Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-15

hard to where the Durtheis VI W eL1;, toy which,
Sir. il cannot be shown that tho mere puzzle Ia
an &c 80 .v amounts IN ANYTHING like as mucn III value
las all the other social and rcc'ProcAi o ,I 1ho-
Zen. whether in inouey or mshual =. - nna;naI j.;
And Mr. Chairman there Is sonlc'ihus :. 80! at 80.
this taxpaying Gentlemen rely Drapented in the lesisa
., ast IN Tho amount of one hall OF the
and all this on account, as have saic' VI tne W ~
Forest in H. For in order 10 have TINS part OF Tue pass
pure they exclude from 1t al 'dnss pau u IL o
Inv nrocess Why is this sirf n! not include IN an
Wv 80 rs, Maid in the State without regard to the
LII - nronsr,v upon which they are paid Can mon
~ a ,aye, on a negro, be any more valuable to
the puvernment than money Paid9 upon any ana every
.hng else strange distinctions The andholder
a tax On hi, land for the protection OF 1t. and the
;rilsge of ENJOYING it. The master pays thirty-two
or FORTY cents tax his slave and ten or twelve cents
on his horse for the protection OF the same and Tor
The pryileye of enjoying them and even the owner OF
no oJS clock paws twenty five on his clock for
rho PROTECTION of the aud for the privilege OF
All these put together. and many others
ad On various other articles will form very good la
s according to this mixed basis system for half of the
enresentaou of the State in the Legislature But the
merchant pay. tax for his license wholesale and
retail. the hoel-keeper pays tax for his license,
,ba nedlsr. and many other descriptions of adven-
.urers and traders, pay tax for the protection and
endowment of their respective privileges amounting III
III these items to large amount, paid i'll the kind
I
sctors and for the general governmental purpo'
,es: and the sutton In court where he Is compelled To
20 fer his rights paysin like tax for the pro-
ection and enjoyment OF his privilege to have his civil
rencdy secured to linn, and yet of the money paid
as taxes either for licences writ taxes, will answer
for basis of government. Another strange fact here
that regard is mad to the amount of taxes paid
axes in the State upon these avore articles but, he
it much little it must have half the representation III
the legislature. Mr. Chairman. why not 800 tax pad
Ia oan nlnnlc mat n
good basis for government as sl0O paid on negroes
The money is valuable IS easy collected and will
as muchin the as the other Sir let all taxes
embraced in the scheme if any. and every pedar OF
Yankee clocks in the State will afford this govern
ne much basis annually the master of so slaves
It the rate of tax generally put them Sir object to
his bad treatment the Yankees, in unusty excluding
hem and their money from the mixed basis scheme u
es could see some given for It. Is this strange
in this matter intended TO dsfranchse from this
IaSs certain men, is intended to dsranchse
tain places in the State, or both! For basis found
ed upon money representatives will be apportioned &C
cording to money The cities and other mercantile Pa
ces pay large taxes, and the moral of this scheme 10
dsfranchise the cesn the State from their proportion
tic share of representatives for the benefit of the ada
cent countless Or is it to for slave property and
he land upon which slaves reside certain exclusive priv
lcses We shall see when this scheme is fully deve
3D. what is now meant BY it, Mr. Chairman, | nm very
much inclined at present. five have mixed basis ut all
j
md matter what basis is established am for letting
he general principles of it, established work ont tn,
details Will eastern gentlemen admit that they ne end
ny this not only to secure to eastern Virginia ma GRITTY
the Legislature by their slave property, but also II
ecure to slave property Itself such dignity as this
Why should eastern Virginia and her property be regard
Jed sacred in this Statei | would like to know
Such Importance cannot be due slaves account
he taxes they pay for they only pay eleventh part
of the of the State On account Of there
Slr. Chairman let it be remembered that this mixed l
SIS scheme seventyfve representatives on population
nd seventy-ve taken in the State gives to eastern
Virginia forty.nine members account of taxes and
rty three on account of population mall eighty two
WE'LL now it is easily seen that but for the property
feature, eastern Virginia would lose those forty nine
ncbers upon taxes and upon the white basis, be cnl
led to sixtysix members only, in house of SO mem
oer and western Virginia would have the balance that
eighty -four. This mixed basis is therefore, Very
rtfu piece Of intrigue by which eastern Virginia il
bout to secure to herself sixteen delegates in the lower
ouse of the legislature which she is not entitled TO.
which she could not get by any fair means. This is
pretty exclusive privilege these gentlemen help them
elves to- on account OF their peculiar property.
Bat. Mr.. Chairman, in addition to this majority o
uterest ground, which gentlemen have assumed al
horty for their mixed basis, they have assumed an
her ground which they seem to rely upon as authority
rith equal conidencethat is, that property ought u
e protected and that constitutional guarantee
r restrictions effect that obect-that property
:au only have safe protection from its ow ers
| nd therefore its ought to have the entire
government all III their own control. Now, sir
mis- is cal conclusion given us by the east, which
trne settles this controversy and settles it, too, il
their favor They huve the greatest amount of pro
erty, I'd they not only rely upon It as general prn
:iple and apply it to all property but they very es
pecialy apply it to slave property on account of its
peculiarly. Well ascertain that there only
but QUO slave holders in the State; therefore these
orY thousand gentlemen, in order to protect their
ecuur property and IN order to save this eastern pr
ple the mixeu basis, which Is also peculiar pruci
1c doubt, cons itute the sovcregns and only
,vveregns Of the Commonwealth, and exercise he
rol of tn. State ut their will and pleasure Now
If, this would be protection to property with ven
sc;,nce Aud, sir suppose this proposition be trn
principle, how il works in practice according /,
ais mixed scheme 1t will give to the property Of thu
State rs representatives, and to the free white peoP
Of the State rs representatives in the lover house
the legislature Of hundred aud fifty members. Blu
now these seventynvc property representatives
o. elected By the property -holder, themselves by tn
orty thousand slave holders of the State by the
vuiers at large2 presume they will be elected II
tie same time and by the same voters who elect tn
her seventy hive representatives. Ii 80, how will thu
property class Of representatives be any pro
property than the other class and how vii
cpree utation in the legislature afford any protection
property at ALL unless that protection exists in thu
"tersf 1t is fair to presume that the suifrages vii
effect their own VIII IL their representatives; and
hey do no protection will be afforded to property il
lie representatives that would bs afforded to it b,
the same voters in purely democratic government
Aud now. Mr. Chairman, if this remark is true, thai
'o,ers will be truly represented by their representa-
ives in the legislature, both in the State at large
each grand division section of the State, how vii
increase Of the number OF delegates in the Who'll.
State, or in any particular section of the State change
the complexion Of the legislature either of the State
large or as to any particular section of the Stated LIE,
be understood here if the majority of the voters in
eastern Virginia is not favorable the protection OIL
love property, majority of their representatives will
be favorable t. that protection aud how will RI
increase Of the number Of representatives from eastern
Virginia change the complexion Of sentiment il
the legislature Sir, / cannot understand this dcnv
therefore that this mixed basis afford protection
any peculiar property undertakes to do BY merely
increasing the number of representatives from the east
where that property exists No sir increase ofthe rep
resentaon will afford that the complexion
OF that representation will be changed. Therefore to
have the effect intended to be given this mixed basis
that is the protection of the slave property the slave
holders themselves aud ohers must elect the Is
.entatives property III the Legislature. Is it intended
70 this state Of things by degrees or what is
by all this Sir this pretence of protection TO
yod b,.;a