Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-17
1Ga,En,ssn from E;rst Paos.l

1n1Ions of dollars, what Will 20 naolCy NJ az IN IL
yor cf ths east in future produss state tho srsu-
,nsnt fairly aad strikes most extraordinary.
coming from gentleman OF his intelligence. First, no
axsrmss shat tie east. and the entire east guard
ian and protector against the effects and consequences
OF es-roins and rssss expenditure for purposes Of
internal Improvement. In that trusl Who have been
the prominent parties in this business Of log-rolns
Why Piedmont and the Wsst-the Valley somstinle'
receiving shars Of the spoilsand even IL
self now and then taking turn, - 70 g. II. nna
in Piedmont especially has united with the extreme
wsst in carrying out these logrolnS sehemes Without
regard to principle any dgsstsd system ior dsvs-
oping thu OF the State One secan says 10
tbs other assist NE in voting The appropriation dossre
by nv constituents and IN return will vote you youfs
Tn truth the process has been placed upon the footing OF
distinctly understood contract. HOW then can
the gentleman assume that the east and the whole
east 10 the propsr guardian aganat these Legislative
abses3 No portion Of the east except the Underwater
REGION can put in such claim, and even Tide il
may b pardonsd the expression has pursued most
ndiscrest and shortsghted policy in ito adiscrmnsts
opposton to all internal Improvement. II not wholly
mistaken III my judgment this discreditabls sysem OF
lsgsAtve bargaining is mainly attributable to the policy
pursued BY TdewAts, And IS to its effect, what did
hear the other day whom the report came IN showing
the appropriations for internal improvement at the last
ssaaon Of the lsgslaturef The gentleman from Logan
(Ar FnRausoE) rose in his place and remarked, There
now SEQ how many mud turnpkes takes to buy rail.
read" The railroads in Pledmont-the mud turhPlSes
IN trans Allegheny.
Had the delegates from Tde.wster been governed by
spirit Of liberal and enlightened policy on this sub
ect they could all timee have SO far eontros 1t a.
to conns the appropriations to great State works OF
character both judieous and productive
Again sir. docs not the gentleman from Loudoun
know tina. this system of internal improvement has
sprung up almost wholly since 1890 the period OF the
adoption Of the present constitution Before that tas
railroads were scarcely heard Of How then can he
gravsly argue before intelligent body like this that
ths introduction Of this policy is in any manner con-
nsctsd with the diminished ma orty OF the east result
ing from the operation Of the present constitution
To return then the point Of real practical interest
presented BY this of Things. renew tho inquiry
what reliance is TO be placed in the east as guardian or
protector against vastefu nudicous expenditure
consequence, excessive aud oppressive taxation: Tho
majority has been with the east in all time past aud
what is the result under the auspices Of that majority
Our comparatively trng State debt has been rolled up
TO sum including liabilities of all kinds not lssa than
twenty millions Of dollars and what have we to show
for but number of unproducve local turnplkes with
here and there with exception the broken links 9"
various uncompleted railroads and csnalef We arc
justified therefore in procaimng, rs do here pro-
claim that the existence of governmental majority III
the east far from being panacea for the evils re-
fsr ed to. has proven splendid failure Wrotche'
abortion which, 80 Tar from curing has but aggravated
the evil complained ok
We say, then, away with this pretext. On the ono
hand do justice to tho western people by recognising
them political equals in apportionng political power
the other show to the east that ludc'ous syst""
Of internal improvement will not increase their bur
dsns or il at all but temporarily aud the whole prob
Lam il at solved. Put into the constitution such
restrictions limitations upon the legs atl1o power
as while they will not defeat or seriously impair the
policy OF Legitimate internal mpEorements-dssgned
to develop the hidden and Astounding wealth
of the Stats-wll. at the time, not only prevent
tho expenditure of public money for purely local and
nsghborhood works, but put stop to that which in.
tnitsy worse, the dsmornlzng effect and tendency OF
AL la
OF legsaton and in this city-the party bargaining
with the other TO distribute and divide spoL the
mon contributions Of the whole Commonws and that
not upon high principles of State policy, designed to
improve and benefit the Commonwealth at large but Tor
the most part to subssrve merely local and neighbnr
hood interests thus producing the very result complain
cd Of bitterly by eastern friends OF taking money
TO use homey phrase, out of one mans pocket and
putting it into another Gentlemen have attempted I"
prove that their mixed basis is the basis of the present
constitution. II 30, beg leave again to PROFOUND the
practical question, Has your majority furnished any
curity or protection Will it furnish any against the
evils which all join i'll roprobatng! Will this sys
tenn Of log-rolling be discontinued Will, ask, tho
mixed bsis majority in tho east remedy those OWLS
the existence Of which alone gives color your pretcn
slonsl
The next point propose to consider, is the ground
upon which eastern friends claim protection to pro-
perty by giving to property share OF the representa-
ton They do not contend for it being right in it
gsished gentleman from Fauquer, Mr.. Scorr) and 10y
others that II interests were homogeneous, ns
it 10 termed that is, but for the heavy amount OF
slave population of the blue ridge mountains num-
bers alone would be the proper ratio "a representation
in our legislative halls 1t is solely for the purpose of
protection against oppressive legislation, that they pro-
pose give to the people in the eastern division of the
State a"d to the peopeo my district for understand
that we lose fraction by the suffrage bass) prepon-
dsranee Of political power BY virtue Of their superior
md tly n
ons in the shape OF taxes In other words for this pur
pose they propose conceded to give to voter
IN eastern Virginia greater weight and more potential
voice upon every subject of legislation than to free
man standing upon precisely the Same footing in the
west.
Ny colleague (Mr. FAULkSEn) has demonstrated con
clusvsly that to whatever extent the ,ri" es az
been recognized in the deS S Ron1 Of tho last Con-
snoald .eet occasions in the history of past
legislation this mixed basis scheme of representation
SO far as it back in the precise form in which
it is now presented hadts birth in the dark and bloody
hours OF the first French revolution But 1t Is not so
much to its historical pretensons that propose to draw
the attention of the committee. to the gross nconsist
ency which the scheme contains within ITSELF We have
asked the question what principle do you act on The
gentleman from Richmond Mr.. MRRlDTu) puts it frank
~ and directly Upon the ground that property needs
protection against those who have no property-n"t
simply that community possessing large mass of pro
pcrty needs protection against another community hay
ing smaller but he put it fairly and broadly upon the
ground that property in tho hands OF those who hnve
It. needs protection against those who have it not My
colleague called the attention OF the committee to the
reasoning furnished by Edmund Burke in relation to thu
application Of this principle in framing the organic law
OF the new born French republic of 1888 He asks the
question ask it, why do you not carry out the doc
trins to the point which it leglmately lends! Why
do you not place the political power Individually i'll the
hands OF those who have property that they may pro
tsct it against those who are without propertyt My
friend from Richmond Mr SrAxAnp forgetting that this
splendid production Of Mr.. Burkes-his Reelection.
tho Froncl Revolution but piece of oldbl"oded
sort relics upon it as supporting his position, J..
Let us sec then what says this profound political
tasis principle now sought to be introduced into tho or
ganic law Of enlightened republican Virginia He says
s tho ooutriysrs Of this scheme meant any sort Of
favor to the rich in consequence of their contributions
axss they ought to have conferred the privilege either
on the individual rich, class formed of rich
because the contest between the rich and the
poor is not struggle between corporation and corpora
;iou but contest between men and lnon-a contest II"
between districts but between descriptions II would
answer its purpose better the scheme inverted