Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-20
T cnat,,v,d from First Page.

is to control or to diminish the equal rights
Of others.
have said that every member of the community has
nm eoual right to protection and may be important
10 inquire Whist is equality Of protection in reference to
life person and property according to the distribution
have made. life. person. family md property Can
there be doubt that the protection that Is to be
ed must be ample. to the extent OF the means OF the
STATED am not disposed to doubt it. freely admit,
and gentlemen of the east may make what they please
of it. that it sthe duty OF the State to afford the ampest
prot ectiou that is consistent with its ability and also
consist emit with the rights of all its citlzes The aid
or econ that is to be offered must DC proporonea
10 the necessities of him who demands it, or who has
need of it. Let lis take the OF acti2en living upon
The frontier aud another living in the interior OF the
State and suppose hostile army is about to invade the
frontier II the citizen living upon the frontier has
need of ten soldiers in order to protect him, does 1t
follow that you must also send soldiers TO protect
the citizens the interior who is i'll danger and VINO
does not need them Will you not give the aid where
it is needed. and withhold il where it Is n"t Let me
suppose another Suppose that the ONO ana ocean
frontiers are both assaulted by hostile armies anu @
upon the ocean frontier numbers Thousand men, Wi
that upon the Ohio frontier numbers but one Thousand
Now suppose the defence consists OF lhonsa
men, Are you to send FIVE thousand men 10 dcena ec
frontier or vii! Won make division OF your army Pro-
nortoned to the necessities of the case think no one
y;l doubt that this will be the rule in OF the kind
.upposed Why will not the same rueappy reference
10 the protection gentlemen are asking al our hanl-
wish to admit for the benefit of those gentlemen that
he protection which they entitled should be pre-"
oortioued to their necessity within the limits have As
signed wish to say also, tha. the protection 70 w!ch
the citizens of the west or the citizens OF any other
portion OF the State entitled Is not to DC Ill proper
zion TO their ability to pay for 1t. mat would be !,
l.orrid doctrine, and woud strike nj tiS very '' "
all social existence Although 1t is not alleged here III
terms vet il ia in effect that the protection TO which
raen are entitled and that which different sections OF
the State are entitled is TO be p:oporoned to their
ability 10 paw for it, and because the east pays more
than the west she is entitled to have protection by
means of representation in proportion 10 wha! she pays
without regard other interests and the west IS oh
10 have protection by means of representation IN pr"
portion to her contributions to the common fund;
Mr. Chairman there arc things against which the PEG
,e recre To be protected we'll us against hostile
armies We do indeed require in my section of the
State to be protected against the injurious compe''''
of our neghbors We have required IT, and 10 some e
TENT we have obtained it. Citizens OF adjoining State
have every facility afforded to them nv their
State governments for sending their produce I" th,
market common to them and hey convey then
produce to market Cincinnati, ~ mach less expense
Than we can We have no railroads or canals TO trans
port our produce from the interior 10 the Ohio. And
would ask whether there is not duty dev"lrn@ rro,
the government afford the protection which sue:
improvements would give But on the contrary. on
right 10 them Inns been denied b. gentlemen Upon III!
floor In this case ms in the other equality Is equity
There can be no rule which requires every individual
Imagine an extreme ii v,u pleasc-that the Com
nonwea!th is threatened b. ~ army greater than lie
resources will easily enable her meet: such army
used to desolae the plains of Europe Let it be Thunder
ng at our gates and what is condition. Must moi til
whole resources and ability Of the State he put III re
nuisition for its deence Ii we are called upon in hi
way shall l. who may perhaps be worth but one thou
and dollars be required to pay down III" whole or hal
OF it in order to protect the State and YOU wiz" M
worth one hundred thousand dollars be required TO pa
Al. ~ ,,1n
duty to the State requ .nt Jour contribution shs
re proportioned I" your ABILITY TO pay: appreher
that the latter would be the rule. And why not, whe
>, do require 70. far.0t rcs.'t q all y9
roperE sustain the Siata but only require You to
i've portion of il, according 10 ,st and equitable
Yles Shall not all then pay in proportion to their
b!ltv l. not that "GGiry in relation TO this matter
=: il be remembered .!!a when the poor man PCS .
~ onfypropor;onel his property, he in a" So. Il
e;ns heavier burden than The rich man. for he pas i
NJ az l- nece-stv while the ric: pays OUT al las
uperfu,v II ! am called on !" pav ten dollars. i :,
on please out oil thousand dollars. pay il ;rum r
~ necessity, take the none" perhaps which should d
n devoted 10 the education % my children, which I;
night have devoted other necessary purposes
+ You who are worth hundred thousand dollars. are
all.d upon to pay thousand dollars. do You pay it In
rom your necessity from those which are
needed for educating your children, or for similar pur
,osesl Or DO you not pay that which YOU can spare i
without any real Inconvenience If an I'D caorsm tax I;
impose heavier burden upon the poor man than upon
he rich Equality Of burdens is couencd for in bill d
# rights The rule ought 10 be, in my opinion, that tn"
axes should be proportoned to the ability Of the men e
vho to pay them and this We are in the habit "i
Measuring bv the value OF then property. III
[ have now got through what | consider matter pre-.
ininary TO the discussion OF this question 1t may have
zen dry and unnteresting but under the circumstances
felt myself called upon to make the argument | have
nav. stated hat there fundamental prnr les
t,p.i
before ua aud although il May not be entirely respect
Iu to quote as applicable to gentlemen til. opposite
side who derry such principles, the listich-- e
No man Ger Tel, the halter draw.
With good opinion Of the law"
I may be entirely proper to say that although may
not have succeeded in clucidating them full, -
v;ebed and may have made many mistakes and errors
n relation TO them. yet feel tolerblv confident that
,nve indicated the direction in which the inquiry sholl
e pursued feel also confident that when these rrin
,;pes are investigated by those entirel competent
.ch task and who will come 10 il in the proper spirit
III. argument will remain with the west. -
now propusc to consider What ! conceive To l,r 1ha
rna Question pending before this committee and that j.
whether property its owner Of ii j. emit
lied TO representation. lapprchcn that can scarce
" be contend:d. that property Is member Of the
it il Of the integers Of which have
shaken Il is not even the fraction Of incc.r II 4
cannot of itself have any rights but that is general
IL admitted need not attempt 10 demonstrate H. In
fact there is no property that can exist such indie
,endent Of an owner for however well alamcti Ia be
the subject of property anything may be- it is prop
erty until one has appropriated it To his peculiar
use Whatever character II has, ia derived from The
owner lproperty of itself is to be entitled to repre-
.entaton the property of an alien would he entitled,
and certainly this will not be contended for il is onl
entitled to our protection by the comfy OF nations /;
il hardly worth while to cite the stronger case "t the
property Of an alien enemy found among aud which
80 lar from being entitled to representation is even
entitled to protection but may be confscatcd at our
pleasure Whatever rights, therefore Ito exist in refer
pce to property, exist incidental to the personal
right of the owner and nothing can be claimed for
property itself.
II then the right of representation resides not in the
property, but in the person Of The owner presume il
will be allowed TO follow conclusisey. that equality Of
only exist among persons, and a,
property cannot directly enter into it. Blu, gentlemen
Contend that they cannot be adequately protected that
the State cannot discharge that great duty of giving them
an adequate protection for their property, unless thev
are allowed to have the superior number of the repr.