Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-04-28

RIGHT OF srFFRACE-c oRPoRATGRs vGrfSG' ks,
Is Tie Rtght Cf Suffrage rested In tic members Of GOy
0titc aud Corporate, incOrpOrGtcd to 7s,anUfarture
goods, aaTes, or ne5chHndi=e; 10 mike TurnpLe Road
Rt Road on Canal to Tqisc Coat for sale and trans
POTdtt0R; 10 mine for G0id; 7ac or manufacture
Iron, TIN, Brass or Lieut. to raise Slate or Stone far
safe; or TO tend ont money! and deaL Bank; for
any oM% purpose, reqtrtng the use md possession Of
lands or iots; and for ioch they tpay uadr tie net of
Incorporation, be used and poSseSscdP
In considering tins question, ought rather TO deli
beTate ana determine as viruous Statesmen than as
heated qulbbling politicians For mutabc az
fairs OF nanknd-so astne the perceptions and sleep
less the eyes of ardent politicians all times that no
opening, however small, ought TO exist in the Insttu-
TONS OF Government, through which improper power
may be exercised by the few, over the nanv or the
strong over the weak We have seen, too in the hiso-
~ Of Governments, that men al most unvcrsallv who
attain power over community, State Nation aeainst
common right Or general sense of Justice are seldom
scruPuous OF the means 10 sustain it, While settling
ue principles OF TINS question, not merely to
guard the rights OF few citizens, they now exist
Dut 10 take care that we do not open door by which
party once seated in power may pcrpetuae il a Mica
sure, or do Other wrong 10 the Commonwealth. And
above all we should never forget that what has been
done, and tolerated or justified will be repeated as often
as occasion may require or ambition dictate it,
ii tie right Of Tie Stockholders of a corporation Co
vote on lands held by the corporations be- granted At all
II IS admitted on al hands that that grant xsts some.
whore IN the following clauses, quoted from the Consti-
tution TO wit
Ql"And cyery such citizen, Icing possessed or whose
tenant tor years at will at sucrance is possessed
%.
Eve dollars and assessed 10 be- if any Assessment
" thereof be required by llw"-(2) a. And every snob
cizcni being possessed tenant in common iont.te
naht or Prcencr Oi an intcTcsin share Of land and
having estate OF freehold therein such interest or
share being OF the value Of twenty FIVE dollars aud SO
assessed TO be, 1t any thereof be rednrcd
by law (3) And every such citizen being entitled
" TO Teyersop or vested remainder in fee cxpectant
on estate for life lives in land Of the value Of 6f
ty dollars, and assessed 10 be- If any Assessment
" thereof be requircdby law &c shall be- entitled 10
vote The citizen is 10 be "whe male citizen Of tho
Commonwealth, resident therein aged twenty one wears
aud upwafds"
Thus, it will bc seen, that the Constitution intends
that the citizens voting shall be nafnraL and not 0rff
tiat pcrsOns For; they must be- ,che mule citizens rcs
aeats ~ The Commonwealth, and Ggcd tieeRfg-One mars
Corporations are 0rtcia persons, created by law to
snbservc alone the purposes Of their creation and fhev
arc either aggrtgae or soic. OF the latter are Deans
Bishops, &c in England II is however Of the former
kind we have to speak corpoaiions composed Of many
natural persons These natural persons become parts or
parcels Of mere artificial person, body polite for
which, the law provides name aud seal and l,v which
this body acts one bcinq.
II IS not therefore possible that a coyDoraffoa M
eregats can vote IN is corporate character because il
cannot he said 70 be ohic male citizen 0Qed f,cepfy
one years The natural persons, Of which ii is conpo
ed may be OF oil colors ages and sexes and be citizens
| and subjects Of all countries
corporation aggregate authorized 10 hold land NAV
take and enjoy, during The term Of its existence The
highest estate therein, known 10 our laws a fee sim.
ple or, It may take less estate for torn Of wears
But tins would not constitute in the artificial person
freehold believe, however, that aI the existing cor.
poreioDe, where the right 10 vote on stock has heeu
clsimeS have purchased Che ccsinN lc estate In Ill
aaas and lots upon which their works haye been erect