Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-12-11

liberty and concession. Without
this spirit, rely upon it that nothing
will be accomplished; section will con-
tend against section, and the common
wealth will continue to be what it has
been, Impoverished By the Gerry multitude
|of its blessing.
In relation to the funds which any
Legislation upon the subject may re-
quire,I respectfully submit it as a sug-
gestion, that they may be obtained, in
a great and perhaps sufficient degree,
by single recurrence TO the rate Of
taxation which was fixed by the reve-
nue. law Of March, 1843. Had the
rate then established been continued,
it would have produced upwards Of a
hundred and sixty.three thousand dol
liars more than the revenue of the pres
ent year, which, itself is sufficient to
pay off'all the current expenses of the
fGovernment, with an estimated bal
ance over on the first of October next,
of some two hundred thousand dollars
besides. Or if the revenue law Of
1874 had beeen continued without
tehange, upwards Of one hundred and
sexen thousand dollars over the umonnl
of the present year, would have beer
brought into the treasury. Should il
be deemed expedieni, therefore, for the
purpose in question TO re-enact even
the rates of that law, you would have
annually atyour disposal, a sum moi
less than two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars; one half of which might
! be used as IN interest-payment fund
upon which to raise the capital requir-
| ed for the execution of the work inten-
ded, and the other as sinking fund to
aid, if need be, in the redemption of the
principal.
| STATE CONVENTION.
The subject of calling Convention for the
purpose Of revising and amending our State
Constitution, has engaged the public mind TO
so great an extent for several years. and espe-
caly for the present one, and is itself enforced
by SO many Considerations Of political exreden-
cy and justice, that | should be wanting in a
due sense of official duty, if | failed to recon-
mend it to your calm, wise and patriotic delhi
Grafton. There is no other subject with which
your present legislation is concerned, that puts
into issue SO wide measure of public anxiety
or in which the general welfare is more DEEPEN
dant upon just and well considered counsels.-
( I Of tr nr1y ,,ravaI and no f;NE-
ed out by their results. and it may be confident
" hoped that the common interest and brother
hood of the State will be relieved from the
the general princi pies of our political system be
better than ever maintained
Great as was the ability with which our first
Constitution was prepared, and great also as
were the experience, learning and virtue which
were employed in the amended one that was
afterwards adopted, there are, nevertheless Ger
tain provisions in both Of them which have ne
yer been satisfactory to large portions OF our
people. because, in their judgment, inconsistent
with those princi pies of equality and justice
which it was the main object OF both to esiab-
fish. From the first hour of their appearance
in the amended Constitution, which was eX-
pressly sought for to correct them, they have
been complained Of and resisted, and hence
they have again and again been presented to
your own body. as involving grievances which
it was hard to leave and hazardous to prolong.
In all this we see only the spirit Of tree PEG
pie resolved upon removing from their funda-
mental law, as far as they can affect 1t, every
real cause of injury and discomfort amongst
them, and of rendering it the revered and per-
manent instrument of the highest wisdom, JUS
tee and beneficence. 1t is TO this equitable &
salutary end that their efforts are directed and
IN order to conduct them regularly and with
out objection, you are now appealed to by an
immense body of petitioners to unite with them
so far as to give the sanction of a law for that
purpose. These, on their part. complain. that
the Constitution is defective; that its defects
are such as to aggrieve them; that The only
full and adequate remedy which can be had for
these defects is ina Convention of the people );
and. so complaining, they respectfully request
the passage OF a low which shall enable the PEG
pie themselves to determine, by a direct vote,
whether in their judgment, the defects alleged
are such as ought, or ought not to be enqured
into, with a view to Ultimate constitutional re-
dress. This is all they request. One
portion of cur people object to the Constitution
as 1t, whilst another approveit as it is; the OBJ
jecting portion, propose, in this case, to settle
the difference between them by consultation &
vote. and, in order to do 50, they come to
you who are the common and confidential a
gent Of both parties, and desire. on behalf OF
both, that you will supply them with the ne
cessary means. Can you refuse? Is there
any one principle of representative duty which
will require you to deny an application like
this +? Is there any one which viii authorize
You TO interpose between the actual parties to
the government. and say TO them, that they
shall not, with your consent, have any confer
ence whatsoever with each other, nor declare
any direct opinion whatsoever upon a subject.
the whole of which. with one single exception,
they have absolutely reserved from your action
and retained for their own? Nay, looking to
far lower ground Of obligation and duty, it
may be emphatically asked, whether there are
any considerations Of political expediency even,
which can demand Of you to override and re-
pulse this request? Were il competent for the
Legislature 10 act finally upon the subject mat
tiers to which this application relates, the case
would be entirely different. But as it is not.
as It can do no more than take the initial s,en