North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-03-08

present Constitution, but because they more imme-
1iately concern the gentleman and myself.
The district represented by the gentleman, is !
composed of the counties of Buncnmbe, Hender- |
son, and Yancy. II contains population of 49,
O57 whites. and paid into the State Treasury in
le47. 80, l52 70. 1t is represented in the Senate
by one member, and by four in the House OF Com
mons. The district represented on this floor by
me. has white population of s64O and paid to
the State Treasury in 1847. 80, 599 go. Thus we
see, Sir that the people whom l have the honorto
represent on this floor paid into the State treasury
in lS47 SAG l9 more than the constituents OF ,ne
gentleman from Buncombe, and are representa-
the Legislature bv two members less Snouiu tue
gentleman from Buncombe succeed IN his wlsheS,
to change the represen,ation in the Senate the peo-
ME of Pasouotank and Perqumans, although pay
;no LARGELY more revenue than Buncombe, Hay
wood and Yancy, would be presented in the
Senate and would stand as two to Jour IN the
House of Commons.
Now Sir. | appeal to the gentleman's own fair
ness and ask him if he had the power, would ne
commit such rank injustice as thIs2 In what are
his constitute MIS- oppressed by the present arrange
ments of the Constitution ? They have largely
the majority in the House of Commons; no bill
can possibly become law without the approval
of the Western members, and in the Senate his
has an equal vote with my constituents, although
they paw much less revenue tolhe State. Does the
gentleman think it grievance, that, because he
desires splendid scheme of Railroad extending
TO Tennessee, he has not likewise the unlimited
mower of taxation, which oud enable him to
throw the larger part of the burden of such Kali
road upon people who have not and never can
have any interest whatever in it 2
Whatever may be the wishes of the gentleman
from Buncombe on this subject, will not believe
he speaks the feelings of his people. The land OF
the mountain and the torrent is proverbially the
| f.,. H. rou 7 hpIIa
that. whilst they cherish so fondly the inestimable
blessings of freedom, they would, knowingly place
upon any portion OF their brethren most Cypress
i've burden. Why, then, gentlemen may say, re-
iect Cow enton? In reply, vote against Con-
vention, not because doubt the justice and fairness
of the people of the West, but because l have no
confidence in the politicians who would fill that
Convention. The gentleman from Buncombe, who
would doubtless play conspicuous part in that
Convention should it assemble. has alreadytold us
that he desires the power and the means, to make
an extensive Railroad Such being his wishes,
he would think it all right and proper. and would
| be even able TO convince some of our Eastern po-
Itca aspirants that the interest of the State would
be vastly benefited, by transferring the right 10 tax,
| from those who pay, TO those who do not pay.
| No man in the Senate is more ready than my
SELF to strike from constitution any feature that
! is buIdensome 10 the West, or 10 give them any
additional guard. for the protection of their persons
and property. But when gentlemen get up here,
and coolly tell me, they wish the right and power
to put their hands in my pocket and take my mon
ev without my consent. to cut down mountains and
| fill up Valleys from which can, in no conceiva-
Bile manner, derive any benefit they must at least
expect a very severe scuffle before they succeed.
What, Sir, was the object in the formation of gov
ernment2 Solely and for no other purpose, than
the protection Of persons and property. Property
is exclusively the creature of government And
when to this fundamental principle of all govern
ments, there added, by the American revolu.
ton, the great conservative principle &" that taxa
ton and representation should go together" Out
ancestors supposed they had perfected the desi gns
of this institution.
! do not believe. Sir, that the wit of man could
devise more perfect scheme for the security o.
the persons and property OF an extended common
wealth, organized upon republican principles, than
the present basis of representation, contained in
our present Constitution. The House of Com
mons represents persons, for although the basis j:
a federal one, slaves being in the eye of our law
both persons and property, still the House of Com
mons may be said with truth purely to represent
the white population of the country, as that popu
lation has vast numerical majority, and alone
speaks through the ballot box and control. with
out effort and without dispute the proceeding:
of that House. The Senate is based upon taxa
lon, ana Is INTENDED 10 secure the property OF the
different sections from invasion, or from being usec
for purposes alien to that property, or in which i
could have and feel no interest. 1t is based upon
the plain and obvious TRUTH that those persons WHIT
pay for the support of government, should have
some voice in appropriating its revenues. Mr.
Madison said, in the debetes on the federal consti
tuition, that wherever there is danger of attack
there ought to be unconstitutional power of deence'
This was the opinion of one of greatest men
before the discovery made, that perfect wisdom
resided in bare majorities, whether that majority
had any interes, in the subject or not
Now would ask the gentleman from Buncomb
how long would the taxpayers of the large tai
paying counties of BERTHE, Halifax, Warren, ant
New Hanover, have any control over their prop
erty, if it were not for the protection afforded then
in the Senate against mad schemes of internal i'm
provement, and other prodigal waste of publi
money!
No persons prodigal, or liberal, if yol
, please, of money, as those persons who do no
draw from their own resources; and the only wa7
to make Legislative bodies economical and con
sderate, is to keep constantly before the eyes of tn
representative the responsibility to his constitu
ents. Now, Sir, where would be the responsible
ity of the gentleman from Buncombe, safely en-
trenched in his mountains, to the people of New
Hanover. after having voted to tax them twice al
much as his own constituents, the whole of which
tax was to be spent in giving him good road t
=, Tennessee
e These principles, Mr. Speaker, appear to m
TOO plain to need much illustration and if it wer
> not for the agraran notions, which, under tn
mask of repnblicanism, are insinuating themselve