JB/012/221/001

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1824 March 14 3

violation of true principle, either by requiring a greater age in
one of the bodies, or by electing a proper number of Representatives
of persons, by dividing them by lot into two chambers &
renewing the division at frequent intervals, in order to break
up Cabals. Virginia of which I am myself a Native & Resident
was not only the first of the States, but I believe I may say
the first of the Nations of the earth, which assembled it's wise
men peaceably together, to form a fundamental constitution, to
commit it to writing & place it among their Archives, where
every one should be free to appeal to its text. but this act
was very imperfect. The other States as they proceeded successively
to the same work made successive improvements, & several
of them still further corrected by experience have by Conventions,
still further amended their first forms. My own State has gone
on so far with its chamber; but it is now proposing to
call a Convention for amendment. Among other improvements I
hope they will adopt the subdivision of our counties into wards.
the former may be estimated at an average of 24 miles square.
the latter should be about 6 miles square each, & wd. answer to the
Hundreds of your Saxon Alfred: In each of these might be. 1 an
elementary school. 2 a company of Militia with its officers. 3. a
Justice of the Peace & a Constable. 4 Each ward shd. take care of
their own poor. 5 of their own Roads. 6 their own Police. 7. Elect
within themselves one or more jurors, to attend the courts of Justice
8. and here give in at their Table house, their votes for all functionaries
reserved to their election. Each ward would thus be a
Small Republic within itself & every man in the State wd. thus
become an acting member of the common government, transacting
in person a great portion of its rights & duties, subordinate
indeed, but important & entirely within his competence. The
wit of man cannot devise a more solid basis for a free
durable, and well administered Republic.

With

Identifier: | JB/012/221/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 12.
Date_1	1824-03-14	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	012	Main Headings
Folio number	221	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	correspondence	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f3
Penner	richard doane	Watermarks	j whatman turkey mill 1823
Marginals		Paper Producer	jonathan blenman
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1823
Notes public	copy of part of letter 3071, vol. 11	ID Number	4282
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