Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-28
misht he allcwtd Il lhere eNi.lc thronrhoui ihe

not " - opNous that the same would be trae OF the
| basis OF taxation alone Because n the number II
qualified voters furnished the measure Of wealth. /,
YOU he Indifferent whether the the other
was adopet; whether teufesenf alton appor,.on-
co according To tie number ot qualified voters or Co
taNnuon, or combination OF both, aud if IN such
condition Of things. the number of qualified voters
bore liked proportion to population. Il would he
equally indifferent il representation appo1tioned
| according tn population alone. Upon either ratio
t'ch portion or meMgcr o. the community would
enjoy " Just participation IN tho legislative power,
eseh o the great interests, on. of which the Is
composer, would be secure IN that protection
mai To each. and which it is the duty Of government
10 afford. But the right uf suffrage regulated,
and being established bv the fundamental law, II Is
not within the power Of the General Assembly To
moody u. Whilst, however. y is admitted the mum
| oe' OF qualihed voters In each member of the
community - not fair exponent of the wealth
OF each member 1t is, nevertheless, supposed
10 near some even proportion 10 the number OF
Whic inhabitants NJ cgcf rni accordingly y -
ny reference to the census of population that the
telnpoitonment IS proposed tn he made. IL
VIII thus he seen that the Ques ion is brought
directly before ne, whether representation shall
10 based on white population exclusively -
lhe investigation which this question received At
.he hnnus OF the able states ncnw who composed Que
late Convention, siaiar TO Az and in the opinion oS
the Undersigned ,ende' unnec -sssry sry argument
on their part ~ show that, IN community like ours
"hete the different members are separated by ma
tlrAi an almost npassahlc b1rri-E possessing in
forests diverse ant ccnst to each other, where
important rights Of peculiar character predominant
N onn. whilst t-ey arc O. secondary cors squcnee
ln another, where the ratio OF contribution by each
~ INC common tund beers No proportion to their
population, no basis OF representation can be ius'
eq"o' aud snf', which Il - ro' r,-ocriz,, m SINE
rm taxation rs one OF us clements. THIS pr rcip'e
which the ma ,ritv deem 81 anomalous N the con.
>ttutnn nj rnuulir Governments. and which they
declare would find few advocates lift were an origin.
a. qheStlon, ant unTAIerced ~ tho events of ear
er Peuojs the underSsre believe to lo Vt the oun.
JET 'n o aUifce governments, 10 bc necessary II
cure that government "whch Is cirab bic OF PRODUCING,
the creates, decrcs 1T happiness and -n5etv end -
most 'u-ctuailV secured against the danger Il mai
! ad'niu STATION Instead ~ teins an anomaly Il
! mus examines m the constitutions Of several Of
our sister States, and IN that oi the United States
! In south Carolina the representatives. are nnoor
TONED anon. The V,ril election Districts OF the
state, 'accor'i"s 10 the nu uhcr of white inhabi-
i'nts contained ard the amount o. OH taxes rai,ed
| ny the L-Sis allure, pal IN each dccuc,in- the-e-
/ from al taxes pod or account of proncrtv held IN
any otner di>tr',i and adding thereto all taxes
tSeNne-e pau on account of property held in such
i - 'Fei, In Norh Carolina Representation m the
senate IS I'm proportion to the plhlic faxes r,,d
| iAto lie Treasury o, the State" and nm the bouss
/ Of com mons according to federal nunbers Fadber
researches II is believed would multiply these ex-
/ amp'es.
/ In tie corvcn on which framed the federal roo.
S'iiui'o7, It conienjed the, rcrrtsen,,,io,
Nhop'd %, npportoned amongst the States arcoriip,
10 "er respective contributions, ami II WAS insis ed
hat the justice o. tl,s rge 50 obvious as no, In
admit of contradiction. But the ruc was ,ic. mod t,
of impr'ciicfh.e. hrcsus" the revenue nisht 10. so
CO rctcd by 'ne Genera Governmcn, that thc Sp,,,
rcspcc rely drawn tom the States would no, orr,,r
/ -nt No-iI ofSiieS be continuity ~ vi0s. Hlithr
rate ofc 'ut button tDr each y itr been sre f,ii
and nNe1 tH~-s could have been no ,'tv ~, don't
nc Thar as Zoe measure oi the represents ton of.-cs
/ or h'd tr population Of each ttTssari a fair r,e,
sue on 'n" ~r''tn 81 each, there could have h,rn
MS te fiih '-iY 10 adopting tie latter as tls me,
L d nHraa Ha frr-f
the second rs untrue, n,ihcr was received s the
me 'SlTc. bli w.t1 view 10 luproximitc ruuaI
/ W 'nd obtain some ralo that would be ulster
exponent OF the wealth Of each Sfnfc the basis Of
irut.a. uumucr- was edup'et, whereby the rerr.
sen''Hon o. each State VS. 20 be determines. "bv
ldi'c 90 %" whole numhcrc Il Tree persons. includ
in- nose onr0i n service Tor term Of wears ard
* ic'rc l,daus rot iaS-d, three ffhs Of oh o her
P.5S'Hs' And ct this time more than iicc- sersnfks
o. 100 Io"et winch w. possess 90 the Popular o. anch
OF the national legislature - derived from ST. We
ms frncinc has ever been held dear Ivy the n-,-
/ r.co- gas commonwealth In the form If a repro-
.-iaton by counties II received the sanction of the
''>'cofs.i-iii'n anu The pltro-s ard Statesmen Of
/ orr UrHcr Gays More recently in our own i'm.
