Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-13

r who can give notice to qait, aye, and co,nna,
n all those persons who insist on taxing our q,
to this our inefable stupidity, cl thank w.. sGt
e for teaching me that word saw our ina nee Z.
pidity will have efaced, (were il not
pen Of inspiration on the pages of Holy W.. ts i
e cord of the stupidity of Esan.'' '''''! g.. /.
n ask you, air. Chairman to whom are a..
friends who enjoy the right of suffrage J"r eass
VI vision of the present constitution that fbavs We Pr
indebted' 10 western voters 1t 10 true ns'
q the eastern members voted for it. but for II. on
trated vote OF the west the old freehold surags o
: have remained steadfast and fixed in thu Tos
Look at tho remarks Of Mr. Randolph NM, '',uaa:
iect; they are an index to this eastern sIar u;
The object has BEEN and still s to retain ,ba pot'
. the StIte in the hands of the few to The ~ P'Ee'
r the many But this is not ALL If you will nn Gac-
history Of the proceedings of that body a. pu'us i.
, the record, YOU will find that great efforts
D by the members from the west to obtain all =, ha'
reforms that about to be conceded IN w. t:
The west proposed to elect the Governor E,. Peeps
the peace. Sherifs, DC, BY the people, and te o.
county courts. but they were all defeated BY The
; of eastern members the journal will shoy '4's
E Ny time will not permit me to pursue this suh. /
largo as designed. Ny object in bringing this n,,.
to the notice Of the Convention was not from anr
sonal feeliug towards one single member of tb; r.,
mitee, east or west, but to impress upon the mi, =
the lHct WHICH the
this commonwealth in other respects will show !,
the liberal principles popular in every portion -
the commonwealth took their rise in the west aud l.,
when this State shall have become liberalized and ),
great Of her citizens placed upon the platform
Equality they will be indebted for it to the energy
lterprize and perseverance, of the west There i, .
gratifying fact shown by the effort to extend the right.
suffrage in the election of members to the last cNuy
ton, and that is, that Accomac stood thea where j
stands now ThomasM N. Bailey and John P Dru.ap ]
voted for extending the right Of suffrage and to brs
down the old freehold policy, SoRa.+ Il nv eos.1
friends stood upon the other side at that time bn
they will come up and give I'd aid now, especially
very good friend from the county Of Hecklenbure N
|GooDE.)
have very hasty-ana gentlemen will sec tba j
cessity Of proceeding in haste-caled your atten,;
Mr.. Chairman and that of this honorable comm;t,
somewhat to the past policy of the governmental Il
jorty that now seeks, although in decided p,ino
Of the people, to retain the control OF both branch
the Legislature. by object in doing go was to show
trust have shown, that this extraordinary clair
retain that power is not we'll founded beg your
diligence for moment to call to the attention of j
committee what it is that this government al major
asks at the hands Of the mn orty Of the people. l.
to give TO the minority complete control over h
branches of the General Assembly. Well, what does
lenbrace' 1t is not mere power of appropriation /
works of internal improvement and protection to sl
property Look at the vast scope Of power the vast r
Of legislation which it has taken the liberty 10 Ella
The legislative body is to prescribe rules affecting
life and liberty of the citizen. 1t has control over
great question of education which, maintain, i, 4
more important than any question that NAV ar.
regard to the protection of slaves or for works of r
nal improvement. You may tax ME for educa;
You may double that tax, and will pay it with /
cheeriulness than any other portion Of our contrbu
TO the public treasury The legislative department Il
also have control over the entire physical power of !
