Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-07-24


composed of the counties of Buncombe, Hender-
son and Yancy, It contains a population OF 49,
O57 whites and paid into the State Treasury IN
|1eI1 50 152 70 1t is represented IN the Senate
bv one member, and by four in the House OF Com
mons, The district represented on TINS moor oy |
me, has white population OF S,64O, and Pald 10
tbo Stat, Treasury in lS47, s., 59S SO. Thus we
sne Sir, that the people whom have the honor to
represent on this floor paid into the State treasury
in 947 SAG 10 more than the constituents OF the
gentleman from Buncombe and are representeoln
the Legislature by two members less should the
gentleman from Buncombe succeed in his wishes,
to change the representation in the Senate the Peo
pie of Pasquotank and Perquimans, although pay
;nsr LARGELY more revenue than Buncombe, Hay
wood and Yancy, would be unrepresented in the
Senate. and would stand as two to four IN the
House of Commons. .
Now, Sir, / appeal to the genteman's own fair
ness. and ask him if he had the power, would he
commit such rank injustice as this In what are
his constituents oppressed by the present arrange
ments of the Constitution They nave largely
the majority in the House of Commons no bill
can POSSIBLY become a law without the approval
of the Western members, and in the Senate his
has an equal vote with my constituents, although
they pay much less revenue to the State. Does the
gentleman think it a grievance, that, because he
desires a splendid scheme OF Railroad extending
to Tennessee, he has not likewise the unlimited
power of taxation, which would enable HIM to
throw the larger part of the burden of such Rail
road upon people who have not, and never can
have any interest whatever IN 1t
Whatever may be the wishes of the gentleman
from Buncombe on this subject, will not believe
he speaks the feelings of his people The land OF
the mountain and the torrent is proverbially the
abode of the free and the brave. will not believe
that, whilst they cherish so tondly the lnesumabe
blessings of freedom they would, knowingly, place
upon any portion of their brethren most oppress-
i've burden. Why, then, gentlemen may say, re-
iect a Convention In reply, vote against Con-
yentiop not because doubt the justice and fairness
of the people of the West, but because have no
confidence in the politicians who would fill that
Convention. The gentleman from Buncombe, who
would doubtless play conspicuous part IN that
Convention should it assemble, has already told us
that he desires the power, and the MEANS to make
an extensive Railroad. Such being his wishes,
he would think it all right and proper, and would
be even able to convince OF our Eastern poll
teal sprants that the interest of the State would
be vastly benefited by transferring the right to tax
from those who pay, to those who do not pay.
! No man in the Senate is more ready than my
self to strike from constitution any feature that
is burdenSome to the West or to give them any
additional guards for the protection oftheir persons
and property. But when gentlemen get up here
and cooily tell me, they wish the right and power
to put their hands in my pocket, and take my mon
ey without my consent, to cut down mountains and
fill up valleys, from which can, in conceivable
manner derive any benefit, they must at least ex-
pect severe scuff1e before they succeed.
What sir, was the object in the formation of gov
eminent? Solely and for no other purpose, than
the protection of persons and property. Property
is exclusively the creature of government. And
when to this fundamental principle of all govern
ments, there was added, by the American revolu-
ton, the great conservative principle that taxa
ton and representation should go together" our
ancestors supposed they had perfected the designs
of this institution.
! do not believe, sir, that the wit of man could
devise more perfect scheme for the security of
the persons and property of an extended common
wealth, organized upon republican principles, than
the present basis of representation, contained in
our present Constitution. The House Of Commons
represents persons for although the basis is fed
eral one, slaves being in the eye of our law both
persons and property, still the House of Commons
may be said with truth purely to represent the
white population of the country, as that population
has vast numerical majority, and alone speaks
through the ballot-box, and controls without an
effort and without dispute the proceedings of that
House. The Senate is based upon taxation and
is intended to the property of the different
sections from invasion, or from being used for pur-
poses alien to that property, or in which it could
have and feel no interest. 1t is based upon the
pay for the support of government, should have
some voice in appropriating its revenues. Mr..
Madison said in the debates on the federal const-
tuition, that wherever there is danger of attack,
there ought to be constitutional power ofdeence."
This was the opinion of one of our greatest men,
before the discovery made, that perfect wisdom
resided in bare majorities, whether that majority
had any interest in the subject or not.
Now would ask the gentleman from Buncombe
how long would the taxpayers of the large tax
paying counties Of BERTHE, Halifax, Warren, and
New Hanover have any control over their prop
erty, fit not for the protection afforded them
in the Senate against mad schemes of internal i'm
provement, and other prodigal waste of public
money?
No persons prodgal, or liberal, if you
please, of money, those persons who do not draw
from their own resources; and the only way to
make legislative bodies economical and consider
ate is to keep constantly before the eyes of the re-
preventative his responsibility to his constituents
Now, sir where would be the responsibility of the
gentleman from Buncombe, safely entrenched in
his mountains, to the people of New Hanover, af
ter having voted to tax them twice as much as his
own constituents, the whole Of which tax was to be
spent in giving him good road to Tennessee?
I These principles, Mr.. Speaker, appear to me too
plain to need much illustration and if it were not
for the agrarian notions, which, under the mask of
republicanism are nsinuatng themselves in society,
they would meet with no dissent, because they are
perfectly fair with foundations deeply laid in the
unalterable DrinciDles of truth and iustica