The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-03

III. Dui il ners he a citizen, v;rtuus and h,-
ueit, ard virtu0us we have 5i:.iit +edMr Sheaari
to DC, oScauie we nave entruitcd. him with the
care OF the inaucce OF the Rae hal we ex-
clule hi = from Office, becaue ms opinions are
not exactly our o,ca: Shall we be in politics,
what bieois are in religion; infeniibe to all me-
rit, whc, is nor within our ovn f.ct &? Ifthere
be A MAJ indeed, who receives a fllary, and vet
v!lities our government, that man would not
he'it1te - exclude. b.; as "a NJ. Shepard, he
has proved hinG',lfa faithful fcryaut, and he has
never int rferel IN politics.
Mr. 3o5gRoa nberySd, that no man was more
anxious THAN hiu.ieif 70 lave an unaninty in
the Hout', hnt he was afraid it was not 70 be
obtained ~ the preistt occa Gon.--It wss his
opinion, that if it vasriSht,to cxpei The former
ireaturer, aud every otherman for his political
opirions, /; was right roexael the Auditor. We
haze coniiaercd 1t pfsir ststo require fuch
qualification in the ipfesiorap po;ntnents why
not then in the fuperiof? The auditor is an
importan, officer IN the fate. He obtains iudc-
n,cnts cor tue Commonwealth. He inflitutes
fui,s agaipf the fherifs. The payment OF all
money from the treaftrv is made thro' him.
Hr has more influence perhaps thdn any other
% beer IN the tate. Why was If ri ght to elect
Few years ago = new Treafiircr, il not a new au-
ditor a. me r-eien, time ? Or baIi it be lad
that there IS man among u, at for this ap-
p0intmcrt ? The gentlcnau nominated by the
member from Amelia, is furely iuch a man.
He is nownby his privass virtues, by his ex-
rertrefs in the keeping OF accounts. He is even
good lawyer. What is there difficult to learn
in the Auditors Office, which he cannot ac-
puire? Mr.. Johniton added, that ne had never
con!i1ered it proper to elect any man, whole.
political opinions were different from thofe OF
the people and he thought that it was placing
the queition upon right ground to enquire
what would they tbemfelves do in the prefent
cafe
Mr.. Miller from Powhatan) obfervsd, that
after the elegant obicryatons which had fallen
from .he tpeakers who had preceded him, he
was afraid it might appear presumption in him
70 touch u?on this fuljc6. lie had few ideas
however. which he would venture to fibmit to
the confederation 81 The f,ouit. / am particu
larry a1Guantcd, fad MIR. Miller, with the viz
ines of III. Robertfon. They are even great
CT than thoie, which have been already enume-
rated. They are fnch is to entitle him to the
refpect and favour of this houie.-This is not,
as has been maintained, an original quehiou
I here was time, when the gentleman from
Orange and the prefent prehdeat ofthe Bank of
virginia, advocated 4 very different doctrine.
Thete gentlemen have faid, that it was right to
enquire into TIE political opinions of the cand;-
date. The gentleman from Orange, it will be
recolleGtcd, reited great part of the merit Of
Mr.. 8erkley's opponent upOn his political qua
lifcations. Had all that fell from the gentle
man on that occaiion, been written upon the
walls % this houfe, he would fcarcely have
come forward now to advocate a different doc
trine. II would have indeed required brazcn
front for that gentleman, to have pronounced
iuch ipecch at the preiSnt time.
ak, Or, for what pHtOoEe are republicans
chotcn by the people !, il not to ADOPT thofe
meaiurts which are congenal a. re puhcanifn !?
and can we be faid to fulfil this object, If we
put meu into Office, who are not republicans /?
Men, hr, give tone 10 meafurgs for meafures
originate in men. TO appo,nt an arifocrat,
would oe 10 encourage aiiitocrdcy and ihall
we be inprovident enough 20 do at,which the
people themfeives would not do? In the long
lift IF appointments, emanating from the peG-
pie, from the preEdent OF the United States
down to the mot mental officer, have they not
uniformly chofen their political friends?
Is it neceiiary forme to eXpatate upon the o.
ther qualifications fMr. Robertfon? A native
Virginian, Virginian lin the language OF Cur
tius) in heart ard in fentirnent:' Not only
republican himfelf, bnt itill more, he has fent
into the world luminous republicans He has
Others coming on, which like brilliant gems,
want only the poliihing hand, to brighten and
oi!cicte their Beauties. Il world DC uunccefa-
~ for meto delcribe the republican influence of
such rifng family, matured as they will by
the patronage of tho fate.
IfthenI confder the qualifications ofthis GEN
tleman ar the propriety of rotation in Office nv
determination is formed to give him all my ftip-
port. But it may b. lad, that however well
cnaded he may hc IN other refpetts, he has
not the reqsititc experience in the details ofthe
Office. Would enquire, are its duties really
10 complicated? Tie forms of the buiine6 aD-
pear to me to be impIe and eafy of execution.
The executive gives an order upon the Auditor;
he then iiiues warrant upon the trealury and
here his power ftopS. Who does not fee that
all this is a mechanical buiinefs? The Auditor
know mnf be a good accountant, and ac-
qulnted with our revenue laws. Bnt Mr.. r.
IS already the one and foon may be the other.
Nh. Miller added, that there ought 10 be 4
Perfcd harmony between the different depart
1,ents Of the government that he believed
there had been colliion between the prcfent
Auditor and the executive department that
they had been obliged to apply five or fix times
10 that Office, before they uld obtain accurate
information, and that this was a fate of things
which ought not to continue. He concluded
with hoping, that the Houfe would ioin with
him in giving their outrage to the republican
candidate.
Mr.. Barjour rofe, and declared it had not
been bis intention TO have troubled the Houfe
.iecond ti'ue but that the periona reflections
winch had cicaped from the gentleman ait IN,
demanded fome comment. WHY, FIR, Gboud