Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-11
[ Continued iissa Fort; scse.l

,ho.. ,,oa.r to use the language Il III. Dcdaic4e,
hod actually ceased with the colonial government ans
br the same act that dissolvedt And nst ooay CAL
80 ;tself convention and assuming the authority, and
ho,or he j, s,;d made first constitution
0,r ,d constitution was thus gotten up IN haste and
-. % neat TN. pending crisis, e. temporary expc
800. ;,tondad only to ride out the storm, not to last
md b.ng thus gotten up and designed IS was SAID by
nv fr;an3 from, Greenbrier Mr.. SarrH in opening this
!, i no reflection upon lis authors 10 say, what
tba t-u,h that it was defective and imperfect Indeed
:. he truly remarked the wonder Is that 1t was not
MORE So under the circumstances especially thoy had
no model to guide them
In fact. it changed but little the old colonial govern
ant which had sprung up under their connection win
the crown their dependence and allegiance: ana ,he
delegates who made it elected by freehoders hold
mo fy acres Of cultivated hundred acres OF un-
cultivated land But the country snbnlittod to their
authority AMI taeitly sdopted their work, although the
was never submitted to formal voto, as
in truth they were obliged to- under the circumstances
il they had been otherwise disposed.
But who were these first constitution lnakersi say
,hsy were confe.sedy but the OF this one
particular class of frsesders. portion onlysnd on
comparatively small portion oniy-ot the people
And what did they dol repca. but little more
besides rcpudating the crown and their allegiance 'ha
continue the same state of things before existS-the
n, ola freahold government of the few, without the
.rnwnw,nasr another name, it is true-but scarcely
changed in form. substance, or power. ,aho,,,o
Yhey subsu ed house of delegates for the ola mouse
Of burgesses and senate fur the old legislative couh
Gil conidng to each precisely the same powers, 81"
nr;vepes a possessed BY their predecessors ana pre-
T., raher. the same qualifications respectively
and 10 he elected hv the same class OF reeaolcrs M
,,or.r,or for tho crown And the same o.o colonial
bas, Of representation and limited ffeehoid sataee'
>tsy expressly declared should remain 'ie s'iIo '
,nde- TIA old colonial government under WINCH IRON
1890 when the first house OF burgeSscs assah,oeu a.
j,mss,nun the burgesses elected by the oiiere
plantations or settlements in tho colony, paEih no ie
ward to the size, population. or extent %
wealth OF the plantation each being allowed
sentation and until 1913 as many ~ rs.I,L
sbose to send no matter what It's popuis'ioh'o
r xtant of territory In 1884 for the frss lnnc' .e
,onv was divided into shres counties eight III mum
her for military and judicial purposes ohiy "i.l
NAMED very different before, III extent Oh
in their population, and the same
n,a;riny TO each county and is different settlements,
,o, time to time sprung up counties We're erected
md ike representation allowed TO them ana III IKE
manner as applications continued TO be mace 'h w.
counties or some Of them, were divided, WIN = .'
represent ation but none OF the oiocoue' ~, ,c.s
.. h.sore said when thew limited 70 ioui eiei 'u
finally IN $50. to two members each n" fish' o.
nsT,sga in the meantime which had Al INST pseh ei
loved by all the inhabitants. UNDERGOING Viflos
~, intervals until 1917, when the KING sen, ms p.
,r 70 b;s obseauious goverrof-to use the language
IS N. distinguished John r. Cook IN the last coh'en
,;~hacked by two regiments of British soldiers ana
.nsed it TO be restricted to certain class Oh iceu
eys from which it Afterwards chahsco' NJ u's vas
until limited TO those first stated
s,uch is the origin and such the cifcunls'ah pre-
..nc and accompanying the birth OF our old cons'lu
,on and such the state Of things with which Its
i,ad 10 deal and aiter eXpong the presence OF kl9
and parliament they only re established matters e'i'
a., before existing under orr connection WIN lic
-. in like manner to the legislature "a before
hv the old house of birgesses the same power
n form new counties and to divide Ola ones VIII
ike representation of two members 10 each oel none
va before existing to take away any Representatives io
any county. ., .,.
s, :. eora.y after divided and reduced III size. any
mart Of it's representation, not only continued ott agra
ssted the old colonial plantation oa
af representation bv increasing the mcqai'ty s'''.
more under it, while it was beng stu r'"f cie"s'
hv natural causes so that when the new constitution o
ii7s which We hear much lauded, was amended III
isoa3o the least county III the State had a. iaiSe"
representation az the very largest county eao haVhs
Two delegates aud the representation III inc senate !
