Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-04-15

tsacs Of the subject aud the greet which feel
called apon In common with The Western delegation to
maintsin ON this hoor Disguise u ns you may-uest ~
eh} ~ some eastern gentlemen would meet 10 ao' i-
question of paramount import, and must essentially
sheet the future welfare and destiny OF the va pomoh
Inc rcience eV'cfnmeh u o' .h Se'enees w. 'n
eresnng ana IMPORTANT LOT upon ne INJURY ana
uono Government depend ,ne seeunv "enafe, aho nap
pines. OF he goNefnso- eo'e'nn'en, inc apan wnioh
men throw around themselves LOT 'neir p'oecnon Upon
covcrnmeht aspenu' me security 0, me muuio," anu
mun'ar'oss ngn- anu INTEREST o 'ne oouy pohue-
"snoihg, ne"e'er' me importance OF government uu'
mooein aAys m nee'nfcceNeo niue OF no a'''n'
hnef me overthrow on me ancient repuohes, ,o' seies
o cenuheS uhin@Hup'eo oespousm. oo'n ou CIV, e t i
ssuen' pervsoeo Tue European eonunent unu e 10
" VIC Hn'eean ie,ou''on % i..o' @ ,;..I D..
,|s-nsoNeInen' wa 1870. ~ J, 49,, ,h, hs
large majority OF mankino, S'oP,an ~ ~ ~ -;
Ete" p'ihs'Pes OF e,'n n"eIy "au ~ s,.. h,a-
90 oy boeAe sho SUM-, MI ,.s - ,cSs. r..
y, "seuo'', u's .,J go aon.I 80. he "a, Rohcr
p.,ne'P'es WI r. -. :; , ~ H. arh;,r,r,
sI''nV'e' Suu ~ s, ~ ,.a .n,;n,.d .,J ,,..
oynssy % u ',. ~, ~ r.. o, n.,s,,on oS InJenen
49, WIEN the North American states n, eas, decided in
sI s .sa,.. ,.....a.,.,;s. 1....,nncn,- ,pa EN-,
b..,.d NO. ~. f,on, &c. Of ri, these
sa.r,sn,.I ,r,,hs,h., IN r,.n .r rc.,cd ,onol free
i 'Ss o., ii - .,.S ~ .nd ronsc
e"e '' Ivy, l', = w ~. 49, -. S ~, - ~
tue h. ~ ~ '....i s - ~ i 80, .n,r;,r and
ougn' 70 oe n.u'u'cu TOT 'pe o'',o ~ %
49,. ~ - .:,iJ =, - - .,si,. nry;l.,.s a,
,,,n.n. FINN, the commun,,v eYcep, in consideration
f nhl;c .cy,ce. These are the prior nos,uata of free
,yernmentth.v are the only bas,s which liberty can
rep with sec,rity: they are The which ycd the
friends of freedom in those dnys which tried mems souls
hev were recognized bv our fathers and ongbt TO be cher
ished by their posterity in all We casnot de-
mart from them, without endanrering the security
Tree Institutions We cannot rcpudiato them without DIS
nrIning the champions OF freedom
Mr. s,eaker-wo are now considering n bill reported
nv snrcia committee of This House providpg for the
call Of Conyention with the view of changing the orpau
ic law Of the State and in support of the BILL | have
,bongbt proner n ca. the attention of the House t those
elementary principles of liberty and declarations in our
hill Of rights TO which have adver,ed thai NAV hiring
our present constitution 10 the test of those touchstones of
must convince every mind that our present con-
stituon does not the primary principles bcr
W. and in its practical operation that il entirely departs
fo, the only te nr;ncples of ndinstra
non am not unaware that our present form of govern
rnent the work of great proceeded from OF
The most august bodies that ever probably ia the
United Stas-certainy that ever convened in the Com
of Virginia; and vet is beyond controversy
one Of the greatest abortons that ever omanaed the
counscs of the wise The reason is perfectly obvious:
MANY of the greatest men in the convention instead Of with
the Inagnanimty of Statesmen and Patiuts) framing
Constitution npon inst and liberal principles directed
,,,,s alone ~, the Concentration nf as much poical DOW
err possible east of the Blue Ridge of mountains will
NOT undertake 10 examine the various mperecons Of the
Constitution many Of which ably considered by the
numerous petitions which have been this House.