Il was more sig"''y illustrated In the pr,yi, ons oi
J. '' aiheried constitution For, notwithsf,ni,.
a'1orunS ID ihat INSTRUMENT, the legislative power
IS lstlpNie. m apparent arbitrary proporti,,.
between coria'n geographical divisions /, Is ,cf lam,
'nat tne Hl'Hpnrcn eplfoI mated very nearly the
s.-.- 'i ''in-S 'r't would have been given bv the
e,monrd fa'in OF population and tixoton. And
atNioL-h TIE scheme WIS objectionable Drr,u., =,
dli ro' contain that comnens,ting ou,I.,v ,yb;-f
Wo'd ncc'mm"o'ie % 900 $40 time To the ,hiitin., In
le'c''a OF ne state, D. bad as foundation in p-ir-i
pea P'lnr''- winch respects tlle safety of the
vas proprietary rights OF tHe community and co,,.s
down 10 ms consented by time and The Nod ~
Tue revolution, 50 long cherished by our peoDle in
cred. ''1 -
when tho present system was established, i, wa,
/ eera'ny ioreseen that however jus, and proper
them IN progress Of time Il would onernfe unaou,l
lyi and for the purpose of its modification 81 s 10
secure thereafter equal justice To- al the General
Assembly was empowered. ''nfter the wear IsII
ana ~ intervals thereafter of not less han ten wears
two thirds Of e'ch house concurrns to make ra,n
por;iouments OF DELEGATES and Senators ,b,o,sk',
the Commonwealth" Whatever onini,, -, -
entert'lnsd Of tho extent Of authority thus confe,,
upon the Legislature, the undersigned do moi hoe;
tte 10 declare rs exercise NJ this time so nj, ., a.;
turb the principle established by the Constitpt;,,
10 be ~ the highest eI'remr iurxpcico, and ,pi,,s
IL does no. oomnort wh the spirit of our ns.ituon
OF 'he h1n' ~ "l our peopc, 10 tolerate important
changes IN the fundamental law upon sl,L, Go,
sions, orcNcep; m pursuance orthe direct outboi,
o. their VIII. That the change proposed i. ~
ian', none VIII deny. and that % has mot be., do.
m.nded by those whose intc-ests arc more mn.
d'icig concerned, IS equally true
WINS, the undersigned are Of orintoo III, 49,.
inir1c'ion by the General Assembly under ev,s,.,g
cir-umst ancrs, q the principle Of reores.,t,,;,
cs'ah''-her 10y Inc CONSTITUTION. would lao ,o no.,
woU1nnbln exercise OF the mower conf cd IN d, l
therefore 10 be avoided they do not bovev.r
hesitate 10 declare that any moIifc,,ion ,r ,bc
prc-"nt Grcor; 1nmcn corr.c inc incqn,I tie tbc,o
80 ihat may have sunervcncd since tie system, ,,-s
e-t1usnfd. falls fnuly within i's p,ovinre .r5 #
ony such inequality IS found 10 exist il Is the d
~ of the present Assembly. ACCORDING In the ,,re
intent md meaning of tho Constifn'on 10 ror,rct
D.. With these PRINCIPLES 10 guide them. the under
signed have devoted their mos, nnxious ,ttcn,Ioo -,
the important subject They hive most c,rcfr!.,,
examined the het. cd lucsd ~ the advocate. or The
ch1nge, md bad reference n such o.ber source, NJ
niprma'ion os promised 10 niI them in tbeir ,c,ic
ration w 1929 the tl1.cs of the Aud tor roror,,d
10 Inc Conv' nt1n, o.tim1'cI the white nonnin,ion
east o. The us lltge of mountains NJ 3GD 7f5 end
| NE "h'e pbpu.''t"n w'st thereof, n 800 5I6 At
that time, the eastern counties contributed 10 3D.,
common fond s2Ji,G97, and the western sgO.732.
According, therefore, o. thc m.x.J b1s,s Of ponu,
ton md thy ''ion. 90 House OF 49, and n Senate
OF ~ me lcrs, The eastern counties were entitled
I ~ - lO DrIer1'es md 10 go Senators and Inc
western % 80 10 DELEGATES, and u TO Senator
~ TIE In7' cco7u7 The white population eeet of t1o
I Blue R'dso oi mpur1ins was $50 $40 the am,
population sec % thereof WIS 81 rs IT, 1911 the
] cast PAID OF The public revrnue Sl26 SD o.. The
west pad $780, 3' GO. Npw, according 10 the
same basis, tne chftis entitled % Is - Defeo,t.s
and - 1913 Seniors, and the west IN 80 3 Is
Delegates and - 3-lJ Senators; giving 20 The tr,rs
Allegheny district 81 Delegates, 10 the Valley %
10 the Piedmont district ~, and 70 tho Tide votrr
-. From these statements it results thar tho n,
pIrionmen' made by tho Convention of 1879 dc