The Arkansas advocate., 1835-12-04

including Pulaski thirty-ihree to the South and East. In favor of this amendment, Mir. Walker of H., with much zeal and elo- quence argued the rights of the South to have her stares represented i'll Convention,
 and o iiA iii ihhe ihh ratio of representation in
 the State Legislature three ffths of the
 slave slave population. This dnetrine was ar
 gaed out of doors by many other members from that division of the country with appa-
 rent earnestness and zeal. Among these
 were Messrs. Clark of Chicot, Lee, Taylor,
 Buzzard, and others. With these ominous
 signs of an intention to fix upon the freemeB
 of my country d representation of slaves, 1 felt bound te oppose Mir. w. amendment,
 and to sustain the original bill, which gave each grand division an equal number Of members. Mir. W.'s amendment was first adopted, then supplanted by another, and finally by another agreed upon by all par
 ties by way of compromise. This compro-
 mise was fixed upon the basis of the first bill introduced by the committee, increased 10 flly-two members, and gave twenty six
 members 10 the North and West, and the
 same number to the South and East, inclu- ding Pulaski with her old boundaries; thus
 leaving the grand divisions equally balan- ced, ami the people fee to determine 6! the
 polls whether they will have slaUe repre- ] sentation, or a district representation which IS in substance the same thing, or a repre-
 sentaiion of freemea. In the whole progress
 of this matter, acted according to my best
 understanding for the interests of nay con-
 stltuents, my county, the present seat off | 4k. IL [
 freemen generally. My doctrine always
 has been this--that aH political power IS ip
 the people; ttat oil free eshite men, hoacerer
 ysch or poor, are equal; and that no man, acigh6ofhood or ceatntg, is entitled 10 lar- ger ssaanber of ootes or eretusiue priuileges,
 because they happen 10 haze more apeaifh,
 lphetiteT in fund or negroes. l believe that 1 the poorest white man in Pulaski, White, or Saline, Is entitled to the same political 1 weight as the cotton planter or land speeula- tor on Red River or Mississippi, with his fifty sections of land, or his hundred slaves; and that the stock raiser on Little Red Ri- yer or Saline has as much right to represent his horses or his cattle IT the Convention, or III the Legislature, as the negro driver in the South has to represent his slaves; and that tte oaty true basis ot representation $ tbe people themselpes- not their property. And if honored by you with seat in the Convention, these principles will govern my conduct on this subject; always acting with an eye single to the interest, first of my constituents and counties, then of the whole community.
 There IS another subject of great import ance to you that ii would be my first care to eeure-that of the permanent location of the seat of the State Government at Little Rock. This place possessing as tt does every advantage over every other point, for the convenience of the whole country, being in addition to other advantages, central, must always remain the Seat of Govern meht Its claims are so pre-eminent that am slow 10 believe that any man. even the 1 most visionary theorist, in his sober senses, ever dreamed of any other place for the Seat of Government. But still it would be well to make il permanent by the Constita- ton, while the powers of the csMstry are equally balanced.
 To hx the manner of taxation would al- | so be with me matter of great importance. | 1t should be prescribed by the Consultation. 1 l am in favor of each man paying a tax in ] proportion to the value Of his property, whe- ther Il be land or negroes.
 l am also opposed in principle to pro- perry quaiacation for office. Neither hon. esty or talents Is to be measured by the number of acres man may happen to own. Let mans merit, to be judged of by his fellow citizens, be the only criterion of legal or constitutional qualification.
 Fetlo,c Catzens-l had hoped that after the determined stand made by you in Au- gust last, when you not only sienced the battery but spiked the guns of the enemy, that small swivels under mask would cease to play upon me. Butt appears that there are yet yipers in the grass, unwilling to let me pass on by merit, or retire in silent na- eect. as the voice of the people might decree. The cause which advocated. ! being that of the people themselves, could ! nol be openly assailed. They would make i me the victim of the slanderer's insinna- ting whisper. The fact of my having small interest Tn some property on White River has been seized as the foundat,on of the story; and they would in shor. time make me no longer citizen of Little Rock, but of Independence county. This fact Is too trIfiing, and the story really too contemptIble to notice. But it is true that had an interest there; and ii is equally true that have already disposed of the greater portion of it, and intend as soon as practicable to dispose of the balance. and Cfanp pogafr tf ,H,sl l.tst-