Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-01
CONTINUED fran Fourth Pags:l

,rhst~ ~
represen,aon both houses OF the general assembly
shall be furnished by white inhabitants, anc INC ot'e.
mo;etv BY taxes, without any regard TO thc elle
the ratio they respectively bear the one 10 inc o'
Here there is no simple combaa!'"n, or ass hut
the two elements, Of white population and taxes ous
each stands out separate and apart from te % '
each is to support in the fashion OF detacheo Piss
hat of the legislative department oucn ls' nm,
and noastrous in principle, which is sought TO DC en-
grated upon the organic law OF sigE!a. IL;
be rs operation and result in the dlstrioauon 0! po
power between the eastern and western sections OF
the Sti;e as compared win "hal Is oesu w. o'
.nxed bass pcoperl The aggregate OF the NO ele-
ments OF white population and taxes, the Respective
amounts Of which have already announced Is 43ooo
divide hat BY $780, the proposed number CT the house
of delegates, and the quoent wAtch OF course
would ne upon the mixed basis in that form the rato OF
representation. Upon this ratio, in reference 10 us
white population, and all taxes paid IN 1t, o.
licenses and Law process, the eastern secnoh OF tie
State would be Of the $50 members Of the house OF ue.
egates entitled to furnish 70, and the western section
in like manner to furnish r. majority in favor o. me
former Just S. In arriving at this result nave Counted
fractions in all cases where they amouhleo 70 VI eA
ceeded one half Of the dvisor as units and wefe 'hey
less than half have thrown them oHt ms course
shall pursue in every attempt may make 20 illustrate
nv views BY the employment OF hgurcs
On the other hand upon both the piaHs now proposed
bv eastern gentlemen Of allowing equal proportion
OF representation 10 each Of these elements, the east IN
the house of delegates Of $50 would &c allowed 81
and the west only SO members. giving MAJORITY
to the Of IA, which exceeds rs majority upon WAT
is supposed to be the mixed basis proper oy eight.
i obvious that this result ranscends ne JUST operation
OF what seems to be the principle upon winch
tlee base their claim to representation exceeding Inc
ratio of the white population Of their section END the ne
cessity alleged By them to exist or ITS apphcato III VT
gia That principle is that wealth Is entitled TO pro
lection AMI the alleged necessity Tor Its appncatlon
in the form proposed in this State is that es the sec.
ton which they represent more largely 70 the
public revenue than that wet Of the Blue hldse IN Or
der TO the protection Of s residents from undue TAXA
tion is necessary to invest them with political power!
beyond what would pertain to them as Tree "hile cti
gems Of the Comnaonw ealth
Admit for the sake of the argument thai TINS posi-
tou both in reference to the principe ana Tue les
necessity for its application Is correct I ~,
question recurs as the Legitimate extent OF tne eo
hpad ne-a,ion Of he two Should II be caffleu 80 ia
as TO give TO the smaller element VIZ the "
taxes already stated equal Weight III the sGaIe u RI
sentaton with the greater VIZ: Nnie aso ,nT
aggregate of the two it will be recoliected Is lsoooVi'
which tbe total of said taxes discardlng cents COM
only 1884 $40 parts, while that OF WINE poPula
ton amounts to s95S67 III laEoi %
the latter 36l 227 which exceeds oneourth OF inc sum
total of the two elements AMI that Q! taxes aonve 0
ora han v ner cent Thence it would seem to follow
ina, eastern gentlemen instead OF claiming TO base hall
the representation of both Houses OF the teleral AS
sembv rron taxes should limit their demand 50
brace only onethrd thereof and concsoe si!e la LUZ
two-th;rds to white population The effect "oal ee Ina
in House Of Delegates containing wv
would be ased upon white population, ana tue remaining
so upon taxes Another eec. would be- that the eastern
section would be entitled only to 20 meu'es tne exact
number which as already shown, she wouid nave upon
the mixed basis proper instead OF 81, which the Prn
cipe of the plan now under consideration would give
her aud instead Of having majority OF IA IN the House
OF Delegates her ma ority IN that body would ee OILY
sx-same as in basis proper. This surely would sui
fee for all practical purposes satisfy the rncipie
upon which eastern gentlemen demand that poatca
power shall be conferred upon wealth. anc al same Time
folly meet the particular NECESSITY Tor It's aPpncaeh
asserted By them to ex.s: In Virginia IL Wo11o give
theI at present. N. ioyity in both Houses OF the
General Assembly su:i lent to enable them to control
tie great subjects o. public revenue and expenditure
Aad that majority would never pass from them anti
the amour. Of Site revenue, deTraoe from taxatlc
in the section o. the Blue Ridge. had either at
tanned to equality with that drawn from the eastern sec
rion or SO approximated thereto, as for all prac-
ricsl purposes have produced between the two sec
lions, an equal and common interest IN regard K
those subjects Consequently the apprehended transi;
of power from the eastern 10 the western section
Of the State could not until the alleged ne
cessity for the application Il Virginia OF this principe
OF comforting political power upon property IN the pecu
liar mode suggested III the proposition OF eastern gem
tlemeu vii. have ceased to exist. This conclusion l.