,,.ned ayen more unequal until the reorganization ana
f,rorabla change in that body III 1916. While tho OH
f,,ahol; outrage remained the same as under the OLD
sosnal government and continued to he exercised ana
.ninyed bv portioa-not to say even n,n"rity-c'
,hs reeholdinz class which was Itself minority ct
the Ire.men of the STATE so thai the Whoie
n6r the old constitutions. until amended IN lS2o- So
rom the first was in the hans OF this portion only
~, "a savn,rority cf the fa'nortycf the rcehC'dera.
viii, Eli its powers which We're verv great. The le2
aturs possessed the right 10 do aost any aud every
fling within State jurisdiction undx the general gov
srnrent Of the Union 10; expressly deled such as he%
s5oud rot suspend tire writ al ha6eas corp9s pass an
lii Of attainder any e1posie deto law or any law
;r;a cling the freedom OF speech, Of the press.
and with all the power all elections and Offices We're
n the hands OF the Legislature and withdrawn
onl .alan away frcm even this limited number Of tie
so,le these few freeholders themselves but portion
f the feeholdinc class who elected legislatures an6
,vbos, Government it was-a government do not hest
tate 10 saw with all M respect and reverence for tie
memory OF lis ustrious authors, and yield to
in nv yeneration for them-constitutng beyond al
Question md denial nm arisocracy Even The power of
e and death, in addition that Of unlimited taxation
WAS held bv this old government ogarchy il being wei!
..,laa that while the federal government possesses no
mowers but those expressly granted and such
incidental thereto aud necessary End proper to
then, into effect that the state government have all
Tnwer not denied They elected United States
,ana,ors our governor and council judges generals and
Tier o;cers and passed all laws affecting life and lib
srty "a well as property. Its power. IN the emphatic
end expressive words of the distinguished Jno r. Cook
Ino,ed in the last convention, was everything
,,n;ro home TO the bosoms and business of mea" 4;
ca. a. onnipoent almost, TIE British parliament
without even the check of kus!v negative and which
we a know il Ill powerful for ii has changed the
descent Of the crown, more than once and undcr the
enpawed war alter war; ana has cIitlllod
;onsl debt upon the people amounting now, although
,;m;nshed to some eigh: hundred millions of pounds
r.,I;nc near three billions and which it is verify
eieye that holds thai great consolidated empire TO-
.;ether.
Aoant this old constitution and the state Of thing
,;stne- under it. even before the revolution hal fairly
.iosed and the sunshine of peace, after seven wears
,.nse of darkness and blood, had fully opened upon
he land. which so many had split their blood 10 re.
.ean, fror foreign thrallon, the voice Of complaint
,,.yos;,;ou and remonsrance went up from varoas
,,ps,s of the Commonwealth. AS early as ISL W.
md the great apostle of liberty the author Of the
declaration of American independence, and our own
.n our act of religious freedon-hc who laid the
IN the root Of the od;ouS rule of prinogeniture and
snta. TO which some of distinguished statesmen
long clung the philosopher sage and statesman whose
love Of liberty and equality ardent as il was
s;ncerc and confined to country cline, but cx-
snded everywhere where man had home, and which
hated not, even with the ebbing pulse Of c-as cv
sneed by his letter of 1916 to Mr. Kcrchival-the in
tuence OF which has been spoken of in tone of COM
a;nt within these walls, still operating and which
trust in God will continue to be felt until Virginia
,eformed and not cease till the world is redeemed from
yassalae wherever enslaved Yes at this early period
wa find Thomas jefferson declaring this constitution
so be but first essay at free government, and
,r,a. upon his counrymen the duty "of reducing those
ga TO practice SO soon as leisure should be nj