The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-01

4 Al
sr'cS. 1t Is not commended by the advocates of
that meature, that the Legislature, in its oreii-
nary apas ity, is invefted with the right of caH.
ng convention, or of faying to the people,
you ihail conttitIte conventional body, TO re-
form the contribution of the ltate but certainly
't mas right, III common with every individual
OF the community to adzgje and recommend A.
ny means that would be adequate to 70 great
and facred an object.
iliall vote in the affirmative of this ouefiop.
not becaute the contribution is too perfetf 70
require or admit of an amendment. Well am
aware or the defects it contains, and bsli.vr
me, no man can lament their exifence NOR.
than myieif. am particularly oppofed to that
part which confines the right Of f,tfIaue TO the
owners OF the foil, mas much as i, creates dir.
tnct'ons OF an odious nature, and great port.
on, perhaps majority, of our fellow-ci,izcns
is deprived of the deareft aud mott ine6imalS,.
privilege which freeman can boaa of mr. or
Joy. 1t is, Mr.. Speaker, a feature in onr conI
Intuition, in direct nobility to one of the great
fundamental principles of republican govern
nent-a nrinciPie which has been rrcorpzeJ
ny our }'il OF Rights. which declares in fun
itancc, that no man ought TO be ruled bv = Tau,
m the ehabhlhrnent Of which he has no aecncv'
either mediately or immediately. For INV mart
would with this right TO extend TO every Vrg;'
Man who is liable to be called out with bic Mo
frxy
am for a poGponement, Sir, NOT bsc,v,c.
rear to trrlt the people. In this country. and
at TINS en!ightene ga, fi:h an idea wonld h.
''range IN the cxtreme. The people slre,dv.
winout the interference OF the Lcei(,,ure
poiieis the power, not only of rcviinc. hpt of
Illuminating the contribution wheaeyer and in
what manner they think proper. And ,y,rc
th's not the cafe. will venture to affirm tbsy
are as pa'r'ot'c and as much attached to- pr;pci-
dam, ~, =.
or ever will be. Gun we then fippnG. thar ~
mtnto whom they might delegate fiycb an inn,
Por,ant portion of their fovereigtty, wopId moi
eonluit the h'ppinsis and profperity of y;r,;,;,
win as much anxiety and zeal az thofi f,ces
VINO formed the contribution, which. win al,
It's detects, iecurcs to US at this moment 70 ma.
ny invaluable bleffings?
BUT, SIR, am in favour of the propoGtion
for pohponcmene, becanfc deem this dan.
eelous Per'od to attempt an anlcIioration of
our political condition. That tranon;l;ty
winch has TO long reisned in this weaern bsns;f.
phere, Teens likely to be Interrupted. a prcf.
peet preien's itelf, which view with cmo,,on.
OF concern and dittrefs, of our being ere lone
engaged IN thoie runous wars which no,Y con'
Vuite Inflated Europe Bat, aImittine there
was not the mott difant probability of fucb an
event, It'll | think we have proereiIed to too
.ate period OF our Efiion, to confi,ler this fun
leI win that ca!rnneis and mature de!beration
winch ITS importance merits. In (1ort Sir. an,
aduated by another weightv conGder,t;an.
the people whom eprefent-by whole autho-
rHy hold a feat on this hoor-whofa fenti-
"eh's come here to exprefs, and TO whom
am reiPonhble--theY, Sir, cosceive, are on.
poied to the calling of convention.
MIR. %YLErr faid he ihould make bu. fnc,e
remark. Perhaps he houid nor have troubled me
nou'e AZ all on tha prsient queton, if il had net
been sier;ed that no could he called republican,
VINO Mould be oppofed TO convention
II was therefore duty which he owed "a hinfelf
10 Ju'thy himie!i Tor the which he Hhou,d give
ne gentleman from Dnwiddie has aT.ed v,hetf r
the people are not competent the purpofes of fe.
government. BY iuch qnsNion, he has refuted him.
ief. For are not the people as competent 70 iudv
Tor thsn'ieives, as gentlemen here Why is t. qrec.
'ioh agitated now Has tie great body of the pco.
pie pet'tioned' No the petition in fact comes on
| ly from two folitary countless ShsIlwe then nre.
iine to act without the confen, of the people If
they were a.ien,bied here, Mr. A fail he hid M
doubt that they would be oppoied To change of
the contribution Contributions ought to b. held "a.
cred II would be ridiculous to fun,non convention
aiter convention tor the purpofes Of amendment;
TOT u would loon be regarded with no more yeneraton
than an ordinary Legislature.
Inc gentleman from franklin has hij that we
may II we pleafed divide the T'reafury among our
ielves. But Is there any in his fenfes who can
thins this Poiilble? Might not the people them.
ieives in MATS exercife the fame power
| Ma BuawEtL faid he had not declared fhere
was any danger of it but only that they had the
power. ~
Ma. AYLEtT fad he was no, ufed 10 pubr;c de.
bate; he might therefore have mifunderhood t,e
gentleman. File had alto found fault with the legfl
inive appointment ofthe executive But low was the
evirto De reinedied Is it likely thar the peo,,le
could 70 well elect the executive as their repref,t,
ves collected here from all parts of the fate drea4
v elected by the people and eternally Iubietaed 70
their controul THE gentleman from franklin adj
nts that the Prefent may be good contribution for
peace but nor for war. Let him recoleet however
whether 1t did not carry lis through ieysre and
difficult ftruggle-T1e fys that the egiRature is too
numerous Let him again recolleGt, thar fafety con-
hits in the number of councillors If the numbers
were too few, they would be expofcd to bribery !:
and 1t the prelent number was dininiIhed. where
Mould we flop in the Reduction of the number !,
He iays that judiciary is not efficiently refoon-
hble But for my own part Qad MIR. Az hal
always thought that the judges were aufwerable.
| by impeachment. The gentleman from Franklin
wiihes to make the governor independent Of the le-
gilature, yet would he make the judiciary directly
dependant, by giving the power Of removing them.
Certainly we could as foon trut the judges, as the
| governor