Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-11-18

last wear n Si4) more taxaoie slaves ts'a' =:
10 years old) than THIRTY oil lne counneI H.. -
Western Virginia! Yes. actually lnule G Ean
the counties OF Barbour, bra1lon, p,ooT Marian
Marshal Mercer, Morgan, Nicholas, Preston
Richie ravlor. TYLER, Wayne, Scott, Caoel'
Elovd Giles Grayson, Harrison, Lee, Monoh,
paIia Ohio Pocahonas, Randolph ana "oou
all ~ ,hese counties together having on
IL 3652 ,arable slaves whilst the county c o..
Cumberland alone contains 3,olo-ocins ,w We
more han ,bese thirty counties. Here, men, We
seo Tho u.hnle secret of Western opposition 70
,ha, Gaa,nre If our Constitution when oases any
annor,;ons concentration on white NUMBERS anu
slprss combined The fixed numbers assu,neu
in the Constitution as the proper ueiesa.'on
from each Of the four great sec'ions VI W. Jhsr'
operate The same result (neariy) d. an au"s.
ence TO the principle OF iederai h1 narass L
cordine 10 which IepIesen atioh III Son ',,h;ob
apporlioned Now, the very sa1ne .ea' S,.,es 70
dss;rs - eric on, of The Federal Constitution
Thai nr;nc;nle which apportons representation ~
CONGRESS- io white numbers and slaves, INV
slaves rating as three white men IN iheleaslns
n,,, renresen,,t;nn) causes our Western brethren
~ seel ~ ;n,rnducs into the Constitution me oa-
s;s nc uhne ,nuhers alone. IL is The ascenoah-
~ in Inc State The control Of the Legislature i"r
which thew Struggle. And il is very opsersaI
bic. a very striking fact for the considera'lol u
The East Thai The Western PEOPLE, in their asl'a
lion and discussion of this Convention ques'io.:,
THAT is of this subject oil representation ioi y
all one and the same win men, seen. ~ no
ate with i, the question OF me
nev ~ roads and other works oil Internal improve.
ment amone themselves Why, what does lha'
meant An "lbereby hangs tale" IL you, men
f,he E,st 40 moi see The connexion between thcss
lwo ,onics of Convention and appropriation %
money 10 Western roads, your more sag ~.
brethren of the West perceive tnat 'neS a. NJ
dred subjects, and in due course oil tihie, u ~.
succeed in their schemes, will make you Giscorel
and fsel The connexion. Then they VIII take so'ne
notice oil the tact that slaves are aoou' 49,
times more numerous with you man VIII ny. .n
and if they do not now think they are pioPe'
subjects TO enter as an element in The basis OF ~.
nre.en,at;on will they not be apt at least 10 think
ihev are a proper subject for taxation! Foi eve
~ dollar that YOU the poor master OF many SAVES
will nav the Western people will pay only ohe-ses
en,h of dollar. Would there be no temptation,
then 10 tax you through your slavess hstIu-
at,er The money shall have been raised oy TAXA
ZION what will the Western majority IN Inc L.
