Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-05-20

grading political inferiority, which is alb
soiuteIy InsuHerable. Our eastern breth-
rem must be less acquainted with human
nature, and far less familiar with tho
feelings of freemen, than | supposed
hem to be, it they do not know that the
western people will not mu:h LONGER
submit TO their present political priya.
tons. hat pecuniary Embarrassment
which pervades the who'e country. has
Paralized their energies for n time, and
diverted their attention from the consid.
GRAFTON oltheir rights-but with the re-.
turn OF prosperity, they will bslgn to a.
rouse 10 this subject, like the moving of
many waters, and you might as well at.
tempt TO stay the current Of one of your
mighty rivers in its resistless course IN
the ocean as 10 endeavor to paciry them.
wita any thing less than equal re presen.
Vauon IN the legislature, the depository
OF The supreme pc yer OF the State, and
the Lody where laws are made affecting
the lives, liberties ana property of the
cItIz sns throughout the Commonwe wealth.
and al! the dearest, most interesting and
important relations Of life. RepreSen
taiion, under the present constitution. is
based upon no principle whatever: its
provisions IN this respect Ire anomalous.
the number OF representatives IN the
Legislature is determined by geographi
cal meets and Adult Is, Just as our farms
are bounded and defined. Inc Sta.e ia
constltutlonally severed INTO four diyis-
tons, Oh Of which is arbitrarily "a.
sigAed certain number of representa-
tiveS.
The two districts, east Of the Blue
Ridge OF Mountrins, arc entitled TO 10
representatives in the Senate, and 70 in
the House Of Delegates, while tho two
districts west Of that ri ge Of mountains
are entitled 10 only Is REPRESENTATIVES
IN the Senate and So in the ;Iouse of
eleGates-Ieaving the western division
OF the State in minority in the LegisIa
ture OF in the Senate, and 22 in the
House OF Delegates. This arbitrary ar.
arrangement places in the east the abso.
lutte control OF all the powers of the
Government, and the appointment of all
the public officers Of the State-it in
fact virtually DISTINGUISHES the whole
western DIVISION OF the commonwealth.
suppose, Tor the sake Of argument, thai
ms unequal distribution Of political
power, was just and proper at the adop
tion Of the present Coz stilution-bas il
continued so! Not unless the relative
conditions of the two granI divisions or
The State in all those elements. which
enter into and give right to represen.
tahon IN free State, should remain nm
altered. The fact is, thnt while the n,
tuTal boundaries have remained stable
ana VIII Continue IN their present posi-
tions forever, the relative conditions Of
the TWO divisions Of the commonwealth.
IN the respects alluded to, are continual.
~ nuctuatIn.g AT the period of the for
"alioh oil our present form Of Govern.
ment, the population Of that division of
virginia lying west Of the blue ridge Of
mountains consisted Of 3l9.5DS Wbita
persons, 5$ 1852 slaves, and SO freq
negroes. At the last census, taken in
lo4O, the white population OF the same
| portion OF the Stale was 37I.7I5-,be
slaves amounted 10 $3.50, and the rreo
negroes to 1888, shelving all increYSe
IN me West in the white population Of
oZ,257-In slaves 1877, and in freq ma
groeS l,2I5, While the population of the
Eastern division of the State at the Same
periods. was as follows; I'm 1874 the
white population was 375,947, the mum.
Der Of saves was 4l7,3I9, and the mum.
Oer OF Tree negroes was 4O,4I7. In
IotO, the white population amounts to
ooo,5l5 tho slave to 295. $50, and the
Tree negroes AZ 1873, showing in the
East a decrease Of white population oc
o,432, decrease Of slaves -, 900. and
an Increase Of free negroes 1866 Du.
ring The period which elapsed between
the two last asses sments fthe real nro
perty OF the commonwealth, the lands
vest Of the blue Ridge Of mopDlajns in.
ca easel twenty -four millions eight huDd
red aud eighty eight thousand six hun
ured and eighty eight dollars, while the
lands east OF the Blue Ridge Of noun.
taIns decreased in value nineteen mil
Iioes nine hundred and sixty thousand
tire hundred and fifty four dollars. Du.
ring the same period the land tax in the
western division increased thirty tbou
sand eight hundred aud ninety one dol.
lars, while the land tax in the eastern
division decreased S24,838. Wi;boyt
having examined the subject particular
/ ~ think | shall hazard nothing in
saying, that the taxes paid by the west
I upon the Other subjects Of revenue, have
increased,and those Of the East ,decreas
ed during the period alluded l0,in pretty
much the same proportions.
! Thus it will be perceived that while
The western division OF the State, since
the adoption % the Constitution. has
rapidly Increased ia wealth and popula.
uou-the eastern division has decreased