Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1851-03-18
NO. 81.

its population, wealth. Oh eNteHS " 'e''"C' "
In 1854, for the FIRST time, the colony was dlvt
Ided into shires or counties, eight in number
for military aud judicial purposes only, which
remained very different, as before, IN extent o.
territory in their population, and the same repre-
sentat, remaining TO each county Ahn' a
different settlements, from time 10 tline sprung
/; up, ne " cunnties were erected and like repre-
sentatiou allowed to them; and, in ike mannei
as applications continued to be MADE. the "su
| counties, or some ofthem, were divided, with 4
like representation but none of the old counties,
old or new were restricted a. TO the hummer -Oi
members until 1915, as beioEes SAG when lhey
were limited to four EACH and Eaally IN 500 &c
/ Two members each The right OF sntfag's. ln
! the meantime which had at first been enl yed by
! all the inhabitants, undergoing various changes
at intervals, until 1917, when the king sent his
/ priyate order to his ObsequiouS goVeTnOr-tO use
| The Ianpnare ft!e distinguished John r. Cook,
in the last conventon-backCd by two regiments
Of British soldiers and caused it to be restricted
to certain class of freeholders, from which II
was afterwards changed, at intervals until IInI-
ted to those first stated.
Such is the origin, aud such the circumstances
preceding and accompanying the birth of our old
constitution, and such the state oil things with
which its trainers had To deal; and alter exPeIl-
ing the presence of king and parliament, they
only re-cstabiishcd matters nearly as before eX-
isting, under our conneXiOn with the crown, CIV
nU in like manner, To the new Legislature, as
before possessed bv the old house of burgesses,
the same power to form new counties, aud TO dI-
vide old ones, with like representation OF two
members to each, but none as before existing, TO
take away any representation from any county.
This want of power in the new legislature, TO
take from county, after divided and reduced in
size any part of its representation, not only con
linuPd, but aggravated the old colonial plantation
county. converted basis of representation, by In-
creas;ng The inequality still more under IT, while
it was being still further Increased by natuFa'
ca uses that when the new constitution ot iIIb,
which we hear so much Landed, was amended in
IS29-'3O, the least county in the State had as
large representation as the very largest coun-
ty, each having two delegates; and the repre-
sentation in the senate remained even more une-
qual, until the reorganization and favorable
change in that body in 1916. While the Old
freehold suffrage remained the same as under the
old colonial government, and continued TO De eX-
crcised and enjoyed BY por,ion-not TO say even
= minorty-the freeho!dug class, y hirh was
itself minority OF the frCemen Of tho State, so
that the whole government, under the old consfI
tuition, until amended in lS29-SO, from the hrst,
was in the hands Of this portion on!y-not 10 say
minority of the mnori'y-ofthe ircehoiders, with
all its powers, which were very great. The le-
Gislaturc possessed the right to do almost any and
every thing within State jurisdiction, under the
general government Of the Union, not expressly
denied such as they should not suspend the wit
of hQbcd$ corpus, pass any bill Of fattandeT, OF any
dom of speech, Of the press. &c, and with all
the mower all elections and offices were retained
in the hands of the legislature, and Withdrawn
aud take1 away from even THIS ien.ten & o.
The 5eople, these REV themseives but
a portion OF The freeholding CLASSY who elected
legislatures, and whose government It was-a
government. I do not hesitate TO say. with all my
respect and reverence for the memory oi It's illus
rrOns authors, and yield TO no one in my Vene-
ration for demonstrating, beyond allquestion
vi AoDial an aTfEf0cFaCV. Even the UOWeT o!
life and DEATH in addition to that of unlimited
taxation, was held by this old government Oligar-
chy, il Gcng we'll settled that while the federal
government possesses no powers but those eN-
pressiy granted, and such as are Incidental there
TO- and necessary and proper to carry them into
efact-that the State goyernmen; have all power
not denied They elected our United States
Senators, our Governors and Council, Judges
generals and other officers, and passed all laws
affecting life and liberty as well as property lis
power, in ihe emphatic and expressive words ol
The distinguished John 4. Cook, quoted in the
last convention, twas over every thing, coming
home to the bosom and business OF men,. 1t
was as omnipoient, almost, as the British ParIIa-
meut, without even the check Of kingly negative.
and which, we all know, is all powerful, tor 1t
has even changed the descent Ofthe crown, more
than once; and under the king, engaged in war
after war and has entailed a national debt upon
the debt upon the people amounting nov, al
though diminished to some eight hundred millions
of pounds sterling, near three billions, and which
it is, verify believe, that holds that great con-
solidated empire together.
Against this old constitution, and the Stale OF
things existing under it, even before the revolu-
ton had fairly closed, and the sunshine OF peace,
after A seven ycar's eclipse of darkness and
blood, had fully opened upon the land, which so
many had split their blood to redeem from ior-
eign thraIdon, the voice OF complaint, opposition
and rernonstrauce went up, from varions parts oi
the Commonwealth. AS early as 1881, ESe tlnd
the great saposile of liberty" the author of the
Declaration Of American Independence, and our
own. and our act OF religious tTeedom-he VINO
laid the axe to the root of the OdIouSTule OF pT-
moginture and entails, to which soTe oi our as
tinGuished statesmen long clung; the Phlloso-
nher. SAGE and statesman, whose love OF liberty
and equality was as ardent as II vas sincere, ana
confined to no country or CLINE, but e6tendco
everywhere where man had home, and whlch
abated not, even with the ebbihg pulse O. ME
as evidenced By his letter OF 1916, to Mr. heT'
! ch;yst-tha influence Of which has been spoken
OF in tone of com paiht withinthesc walls as stI
J operatTnp and which trust in God, viii continue
| to be felt until Virginia is reformed, and cease
till the world is redeemed from vassalage wheTev,
| q, ersIayed Yes at this early period we 6nt
Tbnmas Jefferson declaring this constitution tC
| be but our first essay at free government, and
urpinp upon his cOuntrymen the duty " OF redu
ring those principles 10 practice so soon as lei
! sure should be afforded them Tor eDtrenehng
| within good forms, the rights tor which they mac
| bIed." And the people, and especially OF the
/ west. have never ceased, from that day forward
| ~ snneaI 10 their brethren in power for reform
then This eternal cIamor." which The honorable
gentleman from Fauquier, aud others, have de-
BOUNCED, commenced, and it has never ceased
and can tell gentlemen, never will, until Justice
s"l'S As "a, back as $780, we find petitions from
vaTions counties punrirg in npon the Legislature,
! from year 10 wear almost. In 1906, resolution
nsssed the fIouse of Delegates to submit the call
pS conyeplion 10 the vote of the freehOlders,
| but failed in the Senate. Again, in 1914, aHo-
/ ther bill, for the same purpose, only tailed 5y
| ~ nresenIing majority OF the people, and among
seI ptbeI matters Of reform then demanded, was an
extension Of tie right of suffrage, aud an eqnaI''
cation of representation e.
Again, in 1915, smother bill was gosien nI' ior
the same end, and rejected as before Uy 'o'e
IL. nh Il.-L1.l-