Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-10-09

4.
womb nrpIe, 10 see This Stale divided, because ~
feared Inc West would impose unjust taxes "
The slaves II the gentleman will adhere 10 .n'
RepnbIican doctrine he esponses on all o'ie
questions. he need have no ears oil lnlns'ice noi
The Wesl The gentleman is unwilling 10 ius
the qualified voters Of Virginia On this ques'lo'
Of Convention and The basis of organization, ah'
he is afraid Of The people. | am moi. | nel'eV'
them capable OF selfgovernmenl; ana "neu 'nI
call upon us To pass law merely suoil'.''nS WV
question OF Convention or no ConVenllon " 'iI"
selves feel myself bound to carry our inc w'.ne'
OF the people in ascerIaining Inc VIII VI ''e III"
jority on this important question. ,.-:,.
The gentleman from Halifax, in his distIiou
lion Of political power throughout Inc ola'e
seems more concci ned about The taI on slave pro
perry. Than The security OF the personal liberty
The citizens. The bill he advocates, gives Int
minority of The voters OF the Stale more power u
The Convention than The majority; ana ms mi
norily will have power 10 frame Constructor
based on the same arbitrary principles which now
exist. with power not only 10 tax slaves, OH, al
other kinds OF property, and 10 pass laws auec
| ting The liberty and lille of majority. Inc Sc
curly of personal liberty deem lar more impor
IAN, than mere TAX on slaves and a ii other SUB
pcts OF taxation combined. The doctrine advo
Gated by The gentleman is anl.republican, ant
must soon vanish from our land under the in1u
ence of the beamng light Of reason and The eter
nal principles oil justice. Let US imagine a
Legislature based on the minority principle meet
ing in time OF war, passing laws 10 sail out Inc
militia /, repel the invading foe, and behold Inc
brave mouniaineers vt The West leaving lheii
wives, their children and homes, pouring down N
thousands 10 your assistance, and standing siue ny
side with The eastern volunteers: hazalding theii
lives in defence OF your wives, your homes aho
and treasure in driving back The enemies OF oul
country. Meihnks see you hail with joy these
Western Virginia volunteers; here The soldiers
OF The East and West stand together, sharing dan
ger in The field of battle on tsrals 0f equality, ano
sharing alike 10 glorious victory. In The houl
OF peril, we fear not 10 trust the brave sons of The
West with the glillering arms OF death, but wber
peace returns, and all is sunshine, you say TO The
West, YOU have fought nobly, you have wor
laures in the battle field but we cannot trust you
on terms OF equality in the councils OF The State
your voters shall not stand equal with The voters
the East-you shall not have equal representation
in the Legislature, because you own lew slave!
and we own many-you own but one hundred
millions of dollars OF property, and we own more
Than Two hundred millons-we fear 10 trust 20,
because YOU will impose unjust taxation on on
slaves: and to prevent unjust taxation on slaves
the East Tell us, for that cause alone, they are en-
| titled 10 tie majority in both branches oil the lie
| eslature paying no regard 10 The majority q
voters and white population in favor ofthc West
The gentleman from Halifax warns his fricnd
in he East 10 hold on 10 The present power, 10
this is Conflict between numbers on the on
hand and properly on the other" He tells Us too
that Western voter has not equal political pow
er with an Eastern voter, because the West
EN- voter surrendered his equality Of pc
nical right by accepting the present Con
| slitufon which measures out 10 The twt
great divisions ot The State certain por
lion OF political power. II is true that the vo
lcrs OF The West taken collectively, have, under
The present Constitution less polilca power than
The Easl, and this is one Of the great causes %
TIER complaint; Tor we find that al The Pfesiden
| lial election in 1914 The State of Virginia gave
| in all ct. 23S votes; The East cast AZ, l4l votes
| and The West cast AZ ,097 and The AZ, l4l voters
! have IS delegate Ia represent them in this House
while the West with 097 volers have So de-
| legates 10 represent Them No wonder that such
an inequality in representation between the Eas
and The West should produce excitement anc
| alarming discomfort. ! have haZarded The opin
ion, that, al this lime, the West has more lega
voters than The East, although, in 1914 the Eas
cast more votes than the West. This was owing
10 the large towns in The East having grsa, mum.
