The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-27

By whatever name you may call 1t, Is essen
tally despotic. It is a well-settled propo'
sition Ia constitutional lay that While q oo:
yernment OF derivatiye powers, IKE tnat OF
the Uaited States, possesses only sucn pow
ers "a are qranted to it, 10. primary govern
ments. like those Of the several States. tney
possess all powers which are not rsulneld
from them by the Constitution. rhe Con-
stitution of the United States $50 gram o1
power, while the Constitution oil virginia IS
a limitation of power. U;.
For. the first time In the history OF VIZ:
oinia. and / believe in the history OF all our
sister States. we hlYea Constitution In Wnicn
there is no limitation on the power OF tue
legislature in regard to the most important
Junction of resoportioning Representations
No rule is .prescihed 10 our State Constilu-
tion for the government OF the LeglsMture
in nerformtpg this duty. The whole su,?ect
is leit to their arbitrary discretion. When
the time for the next aoportionment comes
1.-The Legislature may. IL it chooses, assign 10
| Richmond. or any other city or County, one
delegate. or it NAV give to it ten or niteen
They are not bound to have reference eltner
IN nopulasiop. or taxation, or any otnel III
terest of society as basis OF apportioniiien..
They NAV, for party purposes, give 10 Pai.
iicuIar localities preponderance "nicn 10
mt dine to it on any principle OF JUSTICE OF
sound policy. Should such po"e. as Iu,s
exist in auy constitution unrestraineu W ao'
Limitation on It's exercise! - o,.or.
But It may be said no lear neeu We e, 1 ~ O
tained that this power will be aousea ~ 'h he
Conservative party. Admitting .nls ~
true. we must remtmbe that cousltt TO-.
is thing not of to-day or lonoIIo",' ~ ~
destined to be permanent. no eau S.te m
| nm assurance that the CONSERVATIVE pnty Mnt
ALWAYS remain in power! DO hhoms 49,
narties may arise in the fnture auu ~ "n wa.
vile ends they might prost,tu.e .n,s s.suV
prerosative? Who can douoI that II sue ~ :,
mower bad been given to tne Cong!ess VI .n &c
United States, unrestra'ned py d hAeu iuie
of apportionment, 1t Would nave oeeu pei e,
yerted for the perpetuatlon OF tne po%ei ..
rho Radical party? Nay, who can douot
that If Inv divisions in the Conservative
ranks or other unfortunate causes, the hadl-
Gals were to get a majority in our Leg'sla,
tire thew would use their temporary and
accidental ascendancy to bring rs under the
permanent dominion of the worst classes OF
society. Distrust Of power is the nurse OF
| liberty. - -
To avoid contingencies like these, as well
as to do Justice to all sections, and classes, ano
parties. wished to incorporate fixed rule
of apportionment in the Constitution, which
would hold all parties in check; and as per-
sons and property are the two great interests
of society, aud subjects Of legislation, l
thought reference should be had to both in
fixing the rule of apportionment so as to a.
ford protection to both.
Another reason why wished taxation to be
an element in the rule of apportionment was
70 have some guarantee of fair assessments
of taxable property in the various counties
and cities by providing for loss oil repre-
sentation to those counties and cities WHICH,
by undeIvaluations, sought to shlrk tnelr
inst share of the burdens Of taxation.
Your suggestion that the restriction OF the
number of senators and delegates to be al
lowed to any one city or county to three or
five re,pectively savored of hostility to the
commercial Interest does me injustice. GER
taiply do not think that, under all circum'
stances, population and taxation should be
adopted as an inf1exible rule OF apportlon
ment. Take Maryland as an illustration. Ii
such we're the rule there the whole State
might be brought into subsection to Baltl'
more And so, at some future day, without
some restriction, Richmond, Petersburg
Lynchburg, and Norfolk might dominate
Virginia!
But, acknowledge. bad another contln
yency also in view. We all know that the
tendency of the co!ored population is to con-
prepate in our cities. Very few Of them are
bound by strong ties TO the country, and the
amlsements and social pleasures and other
inducements 10 be found in denscly-popula'
ted districts constantly tempt TO the cities.
Now, if you concentrate political power IN
two or three cities, this temptation VIII DC
greatly augmented. Richmond, Petersburg
Norfolk, and Lynchburg already hud 1t dlfh
cult to keep the management OF their a1air>
in the hands of the better classes OF tnelf
people. But if you were to otter the al
d,tional inducemeut to the rural popula-
zion of African descent TO flock to the
cities which would De presented to them
by enabling them tc capture tbe polllca
power Of the State by getting possession OIL
a few cities, in addition to the counties which
they now control, it would prove irresisti
Bile. A few thousands Of this class Of popu
Luton, imported from the rural districts and
iudiciously distributed in the cities named
would enable the Radicals to GARY the cleo
tons in those cities, and thus control the
state.
My restriction, therefore, was dictated by
no spirit Of unkindness 10 the cities. On The
contrary, it was framed in the interest o.
conservatism, and to save the cities from
the dangers of capture and sack by an iSno
rant populace, led on by Inscriptions az
1enturerS.
Respectfully yours,
ALEXANDER II. Il. STUART.