Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-03-15

from cnsure by the plea that this is onlya proposon SUI
mit,,d TO the people which they may adopt OF Ie nv
think proper This n ,hnm vh the Whole subject
d =, ;ro ,hcm the power TO choose the greatest soo;
You submit merely choice OF evils presenting lle, WIN
the principle when h Srcanu nsttton is
any aG d,ive The great body polite is deceased in
all its paris and needs e'nedy Iu' ,s D he disease
Ie 4 d;ya themselves if they suppose for n moment
@ Western neople will not understand the true character u
this bill They win view ,n S nrsocrscv Of wealth. and to
NOUS a..ep in The hands of minority Call II what
You will, this is its true chafac'e'' "A oe''' ~
many to the few ,,,onromse, If they desire to use
ssnondne with their acts, lei them auopt !he
Collouinp and say to the West as an mn
your @ ronr rphul soveregns, it has, neverlne
Ice nia,sed our royal hghnesses loras OF Tue pise s
ciousy to TO gram tye had the to
, =, rr hands" What compromise or concession iur
e ha h do they ender In the present House OF De-
'iiei - have majority of %. The West insists on
m 'h only true and Democratic basis OF repre-
,; This according to the statistics OF me Auoitot,
would rive them majority OF Is Inc prncPles VI ia
wouIu so ,;re that the contestants should meet on
aS This would leave the East in majority OF
three oay Or take the medium between this b ana ,e
white basis and the majority o. ne East Of the
en.n from Rockbridge, and the white basis inc WIS.,
Si have majority OF three. And contend lha .'lS 20
amendment based on te rae Ptnces or or owshp
p; 20 having one dollar revenue, as much pohcai
power as and C. who pay one dollar ao cents rive
- ,h a,h district 3 500 instead of 32i $780, ana me pop
a,ion of the State amounts to $780, The whoe ao ,
Of revenue paid by the State is 81 oes bs INV
~ eoch While person In proportion therefore, na my
en, " district paws more or than this average in
that same proportion should s political power be hceaseu
Tn carrv out this rule take the number 1862 being
the sum OF the population and revenue OF the o1e ana m
vide i, by 1885, the number OF III , a nsIsons
and dollars which each delegate should represent nun s
scale through the State and you give to he mrs. a.
AZ Il Delegates 10 the second 3o9 to the niru s3oo ad
20 mo fourth go go delegates; the entire East and
IN the West 635 giving the former maJoly Oh o.
same result, obtained BY the following RUE ~ w"
263 o33 the sum of the population anu revenue VI le
Sate is 10 3 the number OF delegates SO is SOD e
snm of the population and revenue OF the hrs district 70
the number of delegates to which 1t Is enueo' ana 50
any other district. =, ,,. ,;o,,
The propoon which the bears TO the population
10 as So l00 Its representation bears the propoo
II 10 l35 But the substitute of the gentleman from HaaA
M Sroya0 gives to the equal representation
with the population This adds AZ per cent TO the represe
aiion of revenue To obtain this result ne ADOPTS ne io
loving rule He first takes the population ana says, as
ea III the population of the State eavlns the error OF inc
Auditor uncorcced0 1885, the number OF delegates so
m 100 ego the population of the first district to the number
of DELEGATES 10 which il entitled which he finds TO be 29
He then takes the and says the revenue
of the State is to 1885, the number OF delegates, so IL
sl63 m the paid by the first district to me NUM-
he Of delegates 10 which is entitled which he finds 10 be
A. He then adds these numbers together the sum oil
which is TO- this he divides by and thus obtains the NUM-
her 90 And by this process il is that the apportionmcn Of
representaton contained in the bill under consideration Is
made And may not be allowed 10 suppose that by the
addition of AZ per cent to the oil revenue
sufficient majority 10 satisfy the modest demands OF Eastern
gentlemen obtained they would have gone on adding
thereto adj bitu until they should reach the desired num-
ber For proportion add 10 the comparative rpesen-
aton of revenue do you give political ascendancy that dis
tct or which pays the greater amount disguise IL
as YOU will is nothing but an ingenious device 10 continue
power in the hands OF minority. 1t the establishment
odous monied rsocracy in which many are brought
under subsection the few And by whom this sought
to be eeced By those very men who nave been Uudcsl
and eloquent in procamng the doctrines ana beauties
of republican equality? To this assault upon Democra
tic principles this fragrant injustice 10 the rights OF the peo
pie in clear light take 1910 the number OF persons each &C.
