Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-15

nss 4
In, Ought we, the representatives OF the people
Virginia, assembled in Couvention to rame consut
ton for the whole State, and the whole people Oh u
Stat snbmit TO them and ask them to accept from OF
hands constitution, by which they are required TO sl
render to sectional minority, the whole legislative Po"
jof the government Sir, maintain that We ouSht
make no such proposition to the people, and that inc
ought Indignantly TO reject it, if we do. 1t would
an insult on our par, to oer-it would DO dcsradatlc
i'll them to receive 1t.
Gentlemen say that these restrictions upon popul;
rights are necessary and expedent; that maJoEes al
unsafe in their action and must be Drdled Inc arg
ment briefly put is ts-It is competent for the maJorl
10 restrict itself by voluntary surrender OF power
right that this surrender should be made, because III
restrained maorties cncroach upon property and ar
dangerous to liberty. The majority can give no rcllao
guarantee, that this will not be done, Tor Inc reason I'M
heing the majority, it has power to repudiate the guar
anlce The only safety, therefore. is in giving III
power to govern to the minority, which holds the ar
ger portion of property-tat it for the good OF the ma
ority as we'll the minority this thing should be done
the minority cannot trust the majority with its proper
whatever promise bonds the latter may give, and ta
in truth the ma Orty ought 10 be unwilling to trust 1t
self"
Now has it occurred TO gentlemen that this is th'
precise argument upon which rests every govcrnmcn
in the world that takes power from the people; 1t i,
for the good of the people, that they should not be ef
govern themselves; they neither honest wise
enough be trusted with power they should therefore
select smaller number Of their own body, to contro
the government. How small number: Why, il +1O
0U0 of the people Of Virginia. because Of their greater
wealth. must rule 500, 600 who have less, is it not
that upon the same principle, any smaller number. be-
cause OF still greater relative wealth, may rghtfuly
govern yet larger majority; Upon the argument
carried little further you might ask the people OF Vir
sinia to restrict themselves vet more and to take gov
crnment OF mobiles, elective monarchy, consul
for life The principle upon which the ma jority is to
surrender control TO the minority does depend all
Oh the size OF that minority the proportion it bears to
the whole If We surrender 10 400 600, sur
render TO hundred, 10 fifty, to ono. Why, sir, the
autocrat OF Russia jusies his rule upon the ground
that the people not TO be trusted TO govern thom-
selves that it is for their good his tender and parental
caro- is exercscd over hem and that the Siberian exile
Is but monument of his unslceping sciicudc for the
general welfare. He thinks his government is, Of
all Others the best secured against the danger Of NAL
He thinks so, upon the same OF
Reasoning with that employed aere that the PEOPLE not
to be trusted with power, and that their safety and hap
ness are better secured in his hands than they would
Uc in their own.
MR. JAsNEY,) is to propose TO the people of Virginia
that form of government (which is capable Of prOdu-
cling the greatest degree of happiness and safety and is
most etcctua secured against the dangers of malad-
That is very laudible desire; one
which fully participate with him. The difference be-
is, that while he believes these ends will be
more certainly secured b. government whose most
important functions will be exercised by minority Of
the people, am persuaded that the happiness and safe
ty OF the people, only be secured bya fair and equal
upon whom It'll 10 operate and BY acqucscencc in the
will of the majority. maintain that the exercise OF
the Legislative power by decided minority Of the peo
pie Of the commonwealth, invested with authority TO
dispose of all the varied interests of the ory per
So NAL. administration Whether the power be exer-
and irIstlr 9th n n,
be inquired Of The right to exercise it, the power Of
tic minority to bind the majority is the fact TO be
dcmned and rcprobatcd.
l understand the gentleman from Louioun, Mr.. JAN
SEY,) and the gentleman from Fauquer. Mr. ScoTT.)
concurrg in opinion that the only danger be anici
pated, Of mslaminstration on the part of the maori
~ i'll the exercise Of the powers raise money by
TAXATION and TO appropriate the public monies, When e
Wed for purposes OF internal improvements. They III
,ist that ina-puch have Commonwealth to pro-
vide for which is geographically divided BY certain
range OF mountains, upon one side Of which, there i.
majority Of the people Of the State while the other
side. there is majority Of the prop~fty of the State
ought to arrange the Legislative power to throw
into the hands of those holding the greater amount o.
property, and paying the larger Of the taxes al
though minority oi the Inhabitants. the whole control
over taxation and appropriation 1t is wrong gen
.lemen that ore portion of the State should bear the
chief brhcn Of taxation while the oth= portion should
have the power to impose the burihen and dispose 0!
It's fruits This proceeds upon the idea that from want
Of Identity OF burthen there would be identity Of in
moi be restrained from heavy imposition for the reason
that The heavier share would fall upon their Eeighbors
and the lighter upon themselves. II in not right they
end, to put the power of taxation in the hands Of
OF while the chief contribution is to come
from another set oil men.
The fallacv II this reasoning, consists in confounng
tho equality Of blrthcn with the equality Of amounts
actually paid Now, deny that the East bears anY
heavier burden than the West The equality of burden
to he borne does not depend the payment of equal
amount, but on the payment OF an equal rate per
csnac OF taxes If the two sections Of the State
tribute to the treasury upon the Of taxation
the property they respectively possess their burden.
are equal If \, being worth 10000 pays 10 in
Is, he bears no heavier light than B. who is worth
1000, and pays l; each pay according their nb
t. and the imposition perfectly equal If the protcc
ton of property be the chief end and purpose Of gov
ernmen hae been urged in this discussion it be
conceded that property should pay the expenses of h
prot lection They who have most property to protect
most benefited BY the government Those who re-
ccvc the chief benefit should make the largest cnutr
button to tho government which confers those benefits
Ability to pay, and compensation arising from payment
alike attach in proportion to the value of the property
protected The yalGe Of property therefore the pro.
per measure of contribution If the West pays less in
taxes for the snppos OF government it ia because it has
less property Tor government to protect If the East
pays more it s because has more property protect
and each section paying in the ratio of it's ability to
pay and in the ratio of benefits received by the protec
ton which the government affords they pay equally and
bear equal burdens The individual who paws ono dol
lar thousand dollars worth of property has as
much interest that the taxes should not be increased
nay hnu he who pays dollars en- ten thousand
dollars worth Of property The smaller estate is leas
able to bear the augmentation than the larger The
remark may be extended from the individual citi-
the citizens Of county. What portion Of the
people of county are most adverse to increase OF
cves and upon whom docs the increase fall most hea-
iy; Those who have the least property and who are
consequently least able to bear it. So on still more
extended scale it may be said of the people Of the great
districts and divisions of the Commonwealth
1t has been somewhat amusing to witness tho array
which has been made this floor Of the vast amount
81 property held in ginia and the enormous
taxes which borne BY tho people At the same time
- are haunted with Our poverty Certain counties Of
the west arc pointed to- paying less than tho cost OF
their representation The east i. aboudug in riches
tha she cannot come into equal partnership with
IL Mt all venture to say that western Virginia not
only bears equal burthen with eastern Virginia. but
tha in proportion to the value of property, pay
more We pay at the same rate lands and other TAX
able property. We hare the subjects Of taxation
which the east has If cattle household furntur.
tc, arc untaxcd the property is untaxed in the
east But then there is other property this side
the mountain taxed Slaves under twelve years OF
lgc are not subjects of taxation This class by the