The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-13
Miscellaneous.
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
NO. /.

and the falary annexed to his Office, have occu-
pied much OF the time of the Legislature, and
much of the attention of the community at large.
1t is fomewhat hngular that a flbieet, appa-
rently OF 70 little Importance, fhould have ex-
cited fuch general and durable interef. l will
endeavour to explain the caufc.
The exiftence of this Office is, believe, near
ly coeval with the etablihment of our republic.
Printer after printer was elected in fucceflion
andwhen the annual ceremony of nomination
and election was over, nobody thought any
thing more of the paltry affair. But the politi-
cal feyer which ragged in '9s and '99, extended
ITS contagious influence even to this little buff
neis. There were, at that time, / believe, four
newspapers in Richmond: The Virginia Ga
zette, The Virginia Argus, The Virginia Fede-
raiiit, and The observatory. Thefe were di-
uded between parties two of them were fcde-
raiifts, and two republicans. But the printer of
the Virginia Gazette was alto public printer
He was, therefore, leis violent in his politics
than the editor of the Virginia Federalift for
majority OF his matters (the Virginia Legifature)
were decidedly republican. But then he alto
held the federal Office of Pof-Maiter and this,
IN Tome meafure, counter balanced the influence
which the Office of public printer, it is prefum-
ed, would otherwife have had. Thus this gen.
tieman, {no offence is certainly intended by the
comparifon) was like the unfortunate animal be-
inventive bundles of hay. The proprietor of
thus paper was no writer; he was entirely in
debted to occaEonal correspondents, for his ORR
ginal matter.
The Virginia Argus was never federal print !;
but its political character was fuppofed to be
LET'S decided than that of the observatory. The
propnetors of thefe laft mentioned papers were
neither of them in the habit of preparing org-
nal pieces for their prints. The editor of the
Virginia Federalift was man of fome talents
He wrote with facility, and fometimes with
beauty. He had been every thing by ftarts,
and nothing long" but at lait he fettled down
into confirmed federalifin, and became the edi-
Tor OFF, viruieEt party paper. He did not think
proper, however, to avow this, becaufe he was
at the fame time Clerk to the Houfe of Dele
gates OF this fate. Such was the ituation of
the Richmond prefs, at the trying period of '9s.
1t became, then, extremely deGrable, to eta
blih paper in Richmond, the editor of which
1hould have talents to enforce, and energy to
defend, the principles of republication. MIR.
Meriwether Jones, at that time member of the
Executive Council of State, now Commifiioner
OF Loans for Virginia, undertook this laborious
and perilous talk. He formed a partnerihip with
Captain Dixon, the proprietor of the Obferva-
tory, fhort time before the felton, of the Vir-
ginia Legislature in '9s. When the election
came on for public printer, he oppofed Mr.. Da-
WIS, and was elected by large majority, on the
hrft ballot. The paper which this gentleman
eitabEfhed was called the Examiner. The cha
ra6ter of this paper is efficiently known. From
the moment of Mr.. Jones's election to his recent
resignation, unceafng efforts have been made to
Inlure and ruin him, as an editor and a man,
They imagined that the mott cffc6tual method
to accomplish this, would be to deprive him of
the public printers buiinefs or at leaft to lei
fen his falary. But the affair had commanded
very little of the public attention, until Callen-
deT's attack on the Editor Of the Examiner.
linen 1t was that the fubtlety and ingenuity of
that Inflated man, made an impreflion on the
minds OF many perfons, which it has been very
difficult to efface. 1hen it was that the fede-
raiiits, and pfeudo-republican feized "the go-
rious golden opportunity to revenge themfeIves
upon the editor of a political paper which had 70
often made them flnart and ihuddcr by turns
Then it was thatthofe very men, who had voted
FOR rafting the public printers falary, while MIR.
Davis held the Office, fhifted their ground, and
voted for reducing it, beeaufe man, againft
whom they entertained prejudice, was in pof-
ie'uon oft. THIS fact ftands recordedupon the
journals OF the Houfe of Delegates of 1897 and
1908. And If any perfon entertains the fmalleft
doubt upon the fubiect, the names of fuch MEM
berS as voted 70 inconiiftently, nlall appear in
the papers. Then it was, finally, that at each
succeeding FELTON, of Afenbly, more money
was expended in debating on the proprety of
reducing the falary, than the falary amounted
to. But it is needlefs to enlarge upon this fub-
ject. 1t is fufficent if Ihaye fucceeded in brief
~ itating the reafons why the pubIc-printer's
falary, has produced murmurs among the peo-
pie, and ludicrous and fhameful waite of
tune and money by the Legislature. But it is
an lll-wind, fays the old proverb, that blows no.
body any good. Perhaps the invefigation in
to The public-printer's alary, or rather the at
tack on the editor of the Examiner, may at
length terminate in an advantageous refuit to
the public.
Doctor Adams is not in the Legislature, but
call, M the prefence of the people upon Tho
ma mas II. Wooding of Pitdylvania; upon Mr..
Shelley, now of the Senate, who tries the exc
cutiye, in, what was ironically termed, fbe re-
PHsLean crSiribie (rconomy) and upon all thofc
Vdl,ly iaving gentlemen, who have fpent weeks,
and thouiands of dollars of their conffituents'
hard earned money, in mating motions about
the public printers Ellary, now to adopt plan
winch Will be more eHeGtual faving Of expenfe,
than any reduction which has ever been con.
templated. It's a plan too, upon which either
afederalif or republican, may form an opini-