from various parts of the Western division OF the Snte
during the session. Most OF these deormhes are
admitted by all; and for the fact that eastern
gentlemen afraid 10 go convention lest they
should be shorn Of portion OF that absolute politi
cn power in the State, which they now hod III oerosa-
ton Of principle Of justice and reason, they, with uni
ted voice. would Join in the call OF Convention shall
conne myself the inequality Of representation under the
instrument This only peculiar 10 the vest
is Of this that the western people principally complain
and they will be satisfied until the evil is corrected
They now they unjusty deprived Of their rights
that they held in degrading political inierloriy,
which absolutely nsuerabe Our eastern brethren must
be less acquainted with human nature and lar less familiar
with the feelings Of reemen, than supposed them to be-
they do that the people will not much
longer submit their present political privnions That Pc
cuniary embarrassment which PerVades the whole country
has parazed energies for time, and diverted their
from the rat o
the of prosperity, they will beginto arouse to this
subject like the moving OF wates and you might as
well attempt to of mighty rivers
ressess the TO endeavor to paciiy
them with any thing than equal representation IN the
Legislature the depository OF the supreme poNet o. e
State, and the body where laws are mace aecus te Ve
liberties and property of the citizens throughout the Co-
monwealth and the dearest Interesting and impor
relations OF life. Representation, under tbs present
constitution based upon principle whatever ITS PToEl
respect anomalous: the number Of ePesen
in the Legislature is determined by geographical
meets aud abua farms bounded and Defined
The State consuonay severed into four divisions each
Of which is arbitrarily assigned certain number Of repre-
sentatyes
The two districts east of the blue ridge OF mountains
entitled TO nineteen representatives in the Senate
i'm the House of Delegates while the two districts West Of
thar ride of mountains are entitled only TO 10 representa-.
,;yos 10 ,h Senoe d 56 in tho House Of Deepaes leay
inc the western dvop Of the State in minority i'm the
Legislature of in the Senate and - in the House of Del
paes This arbitrary ARRANGEMENT places in the east the
nbslute control If all the mowers of the Government and
the nnno;p,n,en, Of al of the pube offices of the Stae-t
the commonwealth. Suppose for the sake Of argument
that This ,neousI distribution of polcal power was lust
and nroner a, the time Of the adopuon Of the present Con
sti,noo Hos :, continued sol Copld II continue sol Not
mics b Io,;s of tbe two grand divisions Of
tho S,at in ali bose Ie,ents which enter into and give
rigb IN renr.sentaon in free STATE should remain uu
ol,csoS IT, g., - ,ha, nil. ,be naturaI boypdores
have remained stable and will continue in their present
nosi,,ns fr, h r., i've ronJi,inns of the two divsons
If ,h o,sn,.aI, 10 ,S encs alluded 10 are con-
tinuny duetastng Al the period of the formation Of our
nres,t c of Gvsrnrnen the incubation of that diys
ion ~ v;,io j ,yes, Of fbe blue ridge Of mountains
consisted If 3ia 5os white persons of 53462 slaves and
323 free ns9es Attbe last census taken inl $40 the
white ponu,p M the same ortinn Of the State was BAL
715fbr slaves apouo,ed 10 "a GAG and the free neproes
10 53s sb.vvin an increase in the West in yybe no.
pula,n of 6Ctv Two thousand tgo hundred and thirty
feyen-in slaves 1877 and in free NEGROES one thousand
two hundred and fifteen while the population of the E,s
Zero division az tho sat-, NJ , s,rne peos ,v,s "a fol
ov In ls30 the white nonuIaon vas three hundred and