Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-04-29
y sa.ine snd 'appupriatine powers, II they

,thc saxing and apprupriatfng powers, II they
hare anv confidence ia your system Of represen-
tetion as safeguard against fhe same evils p
Caa you regard your pledges to 90 for constitu-
tional limitations in any other light than as con-
cesslona clear and ndisputabie, forced from you
by evidence which the human mind ccnld not
resist, that your nixel basis scheme affords no
protection whatever 10 the interests of property.
Iron which do you OF do your constituents now
rely for this protection IL it upon the mixed
basis representation, or upon wise and judi
cious system Of limitations7 fleft TO your con-
stituents To determine between the two, which
would they select as their most reliable safe
gaard1 They would tell you, II your purpose
Is TO secure power TO the East, take the mixed
basis II you wish TO protect the interests Of
property, adopt the system Of limitations
Does the history q the past snord =. any assursnee
treasury NJ this state Eastern ms5oy snordsa any
safeguard against abuses Of ths taxing and apropr
ting bowers OF the Why SIR, speak the
rnon sentiment Of almost every upon this doof-l
might almost say every Eastern upon this floor
when say that ID does not The enormous debt which
nov haurs over our treasury admit NOT 80
uea FOR magnitude as for the petty local and prot
purposes for which II has been contracted tell
that IL docs And ifbis Eastern majority, With It's
representation resting somcshat upon property quail
ncation in the elective xuchse has heretofore proved
no barrier against abuse; what may antiepate
from the majority resting hereafter IL will do,
npon system Of universal suIrage Ia which, have
already seen, amAjoity Of all the voters contained in
county asessablc with dollars Of taxation -
The gentleman from the county OF Loudoun tar. Jan
ueyt admts the force Of the view which am taking
Of this subject but seeks 70 avade It's force BY informing
that under the old constitution, by which the East
had a majority Of hftyfour IN the General Assembly,
had then debt Of but little than million OF dol
lars since their majority has been reduced by the
amended constitution twenty-five, the debt and li
bites have grown TO twenty millions Of dollars
End then be tdnmphant, leaves us to infer they had
majority at all, what the result might be- That y
vond be 81 all worseis, sppreend upon every logical
principle, parfect segtg. But the gentleniaBin
She esgerness ofdebate, has overlooked conclusion
which Is firi aud Logically dedubie from his prem
And Is Hs that Il Eastern majority, Of twen-
ty-two coad afford protection 70 property, fact
which he comedies, forori-an Eastern majority OF
fourteen Chained by the present schemel do
But tue gentleman from the county Of Ioudonu has
not looked into this aspect OF the question deeply as hs
usual habits OF Investigation prompt hai TO do There
which projected the taxing and approJtiating
powers Of che from abuse, uader the old con-
stitut oh which do exist at the present time. Repre-
ssptaou then do, upon propertythe freehold quail
acntion of sefrse aud the taxes then mainly coli
lected from land there was sympathetic cord between
the vote and constituent which very naturally restrained
In that particular Since that period suffrage
has much extended and the subjects OF taxation
almost indefDttoy multiplied and enlarged. Again SIR at
that day the idea had NOT such extensive root IN the
minds that the public treasury hausti
bic fund from nehthe convenience Of every man in the
community to be gratfed Government was then sup
posed perform It's functions X left the rests
Of their individual enterprise, confined tfeh to the
patronage Of such works only were byord The Just
measure Of Individual action But now ~ aid " fseeiy
habituay nyok ed by every who desires make
smooth his path, either to his church. hs mill, his
courthouse At that day this source Of public extraya
sance sort Of terra urognd u had not vet been
explored By those Afganauts who have since returned la
den With the golden fleece. At that day the public debt
ofs the STATES in the cenfedeyaey combined less
than Sl30U0O0 less than the snge debt this time
che little State OF Maryland. howt upwards of 2i,-
0000O There another wtl has escaped the
penetrating vision Of my friend from Lououn At that
day the railway had not been discovered, If discov
cred had not vet been introduced into this coantry
ffs
beca there then mode OF internal
communication known TO man suJe 70 the level reads
and fine navigable streams, with which nature has so
nunfcentiy blessed them tits there Rasthe Inee
River CAnal-that Serbonan beg
In which millions vast sunk,
vhieh fingered the aFIpobium OF State; bu. was
solitary work, attracting ana then only tfu and
esprcous attention from those Interested in its progress
The introduction of the railway has unfoded page
IN Eastern policy aud reyolatonzed all their theories Of
State economy. Otal the Improvements which te wit
OF men could have devised the best adapted to the
physical conformation Of their coustry. The result has
been perfect Of railroads trarghout that sec
ton Of the State running. very short distances
Hpart almost parae with each otherand others running
at acute angles, And have doubt unless some check
Il nterposed, there VII be, before many years,
railroad every county seat in Eastern Virginia. made,
Ia a great measure. NJ the pabte expense. .
The gentleman from Loadoan has now admitted that
her plan representation has failed TO protect the appro
prisng power Of te goverlnent but be says the fail
IRE Las been in defiance Of not consequence Of ss
ten. Sir, IL IL perfectly imniaefial to to
esitueuts whether the failure springs from which
hsTyrc cannot control or be the consequences Of the
syeten itself; whether Il be Of post Zoe ropfer
hos the e, Is the Ii sufficient forIe and my
people that failure. admittedly conceded
be, failure by It's friend. And ask gentlemen how
they press sach proposition upon sprapositi1n
odous nd offensive IN principle hated and detested by
overwhelming majority ofthe people of this
cah. IN the face OF the admissions made by tn enseves,
that Is Wholly npotent 10 remedy the evil which
they seek TO cure by itg f could he clearly shown 70
eesvsussle safeguard ofrroperty-however questions
bile then its expetiepcythere would stin be
thpy justify t. But IN the face Of the broad admission
shat 1t afforded adequate safeguard property, how
utterly without Justification this perseerng effort
Impose II upon the people Of Virginia
will proceed 20 consider those safeguards which,
10 my opinion, will not prove failure
Here AIr. Faulkner yielded TO the wish expressed BY
hs r.nis postpone his further remarks until the next
DAY. a
(Concluded neat ,ccek.) ~.