Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-02-03
RE-APPORTTONMENT

Il " NLftRHtA HAB Y ~ $50 80 ffttf ~
praying for q Re-apporiionmenf of Re.
presentation in both branches 81 the Lee
gislatnre.
The undr rsigned, members or the Select
Committee, to whom was referred the me-
mortal OF certain citizens Of kanawha
county, and the resolution adopted at a
meeting OF citizens of Greenbrier county,
praying for a Re-apporiionment Of repre-.
sentafion in both branches OF the Legisla-
lure, dissenting from the report and reso-
luton Of the majority Of the committee,
have deemed the subject of sufficient inn
portance 20 justify them 10 explaining the
reasons Of their dissent. Proce, ding upon
that provision Of the Constitution which
authoriz s the Legislature, after The year
1871, to r~e-npportion Representation
throughout The Commonwealth, the ma
jority recommend ga Re-apportionmeni Of
Representation in both branches ofthe LIE.
gislature, based on the number disqualified
voters in the several constituent bodies,
to be ascertained by a just ratio in REFER
encc to white population" At present
the legislative power is distributed so as
to give to the &c counties lying west OF
the Allegheny Mountains 81 delegates I;
TO the Id counties lying between the Al
leghany and the Blue Ridge OF mountains
90 delegates; To the 30 counties lying
east of the Blue Ridge of mountains and
above tide water AZ delegates; and to the
counties, cities, towns and boroughs lying
upon tide water SO delegates. The for
nation Of the Senate gives ID members to
the western division OF the State, and 10
members to the eastern.
According to the plan proposed the 90
counties lying west Of the Allegheny will
receive AZ delegates the Ia counties ly-
ing between the Allegheny and Blue
Ridge will receive 25 delegates ; the 30
counties lying east of the Blue Ridge ard
above tide water will receive SO delegates;
and the counties, citits, towns and Dor.
oughs lying upon tide water will receive
81 delegates ; whilst the western division
of the State will receive l6 members of
the Senate, and the eastern division l6
members.
If this plan obtain, IT is obvious that the
present system will be wholly discarded,
and the p~repoBderanco OF power now held
10y that portion OF the State lying east Of
the Blue Ridge will, at once, be transfer.
red to the portion which lies west thereof.
A proposition which contains such a vi.
client innovation upon established order,
which involves, directly, the voluntary
surrender and transfer by a community Of
SO large a mass of political power, to gain
acquiescence, must be supported by the
most convincing proofs of its justice. Es-
pecially must it be thus supported when
urged by those who do not participate
equally in the great stake which is the
subject of that power, but, to no little ex-
tent, possess a diversity Of interests from
those by whom the surrender is to be
made,
II, however, the advocates Of the plan
can support its pretensions by ir%refragable
proofs of its justice, it does not become US
TO turn a deaf ear to their voice. In a
spirit, therefore, Of fair enquiry, with a
disposition to be just. the Undersigned will
proceed to an examination of the facts
and arguments on which the majority
found their resolution.
The question to be considered is, in
what proportions the legislative power OF
the Commonwealth shall be distributed to
different masses of those on whom the
constitution c%onfers the right OF suffrage?
Abandoning the exploded notion that there
is in the law of nature an original princi-
Pile which gives to a majority a right to
control a minority, the report claims Tor
all qualified voters a right TO equal parti-
cipation, in the exercise Of the Legislative
power, from their equal participation, in
respect Of qualification, in the elective
franchise !; and 1t declares that no good
reason can be shewn upon the principles
OF our popular government, why the vote
OF one qualified citizen should have more
or less weight in the conduct of public af-
fairs than the vote Of his neighbor, or
rated by conterminous boundaries, or by
mountain. valley, waste or stream"
If the right of suffrage was regulated
in subordination TO both personal and pro.
pretary rights; that is to say il the num-.
Der OF qualified voters in the different men,
ucrS VI tue community was HIuuC W ucui
a relative proportion TO the aggregate in.
terest Of the whole, the proposition of the
majority might be allowed. Persons and
property are alike the elements Of society
and the subjects Of legislation, and entitled
alike to protection, and in such a regula-
ton Of the right Of suffrage, upon the plan
of the majority, both would enter as ele-
ments into the basis Of representation, and
protection would be thereby afforded to
property, which cannot be any thing short
of a direct influence in the government.
Or it might be allowed if there existed
throughout the body polite an equality or
identity of interests. But it is obvious
that the same would be true Of the basis
of taxation alone. Because il the number
of qualified voters furnished the measure
Of wealth, il would be Indifferent whether
the one or the other was adopted whether
representation was apportioned according
to the number of qualified voters, or to
taxation, or a combination of both and
if in such a condition OF things, the num-
Der Of qualified voters bore a fixed pro-
portion to population, it would be equally
Indifferent if representation was appor.
toned according to population alone.