Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-09

cation. And II was in answer to ihat atslniene ''
made til. reference and think that ,he
sustained the position when ! I'm the, ,I,s i.
from Bcrkcv WAS mistaken III surprising lt"l li!e ss
;n,,.ar is,; oJoptcd the free white basis without
" or the property qualification con-
CURED with the gentleman from Berkeley that one was
! the consequence of the Other: :., -:
Tho act of 1916, was fer convention TO equa-
p th Concentration among the Tree white inlapltahs
nS tho commonwealth. But, perhaps the committee
oan rho hetter understand the meaning OF that ACT BY
hearing i, read, and, as nave II mere VIII leaa lor
,ne inforation of the house. The act as passed was
carried by vote OF ~ " 20 3Ao . - ''~ O
words: ,.,
that large portion Of the good people OF this Common
ca,,b are DESTROYS Of amending the Constitution Of the
state ard this Legislature dcemng 1t their duty to as
.sr,o;n whether this be the Of majority of the
freebolders within the Commonwealth:
SIC Be it enacted by the General assembly, That
the several sheris and other officers authorized to con-
duct elections within this Commonwealth, shall under
the nenaltv of one thousand dollars, at the time and
Mace of holding their respective general annual cleo.
lions in The ensuing spring, open their poll books two
additional columns-te one to be overwritten with the
words a Convention TO equalize the representation OIL
the free white people Of this State in both houses Of the
General Assembly; to cquaZe taxation; TO extend the
right of suffrage TO all persons having sufficient evl
dence of permanent common interest win, ana at
achment to- the community and to provide for such u-
experience shall suggest TO be necessaryhe other TO
| be over-written with the words, No Convention:
and every citizen OF this Commonwealth Qualified oy
existing laws TO exercise the right of suffrage at the
ensuing general annual election, is hereby requested to
give his vote the question of calling Convention
for the purposes aforesaid against such Convention
! II will be SEEM by looking at this first section OF the
act as il passed the House of Delegates, that the Con
renton proposed to be called for four distinct d-
ferent Objects the first OF which "to equaze the
representation Of the free white people OF this state IN
both houses of the General Assembly And the sec
! ond was TO ssequaze taxation. was correct then
in saving that stand upon the platform OF our Ia
TIERS and occupy the position OF the body OF which
the gentleman (hr. DArIs) was member in 1916.
And this shows the practical workings of principle In
that day the west willing to abandon power for
principle But now, the advocates of power arc dis
posed ,o,abandon the great American doctrine of the
political equality Of man, for the sake of maintaining
their political power. Their principle is power; and
for the sake of that power the rights and Liberties Of
frecmcn be sacrificed. Equal representation and
equal taxation the just and equitable platform up
on which our fathers stood in 1916, and il is upon that
we now stand IT Of fairness, to which no one,
disposed to do as he would be done by, can object.
And here permit me to say in response TO the declara-
ton so frequently made BY the gentleman from fati-
uuer AIr. ScoTT) that if We would pay the most of
the tax lie would give the representation that such
proposition is to which the west ought not to be
expected to accede. For it would not only be unfair
| and unjust, but would impose upon us degradation
as great as that of the one from which are at
tempting to escape The mixed basis imposes upon
the degradation Of political inequality il imposes III
equality in the powers OF the government, and his prop
ositio would impose upon inequality in its burdens.
And is Of inequality we complain, and from which
we are attempting 10 make escape. And we can
not accomplish that by going from inequality in one
thing 10 deep one i'll another. What ask and
what desire is perfect equality in all things pertain
ing to the government-equality in power and prvi-
.ege and equality in the burdens. Why did he moi sub
init TO lis fair proposition, such as We could accept
Why did he not propose, in the language Of the fathers
in 1916, TO equalize the representation of the free
white people OF the State, and ssto cqualize taxa.
ton:' More than that they ought not to ask, if they
have any desire to deal fairly and justly More than
that ought not to expect; less we ought MOTTO sub
init to- If eastern gentlemen would make that pTopo-
son this question would soon be settled; for the west
would all accept it. But they will not propose it to
u.s. we propose it TO them. And if they refuse to do
it, let them to the world for refusing propo-
ston so Just and equal. All we want and all we ask
is equal representation and equal taxation But, the
gentleman from Fauquer Mr. ScoTr) says if we will
| pay the most taX-more than equal share and
more than ought to pay; then he will give lis
equal representation. How generous But We have
never been taught that, in this country. have to
buy the liberty and equality that belong 10 them OF
right. We say to you in the name Of people, that
sc desire to eqaize the representation and taxation
among the whole people Of the commonwealth; and the
eastern people, through their representatives here, this
dav stand in the attitude of denying 10 their western.
4 ".
but fair ard equal justice. This then, is another OF the
practical effects Of the mixed basis it leads the eastern
people denial Of justice and equality to their west
ern brethren. But whist they deny to equal repre-
,entaon do not think they will be disposed TO with
hold from us equal taxation. They will hardly be SO
selfish in that matter, they in representation
And when to settle the sub jcct of TAXATION
doubt not they will be quite willing to give us our equal
portion Of il. But of that we will not complain for il
is the duty Of government apporton the tax as near
! yo IN he 81
it is laid They who have the most property to be pro-
,ected, ought to pay the most for its protection |,
would be unjust and odious to require the poor 10 pa,
as much as the rich, and it would be infamous in the
rich to ask It. All the citizens ought pay in proper
ton to their ability to pay and TO the amount to be pro
tec,cd and defended. The masses contribute in pro
portion their numbers to the defence of the proper
ty and they who have the property ought to paw in pro
portion TO the amount Of the protection thcy receive
for their property. That is what propose it is nj
we desire Give representation proportionatelv Il
those who afford the protection, and impose the burden
of taxation in proportion to the amount of protection
received from those numbers to the things protected
If then you adopt that principle of taxaton or if vol
do not but should at all be governed by the value of the
thing taxed, what will be the effect under the mixed
basis, upon the political power Of the Commonwealth
All know that honest government, in having the tax
IS will be governed, TO some extent by the value Of
the thing taxed. For no honest government would tax
a horse worth fifty dollars or clock worth but five
dollars, as much as negro worth five hundred or a
working of the mixed basis, according to the
Of the gentleman from Halifax, (A1r EDMryps. Tha,
| gentleman in his very able speech few DAYS since
told us that the price Of slaves in Virginia was regua
ted very much BY the southern markets If under.
stood that gentleman, then the value Of negroes in vir
ginia depends upon the price of cotton in the south
then tax those negroes in proportion their value and
base representation upoethose taxes and YOU will make
The political power Of Virginia dependent upon the price
Of cotton in the south IT. for instance cotton is worth
twelve cents per pound, the negro man in virginia is
worth thousand dollars, taxed as per value saw one
dollar. upon which representation is based:
cotton declines 10 six cents, and the value of the
consequence, comes down to five hundred dollars
taxed again per value, and the tax will he bn, fir =
cents upon which TO base representation The cons:
qrencc will be, that one half of the political nowcr If
| the Commonwealth, based upon the taxes on claws
will be lost by the decline of cotton in the south
are such the beautiful workings Of the syscm We ,ro
now invited to adopt system that viii MAKE tbn
representative power Of the Commonwealth 0mrina,c
with the fluctuations in the price of cotton At the south
or other markets of the world '''''''
Mr. GOODE. Upon ad ralorsm taxaiio,
! MIR. HOGE. I'D rntorcm not such will no tho 70
suit The government in taxing the negroes and otbor
property, must look to their relative yalna mnon .,
! system, and to some extent be governed nv ~
government dare attempt TO tax property yyor bu 49,