gislature do with in Spend il among yourselves
IF thew do. they will falsify what they are now
saving. for they say notr they Will take d. u'uSn
OF il as they want TO make their roaus. No" u!e
probability is, they are quite IN earnest IN .nt'l
declarations OF the use they will make OF lhe
power they hope so soon 10 have. LOON ID tne
number of bills brought forward Amos. annuails
in the legislature, by Western men, Tor appro-
nriatino money 10 their works. See The great ex-
element now prevailing among them on me SUD-
iect of Internal Improvement. Give them, then,
The command of the resources OF The Slate, ana
can any man doubt that heavy taxes would oe
laid and large appropriations made lor their DC
ne6,a If ali the West wanted was justice, she
would now be satisfied and quiet, instead OF being
in her present attitude of assault upon our con
stitulional rights. Lei the history OF The taxa,
ton and appropriations OF the State De snDinlueo
10 candid world and we fear mol The result, con-
fident as we are that 1t will appear thal me de
mands Of Justice have been exceeded, ana 'ha'
the course OF The East towards the West has been
and liberal. We will then say 10 our
Western brethren, that we have no farther conces-
sions 10 make TO them in the political distribution
of the powers OF the State-we yielded 10 them as
much as We could, consistently with our own
safety, in the last Convention-that we are not
ofany oppression, injustice, or llibeIa-
lily from ourselves towards them, and that as we
think the superior magnitude OF our burdens and
stake in the government entille US 10 control
ling influence in its councils, we must decline Inc
modest reoues, they make Of US to go into Con-
yenion with them in order that they may wresl
from us our legitimate supremacy IN The Stale
So long az We are true 10 ourselves we VIII never
Weld the mixed basis OF representation. Our
safety, nay, justice, so plainly requires IT. lhattven
if we were not sustained by the authority OF Inc
Federal Government, and the example OF many
of our sister States, We could not surrender it
We NAV fortiiy ourselves however, in our con-
victions of The proprietv Of adhering TO the mixed
basis, by referring 10 the conduct 81 other STATES
We will find many most respectable examples
which do not recognise white numbers alone as
the true foundation OF representation, but iedera
numbers in some instances, and in Others, the
amount Of taxes paid TO The Stale by the several
constituent bodies. Let US see: our sister and
neishbor Stale, North Carolina, in her amended
OF 1886, incorporated the following
provision: "The House Of Commons, (simllar 10
our House of Delegates,) shall be composed OF
100 Representatives, biennially chosen oy ballot,
10 be elected by counties, according 10 Their
federal population that is, according 10 their re-
adding TO the whole number OF free persons, in
GLIDING those bound 10 service Tor term OF years
and excluding Indians not taxed, Htc.fNas 81
all other persons"
And, faithful TO the true principles OF represen-
tatve government, We further perceive North
Carolina declaring, that in The election OF mem
beIs of the Senate, the amount OF taxes PAID by
the several districts shall constitute the basis OF
apportionment and representation. Here, Then,
the doctrine for which wecontend-that properly,
or taxes the exponent of property should enter as
an element in the basis OF representation is re-
cosnized in it's fullest extent. Again, in the
amended Constitution of South Carolina OF 1905,
we find this clause: 1.-THE House Of Represen-
,a,iyes shall consist OF lA members 10 be ap'
porlioned among the several elective districts OF
the State, according to the humber of,chie inhabi
tan,s contained and the amount OF all taxes raised
By The Legislature whether, direct or indirect. OF
Of whatever species, paid in each, &c Here The
old doctrine oil the Revolution-the doctrine OF our
great fo.efathers, and that which ever has been
The doctrine of Virginia, is adopted and made ne
ground work Of the government to wit that
representation and taxation should go tngeth-
er. Again, Georgia apportons and bases re.
presentation in her House OF Delegates on
white numbers, "and three-lhs OF all The
people Of color" See the seventh section Of her
MARYLAND, as amended in 1887, representa-
ton in The House OF Delegates is based on lede.
raj numbers-that is, on white persons and
three-6fihs ofthe slave population.-See the 10Th
section. Is there, then, anything novel in our
maintaining the mixed basis OF representation
Does il not characterize the constitutions Of our
sis.er States all around us2 Is there any reason,
peculiar 10 our own case, why we should reject III
On the contrary, are there not stronger considera.
tons with US, inducing an adherence 10 it, than
with any State in the American ConiedeIacy :
Are we moi as people less homogeneous in our
population, interests, sentiments, than any other
people in the Union Do We not in truth consli-
tute, unfortunately, two almost distinct communi-
ties7 Can any man deny lhis2 And is not The
bulk of the properly of the State, especially Of
one kind, and that though not the most productive,
the most convenient, to tax, found in one Of these
great sec,ionsl Is il mol clear, then, that il the
mixed basis of representation be abandoned, il
property be not represented, the section OF the
Stale mol having the property, and not paying The
taxes, will control the property holding and The
tax-paying section? Would n, this be viola
ton Of all just political principle, and being in
our case voluntary, would il not be an act Of the
most egregious folly the world ever saw?-