Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-24
-inftns ndiyus owni
IUui urrt{io


-infIas indiyuS omni
VIA unrtiio
he cast upon the EARTH as the old urst describes it,
nudns ia hudunt hy the accommodations Of those who
have preceded him, bv the institution of hereditary
property his existence ia preserved, aud his faculties,
bodily and mental uourished until he il able to protect
himself And if he then acquires property for himself
it must be BY the application of his labor to the capital
which others have created before him. The Necessary
instruments OF his tot, he to the institution OF
property Without property could never have nc
coWplI-ed the wonders with which he has filled the
hab:bie globe. And the whole property OF the
try but the material representation of the reason and
will Of its pnat and present generations. Property is
interviewer through the whole social fabric and enters
into and mohes all the relations Of TO each other
It's different kinds and Quantities unfair
OF the different interests, wants, and character
Of the various parts of State. The property OF Er-
yinia has grown out of her natural condition and her
history and it has modified both. BIZ its mutations.
you may mark the progress Of those mighty changes
which was the means in the hands OF our ancestors,
uf ting Three centuries since, our country was
covered by dense primeva forests whose slenr" was
rarely broken by human voice. and now thousands OF
household lights cheer the darkness of night from every
eastern hill, and in every mountain valley and near
these household fires have arisen the affairs OF our Cod
And around these hears and ntars have gathered our
children and our slaves our herds and our crops, the
rctes and bounds, the fences and landmarks Of our
property And The whole represents the industrious
toll the talents and the energies and virtues of the
communities which own it whose affections and thoughts
are infinitely complicated with it, and the very
# whose existence it motllcs and determines. The
foundations u this property of these monuments Of in
d.stry were laid BY our ancestors and We guard and
add TO it, not merely for ourselves, but for the pos
teritv whom We hope TO deliver 1t. In Its perpetual
Increase and hereditary transmission We have risiby
before us. of the strongest Of tho bonds which
draw together md cement into MI the generations
nj man. the past the present. and the future. How
narrow must be scheme Of representation which
wholly orerlooks this mighty element of society
Of the lust OF the interests and necessities of
It. part. How unwise aud Must would be your gov
eminent which regards only as al abstraction.
and forgets the vast Development OF his nature mani
tested aud realized IN property. And such il your
basis of mere numbers. On the contrary the mixed
i.s which advocate bv combining with the element Of
population the additional element of pro erty
trsi BY its contributions to government, furnishes
rule which obviously maze representation truer
and reflection Of ell the interests Of society.
Can We do any injury to the west By such plant
AIN willing to afford tho west all the protection she may
reluir. Bot carnot imagine any considerable inter
est of the west. that Is not common to U.s. though see
certain interest. which We have, that not common
to her fnYe listened to this whole debate 10 hear
what Legislative injustice could he charged agains: the
existing government. and the eastern majority. am
one OF those who adhere 20 the MAXIM that We should
never introduce change il political affairs unless there
be pressing reason and necessity for it and that
sho,.i never rrsoit t. experiments upon mere rea-
-oung theory in such an iEP"r,aht matter Well Sir.
uyc heard enumerated various injuries which the east
ha- inflicted uTun the wr- sumo sins OF commis-
sion and =ymt We're sins OF omission. And finally tho
| gentleman from kannwha Mr. SrMMERsJ told US Of
lore sins We nigh, commit hereafter. Laughter
What the sins of commission were. the gentleman
from. Mason (r. FlsuER) has informed The east
| Ito says has oppressed the west very grievou+lv
The late change in the land laws the work Of eas;
ern gentlemen. The writ of right expensive in Eng
land that scarce any to it, has been
mortified tina, every body afford to avail themselves
of It's assistance The action of cjcctnrnt he sad was
now not difficult: under this legislation Than
an action of debt had always supposed that the OBJ
cct OF legal actions to enIble those who though,
thev had right 10 try it, AMI that the means Of main
tanning right should be cheap simple and accessible,
10 al, whether rich or poor
! must confess that lawyer might concur will
the gentleman II IS said that iii. the interest of lawyers
always 20 encourage expensive litigation Perhaps i,
that point of view the simpllcations Of these real
! tious may be grievances. | think, however that tn
lawyers not rs to secure even small
majority for the genemans proposition in the west
imagine his peope-a at enst who think they have an
claims to real property-wll scarcely consider it
serious grievance that the means o. establishing tei
claims are siinpiei :
Mr. LYONS. Who made those changes:
| Mr.. GARNETT. sly friend asks Inc who made thos
changes. hare not referred 10 the record but NJ
strongly un.er the impression that all the changes
the hand laws Of the from the west. and hav
bcen made the Teat pleased II must De remembers
that there two parties in te Tcst-one that hold
land by bad titles and the other that claims that Ian
ton pleased the party claiming BY good titles, b,