Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-27

furnishing examples OIL represenose no further an
ertS and population Now, propose they were cases
u. ~ these authorities than that u,I norer wsre
where the restrictions upon the he COMPOSING the
self imposed The majority o. ~, and of their will
body had free seGps such restrictions How
!heS iposeu might plead win US haa we .ne
lar .nese "a. s unnecessary TO inquire. ne! Ger
Iainly cannot be relied upon 10 shs ma;or;tv
should impose ,h question which was discussing,
ut 70 ie,s LUZ ,cton Of our legislature IN organizing
III. bodr was in harmony WIN inc pliioip.S 40 VI
in ,b hin of rights. main'a ma shown i
war with those principles nosition taken by the gentle
uhieSs .nete rnnier than strikes my mind. lie says
h o, nv the people is proof that IL was IN
;,h tb r1le of the majority deny IT. ana llnk
hv SHOWN by far cou,se - this MIGHT safely an
e III ,;se who have turned their attention 10 ON
r. sonrcss nj information 20 say ~hethef am riS.t as
=, I ot,.r of fact or whether the gentleman from
p -. e r;pht in his assertion. AT all events, there
Jout whether the popular majority is upon
rho sdr which that gentleman espouses, or upon the
ny III hh advocate. Ought not this doubt to DC re-
orad; If,here is mode BY which we can determine
,h;s crave question, ought We not 10 embrace II A.
, ~ me that we should. There is way by when
,h t can be arrived at easily safely, and satisiac
;lv and that is by adopting the course which mas al
r,dy been suggested of submitting the Two scnehies o.
representation, about which we are mere patlis anu
,si ,lc neoplc pronounce between them. What oDec
t;on is there to thisi There is no constitutional alic
~ in the way of it, 1t as been the coursa of other
states New-York adopted il, did pennsylvania anu
New-Hampshire, and have just been informed III.
uIana. The thing is pracucaole. why not ny ~
The complaints that the people have not been permitted
| to make known their will are loud and deep: WnS,l
ask will not gentlemen unite III scheme "hch I Is 10
hush these complaints, and hush them forever. VIM
you not permit the people, speaking through lal dJo
rty which declares their will, 10 say whether they pre-
Ter the mixed to the suffrage or the suffrage 10 te H
ed basis If you really believe that they nave aifea
spoken is there any risk in allowing then 10
ii the gentleman from Fauquer so tliniy peisuacou
Thai \ majority of The people will ratlly constitution
.nn,a;nm ,he mycd basis as to .'brag Of his conf
dence in that result he, of all others, soud De me s
10 DENY the trial propose Are settehieh elfau "
rust It to the people 10 ehoGIe' nnnn the sraac m
SIS: viii they run the hazard of having attributed 10
,hcm willingness TO stie the voice OF Inc people VIZ
If having lost confidence in their capacity ior seis"
rnme.t beg gentlemen TO reflect thai the refusal i
poston so simple and fair will hut add 10 That icci-
g OF dsrust and dissatisfaction which already exists
uroa the part of those who make the offer to submit
these questions They already TOO keehy sehsio.e
If the resistance with which their efforts nave oec nel
whenever they have asserted their claims 20 political
equality shall moi 30 into history OF these sllils-
les It has already been furnished by those who nave
preceded me- and will not abuse the patience OF tlic
committee by repeating what has Deen nlrcaaS wen SCI
iorth Suffice it to say, that since loOo III various pc
RODS this same question Of representation mas agtatec
inc neople of dis Commonwealth. Those who have
advocated the popular basis have never been posuvc.
and absolutely rcpused hut they have been from UNI.