ega,e in the district will under the provisions OF this bill
represent and carry this scale throughout the State and you
find there will be left unrcpresented In the second district
$500 in the third district 3as md IN ne fourth dsie
the entire white population Of the State whose place Is TO ot
taken and whose voice to be senced by the dollars and
cents of Eastern arstocras Yet they tell us this IS all fan
and rieh-tha those who do possess wealth proper
" should have the power 10 tax or control H. BEG
TO know how and BY what rule they could do this without
at the same time taxing themselves Are we 10 be told
that it is easier for the poor man to pay Of ms penury na
for the rich pay from his abundance Ihey forget 10 e
that by far the larger proportion OF taxes are eved o Inc
protection of this very property; that is property which
leads wars and for its protection ,he poor man IL com
PEELED bear arms expend his time and labor and eopardze
his liberty and fcyei they wrong in this In
making laws for the protection of life liberty reputation and
property the poor not allowed to have an equal voice
with the rch but when on account Of his property war
is brought on the will of those whose who because they
possess greater abundance have the control Of the po
cal des,ines Of the State then orsooth II is right that
the rule of numbers PREVAIL thai the poor man take up arms
equally with the RICH nj the hazard Of ms he or the pro-
lection that very property which is the ~ his po
cal degradaon Away with such miserable sophistlcal and
insulting doctrine rs this Do degrade the immortal soul
of man TO the level Of trash repudatc and discard
all such doctrine and all property representation as ane-
publican and fit only for kings and despots and libel on
our declaration of righsand would suggest 10 gen.
temen the propey, if they insist on property representa-
ton that they modify the language of that instrument so as
make it read al power is vested in and consequent
~, derived from people and do9drs that minority OF
the people, having majority Of wealth, have the right
to amend, alter or abolish their form Of government
And what must be the inevitable effect OF constitution
based the principles of this bill You give to taxation
equal representation with population and you divide the
State effect least into grand divisions and DISTRICTS
We want stronger evidence OF the love OF power inherent
in the nature OF man, and the unwlingness 10 part WIN
any portion Of it, than have manifested on this floor
Then what follows! The East impeedby of the strong
passions of human will not only look with ea
ousy upon the growth and prosperity of the West but will
pursue course of policy calculated to retard that
Certainly she will not be willing to do any thing To enhance
II. The West, for the same reason, will pursue similar
policy towards the East For who having the passions of
human nature would be willing increase the cause Of his
political inferoy? Among all the objections TO this bill
this is in view the pcrncous and will be found in
practice TO be most Injurious TO the prosperity and harmony
of the whole State
View this subject in another aspect Do gentlemen Of The
East vainly imagine they by possibility any principle
arbitrary rule continue much longer in the ascendancy
Have gentlemen who striving perpetrac this wrong
looked well consequences Or do thev disregard them
Do they regard nothing, that the harmony which has
hitherto happily existed throughout the broad limits Of
this good old Commonwealth should DO broken up and de-
slroyedl Your Western brethren have all occasions,
promptly and periodically stood forth and made common
with you in vindcaton of the rights of the State
whenever and by whomsoeve they have been assaed and
trust in God they will They regard themselves
Firgnians, having interest fame
with yourselves Convince them by the passage of this bill
that they have been msakenhat You neither regard them
Virginans brothers equalsthat you dstrust them
that their fidelity and noble patriotism neither appreciated
acknowledgement what must be the effect
Look sir the interest of the Western Territory pre-
you need be told that il contains the elements of
wealth in much higher degree than does the East The
fertility OF our soil far surpasses yours We have more mi
neral wealth, greater water power and far greater facilities
or manufacturing purposes Take into the estimate the in
dusous and energetic character of pecpcour already
overriding majority which, in 1862 will not fall short Of
250,000-and what must be the conclusion!
The tabular of the Auditor shows the increase
of white population from 1910 lS49 in the four districts
into which the State has been arbitrarily divided be
follows, viz: In the first district % $780, in the second 1922
in the rd % $780, and in the fourth 81 1856 On the
ratio the increase from ls49 1860 will be as follows In
the first district 81 1854; in the second 1882 in the third
$1,000 and in the fourth l5S 260 Making the entire white
population of the State ll2s7l7 The number East the
Blue Ridge will be 1896 and West OF that mountain
6604Sl; giving majority the latter OF 232 lbs. The