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

stituton of tho federal government. We know that
the Declaration of Independence formed In l1f6
and that the constitution vas adopted In 1887 more
than ten years after the adoption OF the Declaration
and 1t should also be borne in mind that the Declaration
of Independence intended assert the rights of the
States as independent soreroignties. There being no
confederation at the time of the adoption of the Deca
ration Of Independence State sovereignties existed in
their separate capacity alone.
Then this portion OF the argument is out Of the ques
lion Does not present the question on the part OF
gentlemen who advocate the mixed basis as holding
power disregardng the great principles of the bill
rghts They find it necessary in order to retain this
power to adopt some rule by which the power will re-
main where is. Instead of resortng directly to the
slaves for the purpose of keeping OF view that inter
est and retaining the power the hands Of those that hold
that interest and thereby control the affairs Of the
State, they adopt the principle of population and tar
alton combined 1t was said by the gentleman from
Pittsylvania, (hr WHrrrLE,) and it was conceded by
eastern gentlemen in the last Convention, that primo
faes the white population the true bass of repre-
sentation but that circumstances might make neees
sav that that principle should be departed FROM Let
us see if thereis anything in the condition of the State
that requires q departure from that great principle
What ar. the great interests of the State Beg leave
10 call the attention Of the committee to what con
ceivo to be among the great interests Of the Common
wealth look to the landed interest as one of those
great interests find by reference to the tables thai
/ the Underwater portion of the Commonwealth ha,
6l787l6 acres of land valued with the Improvement.
upcn it, at $40 642s2 It's town lots and buildings ar,
valued now at sos350,oeo; the aggregate value o.
land and lots is ST e645T4, paying annual tax
$40 valued in 1919 at $7l,4s6ss7; increase il
twenty-one years but Ss,4675f7. The Piedmont coun
try has s945362 acres Of land valued now at $685.
Ills The town lots including the buildings are valued
at $4,000 $751; making an aggregate value of s77,s,
4Te valued in 1919 ut S7Sl659ls decrease in twenty
one years S3s9.44S, paying now tax Of ssl ,0lS
and making aggregate of tax upon land east of the Blue
Ridge of sl7o,3ss. The Valley has 6,521sS6S acres
Of land now valued s53l25,657 town lots at 1890
5se. making aggregate of 5f,4l6o4s, valued in
1872 at s4l 1852 increase in twenty years $1o
24o7s4 paying tax of $50 S46. Trans Allegheny has
%, ,34l acres of land valued at s55 9e4
town lots S6,772s34; making aggregate of Sol 5lo
sas valued in 1919 at SIG 05797 increase in twenty
one years, *45454,e50 paying tax of sos 1924 ma.
king an aggregate of Sl24660 of taxes paid west OF
the Blue Ridge upon land showing difference of s4s-
7.6 between the east and the west in taxes on land
small amount which few years will cancel for the
lands in the TransAleghany at the ratio of in
crease in thirty years will amount to sa2500oOoO The
free white population of the entire east 4OoT7l in.
since the census of 1910 nine per cent The en-
tire West has population of 1874 increase since the
census of 1910 Of SO per cent. The slave population
in the east is 4le,72s; in the west it is 63 making
q difference Of 34a,504
The whole amount Of taxes paid in the East is 1885,
$50; in the west oO4o56, making difference of sl6l
$780, the increase in the East since the last
| has been sc, and in the west Sc per centunl
find by the tables furnished that there are in the
Commonwealth 1876 poar children of which but 81
655 have been sent to school, leaving 2 uneducated
and presenting TO the mind the deporabe fact that in
this great Commonwealth of Virginia, the mother Of
States and of Statesmen there are under the operation.
of this governmental majority, than Al 900 chill
drcn growing up in utter ignorance. We know what
the tells with reference the number over
-
79294.! The neglect Of the education of the children
shows how that result has been brought about
wiah TO call the attention of the committee in this
connection while looking at the condition of the Com
monwealth, to the amount of expenditures undr ap-
preparations made by the legislature for works of in.
ts-Ral Improvement do from the fact that we have
beel Id and again that the west has pun.
dercd and desires to plumber tho eastern portion
the Commonwealth in the form of appropriations for
works of internal improvement 1t will be seen by the
tables upon this subject that there has been expended
east Of the Blue Ridge of mountains ss,4o5. se4 is:
west of the Blue Ridge s4lf2 5sl, making dferenc.
between the cart and west Of S5932sl3.ls. Now We
been told that the eastern portion of the Common
wealth pays all the taxes and that the great effort il
the part of the west to contr the taxayng power
and appropriating power with view of making large
appropriations i'll the west preuical to the interests
of the east 1t is TRUE that the paT, larger por
ton of the taxes Of the State; but it is certain ths
they have appropriated to themselves much the largc
proportion Of these tnxcs-their full share
What is the annual amount of taxes paid by the
cast i-s366,23G. This exceaa, s5,lI2,5sl Of appro
prlSion 10 favor of the east that If TIE west
would exhaust alnost the entire amoun! OF the tax
paid by tho east But sir take all the appropriations
made in the east, Sei05,394, and the ntercst upon
that sum is :564,3eS G5-amo.t double the amount of
taxes paid annually by the eastern portion of the Com
Ea0nwealth.
How ia it with the west-with a debt Of s417e.5sl
the interest upon which is So4O334S6 The taxes
S204 256, showing that their taxes are nearly equal to
the whole amount of the interest upon the debt So
that this cutlery against the west punderng and ap-
proprating the money of the east is Without founa
zion. Now | admit it is proper in the formation Of IL
constitution of State to look to all the uterests of
that State, and 80 to frame the provisions Of that in
strnent that every interest may be protected aud BE-
cured but do not admit that it is necessary in order
to protect the various interests Of the Commonwealth
that property should DO an element of
coucede frankly, and do it without hesitation that
the interest and the duty of every well regulated
government, to provide amply for the protection and
security of property but must and do protest against
the necessity in order that property should be properly
protected that it should form an element Of represen
tston. take the views Of Mr. Madison upon that sub
Iect-that representation s expedent b which the
voice OF the people is brought into the legislative hall
Each representative SHOULD represent mn equal nun
Der OF people of the Commonwealth. Whenever you
depart from that great principle you are perfectly
"ut VI sea. Auopt tnis principle and you have we'll
defined landmarks to govern your action but the very
moment you depart from it you are perfectly without
rule or guide you may adopt one rule at one time and
another rule at another tme-it may be changed or
modified to suit the interest caprice Of the party in
power = great principle is gained by adopting the
suffrage basis.
What DO these statistics chow US A majority Of
something like 100000 free white people west Of the
Blue Ridge They show that the population and wealth
are all increasing rapidly in that section Of the State
and stationary in the east These statistics show that
for series OF thirty years the lands east Of the Blue
Ridge have not Increased dollar in value while the
lands in the west have increased more than ve-fold
The population of the east increases at slow pace
The population of the west increases rapidly The fact
cannot be doubted that the west is rapidly increasing
population and wealth. Under these circumstances
ask you, Mr Chairman what kind Of legislative action
IL require for that portion of the Commonwealth 7
Does 1T not require active vigorous enterprising
setic mesrosi And what Is required for that portion
.ir, that ID stationary 1t 10 merely security to
Propertyf repeat, it is merely security to property
The proposition now under consideration is to place
the legislative power in the hands of the minority OF
the people who are the stationary portion OF the
co'nn,unty-stationary with regard to improvements
population enterprise wealth and worse than all, in
mental improvement Now, cast your eve to the far
west Look at the difficulties that country had to on