70 time put of By seeming acquescencc IN their o
mans partial recognition oil the prciPie 10, WHY"
'ev contended Such the case in lSlG, when tn
Senate was based upon white population, ana sch was
tie case in 1880, when they were tod that the APP
portonmen was made upon the population as shown b,
he census Of 1920, thereby encouraging 10 some extern
the expectation that the rc-apportonmen pro'iue ioros
two-thrd. vote Of the legislature would be made upon
the white population Of the State. Since, however
their eyes have been opened TO the fact that those VINO
:oid the power in the government, claim 10 retain II
pon the ground that the east pays the greater amount
ii taxes they not only feel alarm for the future bun
cep dIscontent at having been made the dupes OF what
G rank srSmP ss@ s.s fSs NOW
ton set forth in the bond lhey look 10 'hc OH OF
rh for the terms of the compact, and seeing there
forth that the majority have the right to reform the
fundamental law, they, composing that majority, come
Onward and claim the exercise OF this right.
Mr. Charmau frequent references have been made TO
examples furnished by history of the danger OF yielding
TOO iu plicv to the force of the popular will wit:
not dey that history furnishes too many instances oil
wi coseq ences resulting from the too unrestralneC
Exercise of that WILL But while this is ST., it is ais
rue that by far the fruitful of disorder,
aud bloudshed has been found to be in the reSts-
mce oil that mighty within the desperate attempts
shch the lei" have made TO maintain dominion ofei
he many And, sir. will go farther and say that Il
Almost all the struggles between those two classes,
So lousy affecting our deberaons-have been the
reat disturbing cause The contest between the bal hc'
numbers and the balance Of property OF no recent
lie. 1t is, perhaps coeva with the institution OF gov
.rnment Itself In tracing its history nave bcci'
ruck with the points Of resemblance when INC slris
,te that took place during an early period OF the Roman
nlstory bears TO the in which we are no" eeaScu
II was the memorable contest between inc Parlc'ahs
aud the eople do not refer to II win VIC" 10 III
dame popular prejudice, but of holding 1t up 10 our
of thp n mi
.omethnr of fidelity the extraordinary posiuoh inc!
nJw n. ainain. Under the plan OF the government o.
ltone, tney Lad assemblies OF the people. ne c'|c
were distinguished into curlG, centuries anu wv
several divisions ha wing reference to rehgious M'a
and political considerations. The centuries constitutes"
essentially the political division, and II IS 10 inc manner
in which th formed that propose 70 iook. INC
in which power was MADE 10 acco"'t''t .''t"
ncars no little resemblance to the contrs zee "hlch our
eastern friends are ur ing for adoption Inc people
we're divided into classes according 10 the rate OF ler
fortunes each class divided INTO centuries; o.'
the number Of centuries IN the different classes WAS "
uueuual th. those of the first richest class made
majority of the whole Thus, rs is shown by the table
100 200 asses pound Of copper entitled the own
er to place in the fist class: 10000 to place ~
The second; $4,000 in the fourth: 1000 Ill the NTH
and the remainder of the people having less than the
fifth were thrown in the sixth class. The whole were
dix dcd into 1913 centuries of which the first class con.
tanned ninety eight, being majority ." the whole In
this way the rich became masters of the legislature AM.
although the several classes were chiiS"u Win tNc>
and public service in the proportion which ,A"y We: Z
invested, with power the discontcnts and ',itics
upon the part of the people towards those VIII had
thus artfully taken themselves the control of ever
thing, rose to such pitch to defy all the encr-
gcs OF the government to maintain itself and re-
suited in the establishment Of the first dictator or mas
ter of the people But in the operation Of this lnse-
uiously c"utrivcd system there nothing which 50
strongly reminds Of the condition in which we are
now placed as the position which the Roman people
held TO the right of appeal to the people THIS WAS
the great charter of every citizen But to what end
this appeal granted' The patricians. by enrolling
themselves in the first and second classes had decided
majority in all the meeting of the centuries,
bes OF the people, that it was in effect appeal
from the patrcians to the patricians
Now the great charter upon which We have been
taught rely is the right of the people alter their
form of government the right to change, TO set aside
the governmental power But Of what value is the right
this governmental po,rcr direct, control
dfca its exercise by the people We appeal to the peo
pie for reform Of our government We are told that
majority have the right and power to do so. We
plain OF the action Of what is called the governmental
ma oity. We ask for assembly of the people 1t is
held But We find that this Sell same governmental
To- tbaD,sal1os in III Er.t