State; 1t Will have complete control over the MILL
That great physical power Of the commonwealth L.
be yielded up for the purpose Of protecting the iii
interest and to guard against imaginary impr1
taxation 1t is also to have control over the more,
affairs Of the State. The life.blood or circulating
dunn OF the State ID to be yielded to this power
must surrender to the minority the election of III
States Senators, and control all our federal II
tons-over every matter connected with the ieG.E
government and our state sovereignty. Even tbs s
taxing power we'll the appropriating power g.
under their control The legislative department is
to have control over the judicial department A,hcI
We may, In the organic law, make Certain general
rlsons and lay down to come extent fundamental III
for the judicial department of the government. III
that department, to very great extent, as well a.
the other departments of government will be suber
the control and power of the Legislature ExpersE
has shown that the legislative power ia the great
trolling power of the State Now let us rec If bt,k
any good reason for all this Our friends upon the c
eide claim j. upon two grounds alone; and indeed II
discussion is measurably s'ttled down upon i'll
point, and that Is. the taxing and appropria,inc ty
1t Is true that many of friends in the east xt
Considerable length upon protection of the slave II
terest but the ma jority of those who have di,c,
this question in favor of the mixed bseis have 81; ~
that point and conceded the fact that the slave
OF the State will be amply secured You AZ. t.:t III
concede that We are sound OIL this question. We nh
iphp in tha hplo ~
wanting. X:
Certain illusions to the section of the Sste whi+
have the honor in part to represent made here and LA
where makes 1t necessary that should call the sn@
ton of the committee to that particular section Az
doing SO, it will enable me TO present to hi. comm E
my views to some extent against the mixed basi. III
to show by comparing the condition Of III. say. "a
ties with the non-slaSe holding counties TINT There rI
very strong reasons against this remarkable CHIN NJ
retaining power II
presented, to some extent, the condition of ,Wr A
two counties in eastern Virginia, having the s::E
slave population The section of country in the
western part OF the State, alluded to before hs wi
Marshall Wetzel, Monongala, Preston. Marion Oh
lot haho0lph barbour, Harrison, Lewis BraI u
Nicholas, Doddridge, Gilmer, TYLER, RitcL.. W rs
VIII, Jackson and Pocahonas, and these connie. Nh
been designated upon this floor and in the nubl;c m
as having the least interest in slave property and.
ienes present. 10 the consideration of the ID
mittee lar opportunity for examination and con,.8
son. Inc twenty-five eastern counties hive III
population OF, as stated yesterday Of g. 435
slave population of 1885, and il the mixed hsa
adopted, will have l6 members in the house Of II
gates, or one Tor about 2l4 white persons The nd
ty-tiiree northwestern counties to which now ,l
have a population of I60.s3o, and they have as:s,
upon the tax books Il, le9 COS acres of land In
they had population of but 10 ,S49 showing an iuc
IN population IN twenty years of 81 533 Their porc
ton mas more than doubled. These counties has. III
10 members IN this body and if the mixed basis i. q
1ed, wiil have but about twenty members in the h
OF delegates, or one delegate for about 40 free
persons, being about half the political power give
,he "hite population IN the slave counties TO whr
have called your attention
ask honorable gentlemen of the committee n II;
trast the growing condition of the twepty.,brte MI,
western counties with the stationary condition d Il
twenty-five slave counties in the east. during tbe
|nerod: In 1881, twenty years ago. these wes,ernta
ties PAID tax OF but SOFIA. They now paw urt,.
recent assessment s53, 1862, an increase of NOR.
h'c loid IN the short period of 20 wears. Surpcs ~
increase OF wealth and population continues f., E
next twenty years, what will be our condition VIII
population OF 320, 900, and we will paw ta,n, anil
10 the amount OF about so50,0OO, That 9Th antsH
ulauoh VIII continue to increase at the Same rand ia
ior the next twenty years, no one can doubt " E
acquainted IN that region, for Independent Of the
causes mat tend to that result, in the coure of
lhree years, there will be two hundred and 6ly r#
OF raiifoad traVersing those wenty-three ccunts "a
mat TOO without costing our eastern friends one II
ooiiar. MY honorable young friend from ESSEX III
NJ. n. n. GARHE7T, the other day in his able argrr Ia