Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-08-18


Gus and unfounded. They feel that as
it regards their teilaw-cita OF The
East sufficient guaranty is furnished
them in the known identity OF our
property, our feelings aud our interests.
That to reject such assurance, and
to insist upon any equality Of proper
ty or taxation as the basis OF equality
or representation in the government.
is direct avowel Of the principle that
the personal rights ot one portion Of the
community are subordinate to the pro-
prietarg rights Of the other. Your Com
mittee regard tie final adjustment OF
this question as one essential to the
prosperity, lsapplness, and tranquility Of
the State. That such adjustment can be
accomplished bv the Legislative action
alone, year committe, after the most
calm and deliberate consideration. sup
pose to be hopulese. The experience vi
the past assures them that the rerledy is
not to be found in the acquescence OF
nearly two thirds Vi the Legi IN
the re-apportonment Of Of representation
aud, if resortet to, wlH be attended
with long, bitter, and frequent collisions
in our Legislative halls, calculated to
weaken our regards, impair our conliden-
ce in each other, and destroy the best IN
terests OF the commonwealth
Your committee, however unwilling
to assaiI the fundamental law Of the land,
and however they would have been graf
flied by reasonable hope that their gre
viences could be redressed under the
forms of the present Constitution, are yet
constrained to declare, as the result OF
their most deliberate judgement, that the
existing inequality is alone to be RENE
died bv recurrence to those fundamen-
tai principles which declare that the ma
jogity Of the community have lnailenabIe,
undeniable. and infeasabIe right to alter
Or abolish in such manner as shall be jdJg-
ed conducive to the public veal, a govern
ment 50 Intellectually secured against
NAL. administration and 50 subyersiye Of
republican equality.
Your committee are confident In the
belief that no party can war successfully
against the principle OF equal partition OF
equal power among all the citizens of our
Commonwealth, capable of exercising it
prudenlly, and that our cause. whatever
may be The obstacles that oppose it, will
be ultimately successful. 1t is not how
ever a contest in which we enter with
out a Just sense of the magnitude, danger,
and delicacy of the questions involved in
Tive propose, however, with calmn-
ess and kindness, feariessly to approach
it, with an abiding faith in the justice OF
cur cause-strong and fraternal love for
our brethren of the East-wlth flliai at
lection for the honor, renown. en-
tirely Of our good old Virginia-and with
the Sincere hope that our efforts will ter
inmate, as we desire, in wholesome and
salutary reform-Your committee beg
leave 10 submit the following resolutions:
Resolved, that a Convention should
be called to amend the Constitution of
Virginia, 50 as to equalize the reptesen-
tation between the different sections Of
the State, taking the free white inhabl-
tants as the basis OF such repi esentation.
Resolved, that committee Of
be appointed, whose duty it shall be to
prepare memorial to the General AS
sembly, praying the passage OF law for
taking the sense Of the qualified voters
of the Common wealth upon the question
of calling Convention to be based up
on the white population, for purposes Of
equdlizing the representation IN the Gen
eral Assembly; and such other purposes
as shall be deemed expedleut, and that
they do circulate the same throughout the
different counties Of Che State for sigma
lures.
Resolved, that be appointed a
Central Committee Of Correspondence
to promote the objects Of this Conven-
ton, and that they be authorized to APP
point committees of correspondence
throughout the Commonwealth for The
same purpose.
The following is the substitute offered
by Mr.. Becky Of Fayette:
Resolved, that committee be appoin-
ted by this Convention TO prepare me-
morlal to the next General assembly Of
this Commonwealth, praying that Homo
rable body, in terms btiitting treemen,
to adjust the representation OF the State
upon the basis Of the whole white p0pu-
| Iation, as near as may be. persuant TO the
5th section Of article III Of the amended
Constitutional, if that pc declined, to
pass law to take the sense Of the peo-
pie on the call Of Convention. upoA the
same basis, to alter or amend said Con
stitution, as may in their iuheEent rights,
to alter or amend their form Ct govern
ment, to them seem good.
| VETO MESSAGE.
To the House of Representatives. Of lie U.
| States:
t. -. \ .-...-4 Al. = I