Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-01
LEWIS COZ ITY


~ held a. the Court House thereof on the first day Of
January court, lcl2, motion of Lewis Maxwell
Esq, Alexander :. WRhers requested 10 net a.
Chairman, and Jonathan NJ. Bonnet. Secretary.
The meeting having been lhGs organized, on motion
Of Col John McWhorter, 1t was resolved, tilat com
miec of five te appo.nted by the char 10 consider Of
and report preamble end resolutions expressive oihc
sentiments OF the people q! til county on the SUBJECT
If the re.apporonment of representation throughout
The STATE. Whereupon, Col John AcWhorter, Lewis
maxwell, Cahel! Tayennet, Matthew Edmstou and
J. NJ Bennett, Esqs., were directed 10 compose said
committee Subsequently Col. McWhcr;er, from tho
committee appointed for this purpose reported for the
Iteration Of the meeting, the following preamble
aud resolutions:
We, the people Of Lewis county, view with feelings
OF deep regret tie inequality Of representation at PIE
sent existing this State. BY the Constitution Slr.
whc! is arbitrarily assigned certain number Ut Sena-
tors and Delegates anc 10 each county Is 10 like man
Allotted il, quota Of representations Viewed in any
aspcc; III which has presented itself 10 minds
we feel lmpelled 10 pronounce this apporonment un-
Just unequal aud oppressive, and brief recurrence 10
i frS sucls sal, think, sustain the assertion.
or The faur divisions Of Tie STATES two lie East Of
the Elre Ridge, and contained, accnrdn. u the Cen
sus ot ESQ., white population q jD9 olo souls line
remaining divisions lie West Of the range OF
mountains, and contained, according 10 the Cen
sus ike population Of 81 80 persons The Eastern
divisions are represented III the General Assembly, by
nineteen Senators and seventy eight delegates while
the Western districts represented By thirteen Sena-
tors and fifty delega,es,ihus giving 10 the Eastern
section of the State n majority IN the lower House Of
lweniy.wo Delegates and in THE upper House OF six
Senator's or JOINT ballot, majority Of tt0sntycigdt
votes: and ihs to-, when the white pepclnlon ii the
West IS greater han tina: Of the East. Can this lie
RIGHT: while such state Of things exists, all
equal Does each individual in the community su--
render and retain for the brnsft Of the whole, equa.
norton Of his personal rgh;Sur is 1t persons and not
propertv which The o. power and the iounda
lion Of governments We feel constrained 10 answer,
is not ripht-hat there is political equality exist
;np among us-and that property and not persons, IS
practically regarded the basis Of representation
But If representation r. now thus unequal and con-
seuucntly unjust how much more so will It become IN
the course Of few years. II the evil be not Eow arrest
ed Within ten years Counting upwards from lc30,)
the white population Of the Eastern districts mas &C.
creased in number 6i32; while under the late assess
ment their taxes have been diminished 81 $50. With
IN The same period the white population OF the Western
districts has increased % 27 and under the same as
sessucnt their taxes have been enlarged $50 -13 This
increasa Of population, well oitaxaom, has mainly
arson ~ fine els hany district and is this dis
,r,ct ioo that nearly all our nncultiva'ed lands he.
The facility with which iese lands may be procured,
and their great fertility, warrant the prediction mat It's
ruiure increase III population and taxation VIII be IN
an increased ratio to what Il he's ever yet eeen, white
,ha Eastern portion OF The State from lis comparative
,a-;ltv and conscauen; nrapacity 10 support dense
ponuIaiinn must decline still further. hat then VIII
he our relative political condition? Disguise it as we
nav ya shall be slaves to the two Eastern divisions Of
he commonwealth True, they now have the power
oc onnression in their hands That they have net ex
ERASED i more niurionsly, argues nothing II sufi-
Gent for Ms 10 that they may DO IT. and that u y
dr,v vhch ,yc oy.e 10 ourselves, 10 postc-l.y,
md 10 The cause Of equal political rights, to proven,
!, possble 70 this end, aPpea! Tor redress to The
General Assembly Of the Stae-we appeal 10 It's nag
nanimtyo lis sense Of justice aud propriety; and We
allure lis members by their love Of political liberty
and equality and by their adherence OF vassalnge and
DEGRADATION 10 dissnthral their brethren OF Western
riTrinia and 10 admit them to The participation Of equal
ooll,cal hts and privileges with The citizens OF tic
East; I'm, the rights and privileges which sc clam
may bc distinctly understood.
R,solrtd, That in Republican Government the
,eope are the fountain Of al power the proper basis
IF representation should be the free white population
If the State; ana that the substitution OF any other
would lie arlstocratical, arbitrary and unjust
R,soirld, That the proceedings OF th's meeting.
s;rned by lis Chairman and atescd by It's Secretary,
be forwarded to the delegate from Lewis and Btaxon
Counties to be by him submitted 10 the Legislature.
and that lie be his best cxertions TO
feet re apporoament throughout tie State, based
ercIusyely on lis free white population.
gs>o'red That the Enquirer and Wing Of Richmond,
and the papers Of Western Virginia generally, he re-
ouested 10 publish Tie foregoing proceedings.
9h, preamble and resolutions submitted by Col. dc
Wharton having been unanimously adopted, the meet
inc was then adjourned.
ALIEN s. WRITER'S, ctaHmen.