntimated that they would not
have inserted it. The gentleman had said that this
subject was not noticed in the Convention But he did
having considered this question for many long day-
call the attention of of the members to it, and re-
quest him 10 bring up. But they all knew how sud-
denly the Convention broke up. He knew not whether
II had been acted upon not; but enqurne of the
member afterwards, he informed him that il bad been
referred to committee, every member of which, said
that the language of the Constitution was so plain
was Impossible that such election could ever take
place under it, that which Mr.. c. was now contest
iDgthat il would be utterly impossible for any ndiy-
dual to be elected eu of his district The gentle
man to whom he alluded was Mr.. Clopton-and he had
his authority for ing his The reason given by
the committee for supposng this impossible, was found
ed on the principle that must represent his own
doniciie Now, where the domicile of the MEM
her from Henrico'-In Richmond. Is he representing
his own doictte? No. He neglecting as far as
he was bound TO serve the county. The county was
pleased to call on him for he was no volunteer But
had the people OF Henrco the right TO call on him?-
The gentleman had drawn a false inference from the
remark he had made yesterday that the interests of the
county and the city not the same. He did not al.
Jude TO their general interests for he had always adj
mitted that Hanover and Richmond had the same inter
est-and that Henrico and Richmond were bound still
cioser-that they united like man and wife. But
they must keep within their respective limits. He did
not agree with those who considered that il was favor
to the county TO be allowed to call Richmond fer a