Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-08-11

Brooke. Ohio, Tyler, Wood and Kanawlia,
some OF the most populous counties i'm the
West, gave in all for this constitution but SO
votes,
The people justly considered it unjust and
lnlqmtously oppressive, not onlya at that time,
but to all future time; becoming yearly more
and more So The first oppression and the
greatest lniquity in the apportionmcnt was in
dividing the State into districts II, all, further
than Tor the election of one or two members,
then the re-apportionmcnt could he made as
occasion might demand, without infringing
upon the privileges of any body or portion of
the legislature. Had the apportionment
among the different districts been at that time
exactly in proportion to the white population,
the system would have beeuno better, because
1t would still place it out of the power of any
one district, which might increase i'm popula-
ton at "a future period, TO obtain its Just rep
rescntaton III proportion to the Others as TO
gam 1t, the privileged portion would be called
upon voluntarily to yield their privileges. A
county which has but one representative and
has acquired population enough to entitle her
to two, may get the representative, from the
Tact that so little is to BE- gained by the refusal
20 act from n sense of Justice but who. for a
moment supposes. that the Tide Water district
VIII consent to lose any of her Sc representa-
uves or grant the western district 40, while
her W interest, sustained by a constitutions
al provision, points to all opposite course
No, the principle adopted by this division is
wrong. and anti republican, although at the
time, 1t may be made strictly on population.
Is there any strong line of demarkation be.
tween the different sections? Is the fact of
residing above Tide Water, east or west of the
Blue Ridge, on the Ohio or on the Atlantic a
good and sufficient reason why a distinction
should be made in the grant oflcgislative pow
cr! III so, then the fact forms good ground for
a separate state government. If the west is
not capable of self government, and il is not
granted 1t then the west is in a state of colo
NAL dependence and deemed unworthy of a
lair and equal association, and either deserves
the fostering care that a territory or colony
deserves or separate and distinct government.
Colonies and territories are generally refused
a representation i'll full but the expenses of
their government are paid for them by the
power which holds them in subsection. Not
so with free, liberal, democratic Virginia
She holds her western colony in subsection,
denies her representation, taxes her in full in
proportion to her population, kindly calls on
her sons to defend her in war and aid her in
building her palaces in peace, and yctexpends
nothing upon her or for her benefit. A thou.
sand dollars worth of land is taxed as high in
Marshall county as i'll Accomac; a merchant
or a tavern keeper pays as high tax i'll Vince
ling as in Norfolk a horse suffers under as
heavy a levy in kanawha as in King George;
all OF which goes into the state treasury, and
becomes subject to the appropriation of men
whose whole interest points 10 its expenditure
In the east or on works calculated for their
benefit and conforming to their views.