Since the declaration of independence, the laws of Virginia have been revised by a committee appointed for the purpose, who have reported their work to the Affembly; one object of this revifal was to diffufe knowledge more generally through the mais of the people. The bill for this purpose "proposes to lay off every county into small districts of five or fix miles fquare, called hundreds, and in each of them to establish a school for the teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The tutor to be supported by the hundred, and all perfons in it entitled to fend their children three years gratis, and as much longer as they please, paying for it. These schools to be under a visitor, who is annually to chufe the boy of the best genius in the school, of those whose parents are too poor to give them farther education, and to send him forward to one of the grammar schools, of which twenty are proposed to be erected in different parts of the country, for teaching Greek, Latin, geography, and the higher branches of numerical arithmetic. Of the boys thus fent in any one year, trial is to be made at the grammar schools, for one or two years, and the best genius of the whole selected and continued fix years, and the refidue dismissed ; by this means twenty of the best geniuffes will be taken from the mass annually, and inftructed, at the public expenfe, fo far as the grammar schools go. At the end of fix years instruction, one halt are to be discontinued, from among whom the grammar schools will probably be fupplied with future masters, and the other half, who are to be chosen for the fuperiority of their parts and difpofition, are to be sent and continued three years in the ftudy of such sciences as they shall chufe, at William and Mary college, the plan of which is proposed to be enlarged, as has been explained, and extended to all the useful sciences. The ultimate refult of the whole scheme of education would be the teaching all the children of the State reading, writing, and common arithmetic; turning out ten annually of fuperior genius, well taught in Greek, Latin, geography, and the higher branches of arithmetic; turning out ten others annually, of still fuperior parts, who, to those branches of learning, fhall have added fuch of the fciences as their genius shall have led them to; the furnishing to the wealthier part of the people convenient schools, at which their children may be educated, at their own expenfe. The general objects of this law are to provide an education adapted to the years, to the capacity, and the condition of every one, and directed to their freedom and happiness. Specific details were not proper for the law: these must be the business of the vifitors entrusted with its

execution. The first stage of this education being the schools of the hundreds, wherein the great mafs of the people will receive their inftruction, the principal foundations of future order will be laid here. The first elements of morality may be inftilled into their minds; fuch as, when farther developed as their judgments advance in ftrength, may teach them how to promote their own greatest happiness, by fhewing them that it does not depend on the condition of life in which nature has placed them, but is always the refult of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits. Those whom either the wealth of their parents, or the adoption of the State, fhall deftine to higher degrees of learning, will go on to the grammar schools, which constitute the next stage, there to be instructed in the languages. As foon as they are of a fufficient age, it is supposed they will be fent on from the grammar schools to the univerfity, which constitutes the third and last stage, there to study those sciences which may be adapted to their views. By that part of the plan which prefcribes the felection of the youths of genius from among the claffes of the poor, the State will avail itself of those talents which nature has fown as liberally among the poor as the rich, but which perish without ufe, if not fought for and cultivated. But of all the views of this law none is more important, none more legitimate, than that of rendering the people the safe, as they are the ultimate, guardians of their own liberty for this purpose, the reading in the first stage, where they will receive their own education, is proposed, to be chiefly historical. Hiftory, by apprifing them of the paft, will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and defigns of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every disguise it may affume; and knowing it, to defeat its views. In every government on earth there is fome trait of human weaknefs, fome germ of corruption and degeneracy, which cunning will difcover, and wickednefs infenfibly open, cultivate and improve. Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone: the people themselves therefore are its only fafe depofitories; and to render even them fafe, their minds must be improved to a citain degree: this, indeed, is not all that is neceffary, though it be effentially neceffary. The influence over government must be fhared among all the people. if every individual which compofes their mais part, pates of the ultimate authority, the government will be fafe; becaule the corrupting the whole mafs will exceed any ε private

private refources of wealth; and public ones cannot be provided but by levies on the people: in this cafe every man would have to pay his own price. The government of Great-Britain has been corrupted, because but one man in thirty has a right to vote for members of Parliament. The fellers of the government therefore get twenty-nine parts out of thirty of their price clear.

The excellent measures for the diffufion of useful knowledge, which the forementioned bill propofes, have not yet been carried into effect. And it will be happy if the great inequality in the circumftances of the citizens; the pride, the independence, and the indolence of one clafs, and the poverty and depreffion of the other, do not prove infuperable difficulties in the way of their univerfal operation.

CONSTITUTION.

The Conftitution, which was the first that was formed in the whole United States, is as follows:

We, the delegates and representatives of the good people of Virginia, do declare the future form of government of Virginia to be as followeth :

The legislative, executive and judiciary departments shall be separate and diftinét, fo that neither exercise the powers properly belonging to the other; nor fhall any perfon exercise the powers of more than one of them at the fame time, except that the juftices of the county courts fhall be eligible to either House of Affembly.

