Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-05-17

his constituents oppressed by the present arrange
ments of the Constitutions they have largely tne
/ possibly become q law without the approval Oh the
4 Western members, and in the Senate his mas an
equal vote with my constituents, although they pay
i much less revenue to the State. Does the genue-
man think it a grievance that because he desires
splend;d scheme of Railroad extending to Iennes7
see he has not likewise the unlimited power OIL tax
I alton which would enable him to throw the larger
part of the burden of such Railroad upon people
/ who have not and never can have, any interest
whatever in it?
Whatever NAV be the wishes of the gentleman
from Buncombe this subject, VIII not oeneVe
he speaks the feelings of his people. me lana Oh
the mountain and the torrent is proverblally the
abode the free and the brave. will not bcheve
that whilst they cherish so fondy the lnestlmaoIe
blessings of freedom, they would, knowingly, place
upon any portion of their brethren most oppres-
sve burden. Why, then, gentlemen may say, re-
iect Convention? In reply, vote against Con-
vention not because doubt the justice and fairness
of the people of the West, but because L have no
confidence in the politicians who would fill that Con
vention. The gentleman from Buncombe, who would
doubtless play a conspicuous part IN that ConVeh-
tion should it assemble has already told US that ne
desires the power and the means, to make an extern
sive Railroad. Such being his wishes he would think
it all right and proper, and would be even able TO
convince -four Eastern political aspirants 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 myself,
to strike from constitution any feature that is
burdensome to the West, or to 1--WE them any addl-
tOnal guards for the protection OF their persons ana
property But when gentlemen get up here and cool
~ tell me, they wish the ght and power to put
their hands in my pocket, and take my money Win
out my consent, to cut down mountains and Till up
valleys, from which can in no conceivable manner,
derive any benefit, they must at least expect very
severe scufhe before they succeed.
What, Sir, the object in the formation Of gov
crnmcnt? Solely, and for no other purpose, than
of and
is exclusively the creature of government. And when
to this fundamental priacipc of all governments,
there was added, by the American revolution, the
great conservative principle that taxation and re-
presentation should go together ancestors sup
posed they had perfected the designs o. this insti-
tuition.
do not believe, Sir, that the wit of could
devise perfect scheme for the security OF the
persons and property ofan extended commonwealth,
organized upon republican principles, than the pres
ent basis of representation, contained in pres
ent Constitution. The House of Commons repre-
sents persons, for although the basis is federal
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 popu
laton Of the country, as that population has vast
numerical majority, and alone speaks through the
ballot-b box and controls without effort and with
out dispute, the proceedings of that House. The
Senate is based upon taxation, and is intended to
cure the property ofthe different sections from in
vason or from beng used for purposes alien to that
terest 1t based upon the plain and obvious truth,
that those persons who pay for the support Of gov
eminent, should have some voice in appropriating
its revenues Mr.. Madison said, in the debates on
the federal constitution, "tat 'whercver there is
danger of attack there ought to be a constitutional
power of defence" This was the opinion of one of
greatest men, before the discovery WAS made,
that perfect wisdom resided in bare maj orites,
whether that majority had any interest IN the sub
ject or not
Now would ask the gentleman from Buncombe
how long would the taxpayers of the large tax
paying counties of Bertic, Halifax, Warren and
New Hanover, have any control over their prop
CITY, if it not for the protection afforded them
in the Senate against mad schemes of internal i'm
provenent, and other prodigal waste Of public
money?
No persons are so prodiga or LIBERAL fyou please,
of money, as those persons who do not draw from
IL cir own resources and the only way to make leg
slatve bodies economical and considcrate, is to keep
constantly before the eyes of the representative the
responsibility to his constituents. Now, Sir, where
would be the responsibility of the gentleman from
Buncombc, safely entrenched in his mountains, to
the people of New Hanover after 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?
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
rcpublicanism, nSnuating themselves in society;
they would meet with no dissent because they are
perfectly fair with foundations deeply laid in the
unaIterable principles of truth and justice.
Since the passage of the Free Suffrage bill, md
the removal of that invidous distnctinction which
existed in all the counties, between the land holder
and all other tax payers, which was often unrea-
sonablc, can see nothing in the Constitution to
be complained of which cannot be remedied
much better by legislative enactment than by a
Convention.
As to the idea which has been very industrousy |
circulated, that Convention would be composed by
men less likely to be governed by selfintercst it is
a mere deluson-a mere coinage of the brain. The /
inhabitants Of the taxpaying portions of the State
will never consent to go into Convention, unless !!
they disposed to surrender at discretion-a folly
of which do not suppose them capable. 1t is in !
correct to suppose that the Senate is organized upon
principles Since the passage of the Free
Suffrage BILL the Senate is perfectly the repre- |
sentative of the poor the rich The true question
is whether the poor residing in the county |
where the property lies which pays the tax, would
be likely to know what burdens it could fairly
bear, and have some sympathy with its owner, than
The poor man living some hundred miles off, both |
stranger in interest and feeling 1t is, in fact truly
sectional question; and whenever it is brought to
issue, the great law of selfinterest which, when
is the greatest security for any people,
will combine beth the rich and the poor against
plan which is, in truth, nothing more less than
scheme for legislative plumber and eXtortion.
To convince the Senate what little there is |
or complaint against the working of the present |
Constitution, will state remarkable fact drawn
rom the public records.
The following countless viz Burke, Cabarrus,
Caldwell, Catawba Cherokee, Cleaveland, Davidson,
Oavie, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, IredelI Ma
;on, Mcdowell, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph Ru-
herford, Stanly Stokes Sury, Wilkes and Yancy,