Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-29

.h.,,a ssy you shall net have it, is there my
obt TO take it which the highwaymnn ooee hslanr TO
7. thers .nv natural right which docs hos has
tnsas Sas vsrvwb.rel What natural right mas one
man to control and manage tho proper. anc;.tr
Sc, before rtssc men bavc {; ne ,n'" " 49,; -.
.,s lou. hundred inca IA. Se =" .,.r-.-. ;.,s.,r
et,r;,r- viii 7u5i Te VII, -: III. 49,, r.n .
~; - -, ~ ~ -, r,ep DC Of force An
81 s,,.a+;on of :orco would IT mol cease 10
ho ono of right fit would be 9u:s ~ $50, -.
such casa you'd it ceaae to be quee.lo" y.
sented in another end different va
ciety ,,,on these elements of dis
go not nelu ~ n state my position to my friend
eor a,comec mr. W!sE.} VINO f'io tnaC II u'St,u
tho aonln DENY the power Of inc PsoPe iol sen gov
ernnent / thought. no to lnew me- wall enough
better thah .ia. d not be in favor of any government
70 kho" tn ~. SUM- other than that government in
anEwheLe Of popular supremacy was engraft
Whcn sI IN the right oftho people to control mod
~, c,nrs and to abolish their torn OF government as
ny ass But that the question here now' hut
,hey ,o, have right or power, should they exer
Deea0. aal. because they have the power and with
Csc ~ ,ncs to priuciplci He scened to consider
u =. aan,stb;nr novel and herctira when | said |
- NOT 20 for government based upon NUM-
bers merely, and he deduced from tnat, TINT
80. .be pcople. No sir, DO not distrust any
n osa more than myself But rs ono Of the people,
- d.trnst them to equal extent, do not de
" .hor r;pbt do not deny their power, and rs have
IA will 90 out among them and persuade and coun-
M them in the exercise of the great power they possess
80 exercise it as to protect and preserve that prnci
80 for which their forefathers fought, and which they
Established in the successful struggle for the liberty of
b; cnntry the only real republic in the world They
should lose sight of great principle which the
colonies proclaimed that taxation was the free gift of
the people to the government they alone shond have
The right to levy the tax.
Nv friend from Accomac seemed to suppose tiat he
had involved me in some contradiction when he put
the question to me- twill You submit the protection
Of tie property Of Richmond to the qualified voters of
Richmondl" told him then and answer him now,
r"s Bat does that touch the question at all It does
ouch it in one respect and in respect it does not
touch it at ALL Before you ret to the people of Rich
ond YOU have to establish the government the prop
er bss of representation and also the other parts Of
the government The corporation OF Richmond then Is
an inperum III in,pcro created by law but the very
moment YOU have established the city Of Richmond
place entitled to representation have you not sane
toned the principle for which contcndf When yon
give section OF locality representative, TO You
rot establish the principle at once that the interests OF
that section and locality are entitled to representation
and to protection Very we'll then having established
that principle who is to control in that county if it DC
not orty of the people in that county. i'll respect
TO local matters 1t is the necessity Of the which
here governs.
But then the gentleman himself does not propose to
conccde the whole and unqualified power Of the people
that is in practice to recommend the exercise OF it
for he will not recommend to them together in
tho campus in the oldcn times in Sparta and other
and it was il Athens. lie will 40:
recommend that they shall come together to vote anG
act and decide. No He recommends 10 them rep
rescntative government and to impose restrictions upon
Themselves. And why Not becausnhe has the power
to impose it. but because friend Of liberty. rend
of liberty regulated by law, friend OF the great
Cause of society," he will counsel the people to so rxer
else their power to limit anu restrain themselves
DENYING the power to any body else TO restrain them
He may be for universal suffrage There many who
are in favor of universal suffrage and there others
who are not Whatever limitation you may put upon
suffrage, is also restriction upon the people, as gov
eminent in any form s Now might it not be we'll said
because he himself will not bring the people together
i'll the campu, to decide there without representation
upon every question OF that he dsruSts the
people that he denies the power OF The people md that
he denies thu right Of the peope Would it be candid
1t all to gay so Would not the answer be given ct once
by every body. no. no. do not deny the right if they
choose to do it. do not deny the power if cy choose
to do it, No, I could bat advise them, and l would
advise them not to do it. As of the people, could
give them Inc advice not to do it. And whvl Be
cause past experience has taught us when mon -.
brought together in great masses IN that form they
unsafe legislators and unsafe judges. They are liable
to passion They are not to be trusted because the in
6rmities of are more likely to act upon them. He
will give that advice for better reasons better expressed
than could hope to do it. Is there not just much
dstrus OF the people in that as when you require the
government shall not be based entirely upon numbers
but shall be based upon combination of numbers and
property, wherever those numbers and property arc
located.
My friend from Accomac talked about honev-flggiing
He gave very nice specimen OF the mode in which
may be carried on. Suppose were TO
20 to the voter and take him by the lapel and ask
him is the rich man to have more voters and more pow
.r than you: Would not he say it honey fuggling
10 20 to poor man and hold that language to him Does
man propose to give any voter in Virginia any more
votes at the polls than any other voter Is the rich
man authorized at the polls TO give more than vote
Can the poor man give less than vote: If neither
IAN give more and neither can give ess surely they
IRE equal in respect to power. But We say in the
Of how many representatives there should
DC, the two great elements Of society, property and
persons, both Of which necessary to society," shall
De considered I rather think he would be honeyfug-
cling when he went to the poor man and took him by
he lapel and called his attention to such an argument
Is that he has given.
But what will my friend turning to Mr.. HrSTER) from
..e valley say; He comedies with my friend from Ac
,omac in this doctrine that rests upon this broad unn
cd and unqualified love of the people, and which dcca
-es the right of numbers 10 govern and to tax. My
friend from Norfolk in the most DISTINGUISHED spirit in
he world, has explained to us that he is wilngt give
upon great general principles, provided they snail
ead to appropriations that will improve the commerce
Of Norfolk and that portion OF the country nc Ine-
rested in. Laughter
MIR. TAYLOR. No sir.
Mr.. LYONS. I beg pardon if I misunderstood the
gentleman.
Mr., TAYLOR. think the gentleman ought to beg
pardon. Laughter.
Mr.. LYONS. do it most humbly if have msun-
lerstood you.
Mr.. TAYLOR. What have said TO justify the re-
mark of my friend from Richmond that willing to
give the white basis if my people get their just
lights. On the contrary did not affirm most positively
hat believing that the mixed basis the true princi
pie Of representation and that the eastern section oil the
state hai right to demand it was not prepared TO
;icd the principle, and if WERE that had not right
% yield it, SO far from my friend
Mr.. LYONS. l did not understand you as going for
he white basis
Mr.. TAYLoR.ss-I certainly understood him as ma
ling that remark.
Mr.. LYONS. No! | did not
Mr.. TAYLOR wish to make one remark So far
from my friend having any right to make that inference
said thateven if it might appear that BY uniting with the
west l could bring to the aid Of my people the allies
whose interest would lead them to form connection
with Norfolk TO make her what nature has intended she
should be- commercial town, maintained in devotion
to principle and my people that not prepared to
abandon the principle of the mixed basis Yet nv
friend here in the ardor Of debate know him too well
to suppose he would wish to do injustice to mc- the
arder 0f debate for other reason which blinded
him and stoned his hearing has inferred that said