corotorated b. the past history % the State IN rsa
lion to the relative increase of the amount derived fro
taxation in the western and that IN It's eastern section
Thus IL the former the excess OF increase between th
tion would, under the late re-assessEent OF lands
amount to about thirty per cent So IN the same Pc
riod the per centage Increase OF slaves, rs aread.
stated by in the western, over that IN the eastern
section considerable Thus then whether We loof
..xabe subjects generally or to slaves especially We
ind that the country west OF the Blue Ridge IS rap
idly gaining that east OF Il.
1t submitted therefore that eastern gentlemen upon
their pr srnses the soundness o. which. taken as
whole am no. be understood as admitting, e1eepi
f,rr &c %bo Ehn
raby their demand to protect their property oy con-
ferng political power upon it. In another part OF M
argument, think have shown, that for the complex
protection Of property of every description ana IN ever
part of the State is not either necessary or
in any form any extent, TO engraft any such pro
vision upon its organic law
Then it may, nav it will, be asked why and where
fore is it. that this odous principle IN this most unus
and unequal form, mas been borrowed from oou.n oo
ua TO be rveted upon the necks Of olarge majority
standing in the ratio Of 4s47 in the west 70 aol1os
in the east of the freemen Of Virginia
will not answer this question by the ascrpton Of
improper motives of any sort to gentlemen on tms noo
But rely upon it, that the answer which the mass u
that majority now standing of at distance and con
tempating our proceedings in silence but with anxlor
hearts who have not enjoyed the same opportunity witt
myself of estimating them, will be, that 1t has beer
prompted solely by the memorable purpose of the mi
nority to RETAIN strengthen and indefinitely PePeuate
their control over the majority.
Having shown you what is the relative weight of tn
two sections upon the proposed scheme and what would
be their relative weight upon the mixed basis schem
proper, let me call your attention to what woul
be the result n that respect of apportonment upo:
the basis of white population 1t would give in hous
Of hundred and fifty, eghty.three delegates IT,
west and sixtyeven to the resulting in weston
majority Of sixteen But by this political tusus naturo
this hybrid that you have brought forth her,
you only neutratize that majority and deny to th
the exercise of the power incident it, but go
transfer fourteen sixteenth OF it to yourseves-to tn
minority you whether in reason or Justice, there
be any necessity which would astf great an nv,-
sion thus describeit because eau find no mder tern
suited to express my dea OF its eec-upon the right.
of the majority of the freemen Of this commonwealth
and upon the great, essential and fundamental princ
pies of republican government It Is not necessary fo
your protection because have shown upon schem,
less stringent aud graspng you would still have
ory and would retain it until the progress of events
should have established practical equality between tn
two sections in the payment of taxes When that stat
of things shall come it will remove all pretence iol
doubt ana apprehension the subject OF abuse Of pow
er BY the aority snd will take from you The excus,
which you now set up for the retention of power il