The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-01-01

he fabmi,isd 70 the Rate fovereienties faf "a.
ti6cation; Il 10 then at the option of Congrefs,
to dires1 whether the amendments mall be ra-
tilted By the rate lseiilatures. or By convent.
.ons ia two-thirds of item. Suppofe tina. Con-
grefs, avcrfe to the amendments propofed,
were to iniih upon the ratification, by cCuven.
tions in two.thirds of the ftates. And is not
Congrefs hottie TO the amendments pro-
pofed BY the fate Of Kentucky; it 10 fair to
srgue, that they are, ellie they would have pur-
fned the fmple and direet method, efablifhed
by the contribution, Of which fra fpoke they
vould Fave originated the amendments. But,
FIR, If the ratification is to take place by con-
vention in Virginia, with how much peril and
embarrain,.ut with il not he attended here If
we cait our eyes over the tate ct Virgin
ID, the que 4 ion is s,,fwered at once. Already
is our patioral treainry fo cxhauaed, that we
can with difficulty fupport the expences ofan
ordinary ierilatnre. Already has the compro-
niitted faith nf the Rate been violated, her Gre
dit confiderably thaken already are our ex-
penditures much greater than our appropria.
tions, and can we, fupport the additional ex-
pences Of convention! Be6des, fir, the pre-
feut feafon has been one of the mott alarming
fcarcity; 70 alarming indeed, has been the tear
city, that the people in many parte of this rate,
have with enc voice, come forward to requeft
Of.juRlce, may be Topped and 10 this time
for I aging additional burthens No, fir, it
the people are to be taxed, let them be taxed
to redeem the credit of the government, to fill
our own treafiry and fupport their own ordi-
nary legislature. Let Us not he dragged into
expenfs, by proposition on the part of filter
fate, which at beft 10 hottie to our interefs.
But, fir, this may be faid to be an ohje6ti-
on to the nseanJ Only, and therefore not valid
one.-I do confefs that were the amendment
the mott necefIary and the mott ufeful that
could be offered, would abandon it, were
compelled to refsrt to method 70 circutous,
complex and hazardous as the one now retort-
ed to.-Bu., FIR, have objections to the prin-
ciplcs of the amendment. Such as they are
will rate th;m. What would be the h.uation
of our Rate courts, already numbered with bu-
fnefs aud clogged with the multiplicity of fnirs,
il new tide of litigation were to roll IN on
them from the federal judiciary? Already do
we hear complaints and clamours thro'out this
Rate. that the generalization of juftice amounts
to 4 complete denial of it. There are many
plaintiffs and defendants who have been in our
courts for 20 years, nay fome no doubt ever
fince the organization of our government who
are now not much nearer tn the decli0n of
their claims than when they commenced thu
war of letigation. Sir, If we throw IN An in
flux of bnfinefs upon this (ow Numbering fate
Judiciary. which already orseps on with tor
toIie pace and crippled gate, we fhail 10 retard
its operations that it win never reach the goal
of juaice. To open the firearms fjufice, & give
them free channel aud currency, has been for
many years paft fourcc of care, OF anxiety,
and agitation in this houie and 10 this the
plan we are at length TO fall upon! lnftead of
doubling the falary of the judges OF the Court
of Appeals fhall we double their budnefs by
way of facilitating the administration OF Juitice
No, fir. Befides, MIR. Chairman, 1t is a fact
that the federal courts are the only
courts in which buGnefs is dispatched
with any thing like certainty and CELEBRITY in
this ftate. Shall we then deprive the people
ofthe only tribunal which can give ihem a
fpeedy redreis for their wronys-lf the federal
courts difpatch huEnef, with more rapidly
Htfetfatc curtis, LET us tncir uritiiiS-
ton, let US keep it unimpaired and uDmutiIa-
ted, and let us not by cleavinE down that fo!e
tribunal which sdminiaers juitce with dipatch,
force the people 10 refort TO our rate courts,
whleh are already eboaked up euifb butinsjt.
But, Sir have another objection, and it is
one which feems to have truck the trainers of
our contribution. The Object of the Federal
contribution feems TO have been TO frke out
from heterogeneous MATS of clafiiing intcrefs,
common bond of union. The harmony of
the different Rates Teens to have been the firft
principle ofthe confederation, and the confitc-
ton and the whole of the policy of the u. S.
frem TO bend towards that great and defrable
Object. 1t was fuppofrd thar by efablifhing
a common umpire between the mates, independ-
emit ofthsm and not attached by interefi particu.
larly to either of them, that jufice would be
belt administered &c all. II was fuppofed on
the other hand, that the conflicting judicial de-
cifions of the different fates on their conflict
ing rights or the conflicting rights of fonc of
their citizens, might have tendency 10 enbroil
the fates one with the other and Sir, might it
not 70 bappen, If in tie cafe of conflicting right
between fate and Rate or between citizens
of fate and another, the power of adjudica-
ton was lodged in the ftate governments that
the oppofite dcci6on of the Rate tribunals might
dliturb the general harmony and emhroil the
ftates! Thofe who are neareft neighbours are
not always the bef friends; and thofs who
mott clofely purdue their own intereft are not
always true to it.
Sri / will Rate a cafe which may occur,
x which comes within the reach of pofiibility.
From the particular htuation of our country and
the circumstance that wealth is not locked up in
the hands of few, aud that the flock of the
country is 70 generally partitioned, 70 that no
Individual can carry on great SPECULATION or
enterprizc by his own funds without the afiit-
ance OF his neighbours Companies are every
day embodyng and Incorporating, the fnuds of
which are held by many fockholders in every
part OF the country. Thefe people Join their
funds fometi;nes TO efablifh Banks fometimes
TO build bridges; fometimes to cut canals /;