Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-19

Die, and | doubt, sir, II ever they "te'nP' ~
ntimidate your representatives. mean 'he
Of Eastern Virgina-by threats
If violence for expressing their honest opinion
n any assemblage that may be called LOT 10,
he purpose of consulting upon the puoAc
veal. Sir, they are not disposed to threaten
nor to revolutionize. They have been charged
with being suhmissionsta. Sir, IN one sense
Of the word, if it means Submission to the laws
of the land, they are submSslonISS. or, l
have had occasion to look back little To the
history of the observation-disclosures, OF the seces'
sionists, in other words They are not recent
marty. believe sir, the first antI-subn'ss'oh'
iist was found in the original government gwen
TO our first parents. Eve, sir, would not sub
nit to one single restraint; she reoeiie' l5al,s
the government given to her by Goa hit'sel';
We in Northwestern Virginia are MOI prePareu
for revolution or secession. we VIC" sce.'
sion and revolution as dangerous eApeo'e"t''
while they may be resortcd to III extreme cases.
We acknowledge the right of revolution ~he''
all efforts to obtain our rights shall DC eAslaua'
ted, but not before. Sir, we look upon Tue rIo.
Der and murderer as anti.suhmlSs'oh's's' io'
they will never submit to the laws ana We ie,
GARD them as the most preciptate secesSlol'SN
Of MI others in the world, for the moment tncy
commit their terrible crimes they ny precipl'
to,elv away. We do not believe IN any such
system of secession as that. We desire 10 pe
a law.abiding people and are opposed 10 any
course Of action in conflict with that p'lnc'i,'e,
With regard to the resolutions now under
consideration, | will say. that am ANXIOUS
that they shall lie acted upon, ana That 'ii'S
shall be raised. fairly raiseG, To con-
slider the subject referred 10 ~ those fesoiu'
lions know, sir, if the appointment Oh t!'a'
is lett to you it will bca lar ana ini,
martial committee. trust, sir, that we shal
have 4 committee 10 consider this delicate SUD
i.cte and that measures will he inau1nrated Tor
tho puruose of rcconcilng the East and " est
upon that delicate question, anu that equal anu
foil Justice will be d"rc 10 al the eS'ef''
people. :,,:.,,
Sir, they are unwilling to see partial icsiSia
ton in reference 10 this institution, especially
at time when our interests have been SO
much disturbed in consequence Of the rights
Of that peculiar property being Disturbed or
assailcd. Let me suy, sir, that we VIII stand
Ly YOU to the last; we will stand ~ the pr'n-
chile of Justice t. tic last; we will defend you
against aggression from your enemies; but iet
me beg OF you to remember that we have
rights, that we are peculiarly sensitive upon
this subiec, Of equality We may NOT have rs
much property as you, We may no! have Us
much of that peculiar kind of property as you
have, but we are unwilling to See ore man pay
$500 taxes and his neighbour pay So upon pro.
perty Of probably equal value. It Is all riSht
when assessed upon the al ral0rem principle
Would you have your neighbor pay as much
taxes as the man whose property, under the
same assessment, would be far above
his in value? 1t IS unfair to require
IL. Sir, we are not all equal III proper
ty; We are not, in fact, equal IN anything
II we are homogeneous community that ought
to live in peace together, We ought to have a !,
rule by which the burlhens should fall in equal
., oportions upon all. ! desired to say SIMPLY
what have said to put myself right, and
trust it will be the pleasure Of the Convention
to raise committee to take this subject into
considerations 1t may be that the committee
could not act upon it during this session, but
wish The people Of the West To know 'thst THIS
Convention has indicated willingness to consld-
err it, offered resolution few days ago TO
raise committee to Which all resolutions rela-
tive to taxation shnnld be referred. have no
choice, however, as TO the form ii which an en-
ouiry shall he made. but want it to 10 made;
and ii il shall be the opinion of committee,
fairly and mpnrtially raised. that no action
should b. taken in the matter, why, VIII
submit.
Mr.. FlsuER-l desire TO say in relation to
the remarks Of my friend from Preston, (Mr.
BRewS,) that some Of them seem 10 me to have
been inappropriate to the present occasIon.-
His remarks in relation 10 submission, would
have been more appropriate, it seems to me,
in discussing the question upon the resolutions
reported by the Committee 0n Federal R-la'
tons
But will my friend from Preston. while in
sisting that the North West will not consent to
occupy position unequal to other portions Of
the State, maintain with equal irmncss, that
they will submit to no inequality in represent
tation or taxation in the General Government!
From wha, has taken place here, We are TO in.
fer that at least some of the gentlemen from
tho Northwest are willing to submit to in.
equality in the Federal Union.
Now, sir am indisposel to submit TO in
equality either in the State or Federal Union.
If my friend will carry out, in good fath, the
pighted faith of North-Weslern, Eastern and
Western Virginia-the pligh:cd faith, pledged
in the Convention Of 1850 to leave this ques-
tiona.ndisturbed until 1865, sill meet my
friend; and then il he shall satisfy me
ut that year it is necessary to consider
whether or TO any inequality exists as
TO taxation or representation whether we
may want rc-assesStncnt Of the value
of lands that are rising SO rapidly as that tho
best calculator cannot estimate their value, eS
pecially those lands in which tie oil springs
are situated, less than 81 900 or s., 600 an
acre. And, perhaps, when We come TO all
adjustment Of this question, we shall ascertain
that we gain as much by rc-assessment Of
the lands ia the West Us we lose in Eastern
Virginia BY taxing slaves under twelve yeprs
of age.
am sure that mr friend docs not mean 10
iI:ct any injustice On Eastern Virginia. | ain
sure that he II. ; taken the same view Of this
matter that has presented itself 10 the minds Of
many other Western men on tins floor; but
they, like him. will find their estimates Of
the advantages now looked for from the pro.
posed change to turn out very differently from
what they now imagine.
But, sir, it seems TO me it would be breach
of faith on the part of Western Virginia TO dis
turD tIlS GueSLlUIl DctOiC tIie fCai i'1oo
Mr.. BgowS.-Wil my friend permit me to
make an inquiry?
Mr.. FIsnER-Certainly, sir.
Mr.. BRowN.-Do ! understand the gentle
man US conveying the ilca that the taxation
question was to remain undsturbcd until
1865?
Mr.. FIsnER--I was under the impression
that such was the understanding
Mr.. BRowS.--It was not, sir. The only
question that was to be left undSturbed until
1865, was the basis Of representation, and you
know that, Mr. President
Mr.. FIsuEn-It follows as necessary con-
sequence that taxation is not to be disturbed,
because representation in the Senate is based
upon taxation and population, while in the
House Of Delegates it is based npon population
alone. When, therefore, they consider the
question Of representation, they will have 10
consider The question Of taxation.
understand, too, sir, from the Examiner
of this morning, that the ulan who ought to be
the representative Of the whole Commonwealth