The legislative fhall be formed of two diftinct branches, who, to. gether, fhall be a complete legiflature. They fhall meet once, or oftener, every year, and fhall be called, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA. One of these shall be called, THE HOUSE of DELEGATES, and confift of two reprefentatives to be chofen for each county, and for the diftrict of West-Angufta, annually, of fuch men as actually refide in and are freeholders of the fame, or duly qualified according to law; and alfo or one delegate or reprefentative to be chofen annually for the city of Williamsburgh, and one for the borough of Norfolk, and a reprefentative for each of it ch other cities and boroughs as may hereafter be allowed particular representation by the leg flature; but when any city or borough fhall fo decrease, as that the number or perions having right of funrage therein shall have been for the fpace of feven years fucceffively lefs

than

than half the number of voters in fome one county in Virginia, fuck city or borough thenceforward fhall ceafe to fend a delegate or reprefentative to the Affembly.

The other fhall be called, THE SENATE, and confift of twentyfour members, of whom thirteen fhall conftitute a Houfe to proceed on business, for whofe election the different counties fall be divided into twenty-four diftricts, and each county of the respective district, at the time of the election of its delegates, fhall vote for one ferator, who is actually a refident and freeholder within the diftrict, or duly qualified according to law, and is upwards of twentyfive years of age; and the sheriffs of each county, within five days at fartheft after the laft county election in the district, fhall meet at fome convenient place, and from the poll fo taken in their respective counties, return as a fenator the man who fhall have the greatest number of votes in the whole diftrict. To keep up this Aflembly by rotation, the districts fhall be equally divided into four claffes, and numbered by lot. At the end of one year after the general election, the fix members elected by the first division shall be displaced, and the vacancies thereby occafioned fupplied from fuch clafs or divifion by new election in the manner aforefaid. This rotation fhall be applied to each divifion according to its number, and continued in due order annually.

The right of fuffrage in the election of members for both Houses fhall remain as exercifed at prefent, and each Houfe fhall chufe its own fpeaker, appoint its own officers, fettle its own rules of procecding, and direct writs of election for the fupplying intermediate

vacancies.

All laws fhall originate in the Houfe of Delegates, to be approved of or rejected by the Senate, or to be amended with confent of the Houfe of Delegates, except money bills, which in no inftance fhall be altered by the Senate, but wholly approved or rejected.

A Governor, or chief magiftrate, fhall be chofen annually, by joint ballot of both Houfes, to be taken in each House respectively, depofited in the conference-room, the boxes examined jointly by a committee of each Houfe, and the numbers feverally reported to them, that the appointments may be entered (which fhall be the mode of taking the joint ballot of both Houses in all cases) who fhall not continue in that office longer than three years fucceffively, nor be eligible until the expiration of four years after he fhall have been out of that office. An adequate, but moderate falary shall be

fettled

fettled on him during his continuance in office; and he fhall, with the advice of a council of state, exercife the executive powers of government, according to the laws of this Commonwealth; and fhall not, under any pretence, exercise any power or prerogative by virtue of any law, ftatute or custom of England; but he fhall, with the advice of the council of state, have the power of granting reprieves or pardons, except where the profecution fhall have been carried on by the Houfe of Delegates, or the law fhall otherwise particularly direct; in which cafes no reprieve or pardon fhall be granted, but by refolve of the Houfe of Delegates.

Either House of the General Affembly may adjourn themselves respectively. The governor fhall not prorogue or adjourn the Affenibly during their fitting, nor diffolve them at any time; but he fhall, if neceffary, either by advice of the Council of State, or on application of a majority of the House of Delegates, call them before the time to which they fhall stand prorogued or adjourned.

A Privy Council, or Council of State, confifting of eight members, fhall be chofen by joint ballot of both Houfes of Affembly, either from their own members or the people at large, to assist in the administration of government. They fhall annually chufe, out of their own members, a prefident, who, in cafe of death, inability or abfence of the governor from the government, shall act as lieutenantgovernor. Four members fhall be fufficient to act, and their advice and proceedings fhall be entered on record, and figned by the members prefent (to any part whereof any member may enter his diffent) to be laid before the General Affembly, when called for by them. This council may appoint their own clerk, who fhall have a falary fettled by law, and take an oath of fecrecy in fuch matters as he fhall be directed by the board to conceal. A fum of money appropriated to that purpose fhall be divided annually among the members, in proportion to their attendance; and they fhall be incapable, during their continuance in office, of fitting in either House of Affembly. Two members fhall be removed, by joint ballot of both Houfes of Affembly, at the end of every three years, and be ineligible for the three next years. Thefe vacancies, as well as thofe occafioned by death or incapacity, fhall be fupplied by new elections in the fame manner.

The delegates for Virginia to the Continental Congrefs fhall be chofen annually, or fuperfeded in the mean time by joint ballot of both Houfes of Affembly.

The