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Show TD E 1\tiSSOURt QUESTION. tion in which the 'qnality of vot. waR preserved, nnd the I firRt fH]UCn.tnishnl'SS Oil the sul>jC<'t of not, using, Ol' CVCII allmli 11g to the vvonl sln,very, or making it a part of our politicu,\ mnehinery, wa shown. In this compact, the valuo of the Jnnds and improv mcuts wns mn.do tho rule for apportioni11g the public uurdcns n.11d taxes. But the Northern n.nd ho.slcrn States, who u.rc always much more alive to their interests than tho Southern, found thai their sqn mnishnesr. was inconsistent with their in lcrcst; n.nd, as usual, mucic the latter pr vail. rrhey found it wns paying too dear for th •ir qualms to ke p their hand from the ,·\aves any long ·r. At. their instnncc, n.nll on their motion, ns will appcnr by a r ·fercncc to the journals of the old Congress, the making ]:w<ls the rule was chang d, and people, including the whites ttntl thrc -fifths of other descriptions, wus adopted. It was not until in 17 l, that the confc(l •mLion was nclopicd by, nnd bccnlllC uin<ling 011 all the "1ln.lcs. ThiH misentblc, fcel>le moek<'ry of government cr:nvJeu on until 17 5, when, from New York's refusing to ogrcc with all the States to grn.ni to CougrcRs the impo."i, (I nm not sure, but I believe she slood alone in the rcfu. nJ,) the tn.tcs determined no long r to put up with her conduct, and absolutely rebelled ag-uinst the government. 'l'he first Slate that did so w::tR New ,J rRey, who, by a solemn net pnsse<l in all its proper forms by her lcgisln.inro 11nd government, most positively and absolutely refw~ed any longer to obey tho requisitions of Congress, or to pay another dollar. .As there was no douLt other States would soon follow their example-ns Pennsylvania shortly did-Congre. s, awnre of tho misehiefs which must arise if a di:solution took place of the Union before a new government conld be formed, sent a deputation of their own uody to address the l gislntnre of N cw J cr. ey, of which I was nppoinLecl chairmnn. We did repair there, and addressed them, and I had tho honor and happiness to carry buck with me to Congress the repeal of her uct by 'l'Hl~ MJS~OURl QUES'PION. 21)5 New J<:I"Oy-o. Stale, dm·ittg- Lhr whole of tho revolution. ary wtLr, celebrn.te<l for Iter pal rioLis111, and wl 1o, in this liOUlC i·H'lf-dcnin.J, nnd forgelf'u]n('HH of injuries ittfli<·l c<1 hy New York on her and the rest of the Union, exhiiJii<•d a <1il:iinlcrestedness unci love of Uniou whi('lt did her the highest honor. rl1hc revolt of N cw .J enwy and Penm;ylvnniu. nc<'el•ratcu tho new CoilstiLution. On a motion from Virg-ini;~ tho Convention met at Philadelphia, where ns yon will fintl from Lhc journal:;;, we were repeatedly in danger of dissolving wiLhoui doing nny thing; thai l>ody being equally divided as to larg-e rwd HtlHtll Slate:-;, n.nd a<'h having n voi<', nnt11he nllln.lJ lutes in r-;isLing 1110st pcrtinneiously, for ncar six week., 011 cqunl power in hoLh hranch<'S-notlling but the prudence :uHl forhcantnce of th' large 'tnlcs Raved tho Union. A compron1isc wus nm<lc, that tuc Hnatl l tales nnd large should l>o equally r<'prc~ent<'d in the Scnn1e, and proporti onally in the 1 low.;c of' H.rpresenlativcs. J urn now arrived at the ren:on for which 1 have, si 1·, taken the liberty to make these pr ·l iminn.ry rr tntll'ks. },or, uR the true motive fo1· all this dreadful clamor throu~hout the Union, this serious nn<l eventful attack on our most ·acre<l and vulnublo rights nnd propcrtieH, iH, to gn,in a fixc<l asee1Hieney in tho representation in Congress; nncl, UH tho only flimsy excnso under which the N orthcrn nnll BasLcl'll States shelter themselves, is, that they hnve been hnrclly treated in the rcpresentuLion in this liousc, and thnt they hn.ve lost the benefit of the compromise they pretend was mauo, nnd which I shall most posi tive ly deny, and show that nothing like a compro~ ruiHc was ever in tended. By uJI the public expenses being horne by in clircct taxeR, and not direei, a wns expected ; if I ca.11 show thai all their pretensions and claims arc wholly nntrue and unfounded, and thut while they uro fully represented, they did, by force, or aomothing like it, deprive us of a rightful part of our rcpre- • |