hers OF voters concentrated, and all were out
while in The West the population is sparse and
the country mountainous. All the voters could
mol be brought out. AS 10 there being MAORI
IS Of votes in the West, there can be no doubt
| In supper, of this position, will show 10 the
| House from table prepared by the Auditor o
| Public Accounts, that in 1915 the free white tha
bles West ot the Blue Ridge amounted 10 9399l
while the East contained but S9.6i5
II the Western voter has surrendered any po
llica right, as an individual Voter, by accepting
The Constitution, then for the same reason tht
Eastern Voter has surrendered his political iShI
For instance. the West has more voters than th'
| East, and vel the East has q more delegates ot
this floor than the West; and this is the cause as
| signed why The Western voter has less polilica
power than the individual voter of the East
/ will present some practical illustrations of the
srievous inequality of representation in The Eas
as we'll as the West.
| Fluvanna, an Eastern county, with popula
ton Of S,sl2, "a, l46 are slaves pays each yea
into the Treasury $3.50 AZ. and allhe Presiden
iial election in 1914 gave $40 votes, sends one
Delegate; while Louisa has population Of Is,
| i33 900 are slaves, and pays State lax q
G6 CSC 90, and cast at the last Presidential elec
ton $50 votes, has but one Delegate. Here Flu
wanna has almost double The political power o
! Louisa II, then, The Western voter has surren
voter has surrendered a share OF his poi!ica
| right 10 Fuvanna.
The grea, inequality Of representation In many
other counties in the East is equally manifest
Henrico, which includes Richmond City, witt
population of 33O7s, of which 1927 art
slaves, aud 1888 free negroes, at the last Presi
Dental election cast 2,ll2 votes, and in l645 pait
State lax oil SOL 800 81; The county and city
have but two delegates. Richmond alone ha
20 1853 inhabitants and cast l,l29 voice, and pait
into the treasury s55, 900, and has but one dele
gate. Norfolk city has population OF 1921
3709 are slaves and ,026 Tree negroes. has 03'
vo.ers, and paid last year S22 596 81 into tn,
Stale treasury, and has but one delegate. Peters
burg with population Of | l3G, 1859 arr
slaves, 2 l34 tree negroes, has 1l2 voters, anC
paid into the treasury 10, 720, and mas but one de
lega,e Spo,tsyvana Including Fredericksburg
has population OF 1880, 1890 are slaves, is:
tree negroes, gave $50 votes, and paid tax las
| year OF 133 81. and has one delegate Chester
field has l. ,l46 inhabitants, and 9i2 voters, ant
1aid State Tax of $500 &c, has one delegate
and Caroline Louisa, Hanover and Charlotte
with an average tax population Of Il 5000 each, anC
paying an average OF Sc, 400, have but one dele
gale each; while The county OF Patrick last veal
paid a tax of only 1893 dollars-Surry POI.
doilars-Henry 2254 doars-kine Geors;
2.405; Northumberland 243l Greenesvile, 2,
6i6; Princess Anne 1905; Weslmoreland .,
| 962 Here are s Eastern counties, which, al
together, pay only 1870, which is an averag,
tax Tor each county OF 1854, and each of thes,
counties has one delegate; and each of these
counties has as much power on this floor a.
Richmond, that pays $4,000 Norfolk that pay.
22,596; Petersburg that pays 10, 720; and Spot
syJvania and Fredericksburg that pay 9 1853 81
and will add 10 This list The county Of Brunswick
| that has two deleeatea and pays only S0T :.
into The Treasury; while The Town Of Fredercks
burg and county OF Spottsylvana have both 10
gether bnt one delegate, and pay tax Of 975:
81, which is more than double what Brunswick
pays and Brunswick has Two delegates; Will,
Caroline, Hanover Louisa and Charlotte pay
ing each an average lar OF 6,400, have eaci
but one delegate. If the mixed basis should ii
inefaed in The contemplated new Constitution
ii will increase the political power in all The
large towns, and greatly reduce representation in
The counties. One OF The strongest grounds aker
by orr Eastern friends against giving The Yves
representation on The white basis is, because
| The East pays the largest share of The taxes