The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-02

! siiiar Journal of tile proceedings of the lcris
4 iatnse.---Ne shall present our eaders
with general summary OF the Laws. (Which
they may paSs,) att,. they have adjourned
winch will, perhaps, take place about tho be-
ginning or middle OF next week. In the
mean time. we shall seize the most important
points in their proceedings: On the 10Th
january, they passed an act for the security
OF public property, in the city of Richmond
--On the goth, an act to amend an act en-
titled au act, providing for the poor and de-
ciarihg who shall be deemed Migrants
On the 2lst an act anneXing the counties of
Amherst and Nelson, (the latter was taken
OIL from the former County of Amherst) to
the district for which a chancerv is holden
in Staunton--On the 22d, an act incorpo-
rating the Trustees of the Female Charity
School, in Fredericksbmg--On the Goth
an act concerning the tobacco DESTROYED bv
the burning of Royster's Warehouse, in the
town of Fredericksburg--O the 9th, an
act incorporating company to establish
Turnpike from the Little River Turnpike
Road, to Fauquier court-house-On the
9th, an act tos prevent further the practice
OF Slaves going at large, orhiring out them
selveS---On the 50th, an act concerning the
court OF Chancery, for the Richmond Dis
trict.-
ON SATURDAY last, Mr.. Semple ask
ed and obtained leave to bring in a bill
whose object to authorize the executive at IT'S
discretion, to arm such portions of the mill
TIA OF this commonwealth, as may at any
time be called into active service, or who
from their particular situation NAV be most
exposed TO invasion and insurrection-ac-
cording te the law. as it now stands, the arms
are to be distributed according to a certain
proportion among the towns and Counties
and the Executive was obi ged to act against
this law, when they distributed the arms,
last summer, among the militia engaged in
active service.
Yesterday the II. of D. received message
from the Senate, stating that they had passed
the bin "I o organize and establish superb
or court or law i'll each county of this COM
monwcalth" with amendments, to which they
requested the concurrence of the ii. of d.
These amendments were agreed to- They
d. not affect the principle OF the bill, but only
touch some fits details. This bill has there
tore passed into law.--Ehe bill concerning
the sale Ct property uRdcr e.r~cuti1nS and
membranes, also passed into a law vester-
| day. Some opposition ensued between the
two houses, respecting some amendments in
tloduced by the senate, the two principals of
which related to Deeds OF Trust, and subject
ing the equally bank with other crcditoIs to
thee peration of this law. The n of ID. finally
lrccede1 on these points. We shall lay these
two acts before our readers, as soon as we can
obtain correct copy.
>. 1t does not go into operation before the frs
OF January.
Extract Of letter .jr0nn me,n6er Of Congress- to
hi5Jr1ena IN TINS Cltg, date4 Washington, .|an.-
| arp 81. 1903.
There was meeting at the Capitol last even
ing OF eighty-nne republican senators and and re-
representatives., for tho puTpose of Recommending
persons to be elected President and Vice Presi-
dent at the next election. In this meeting were
all the republican members from some OF the
states, IN no case less than majority, except
from the state of New-York; from that state
but one member attended. u pom the ballot fo
a person to be recommended as President Mr.
| Madison had eighty-thr votes, Mr.. Clntor
three, MIR. Monroe three for Vice President
Mr. Clinton had seventy-nine votes Mr. L angdoi
5, Mr. Dearbolne 3, and John Q. Adams one. 1
is SAID there are eight or ten members now il
| washington that did not attend, who will vOtt
tor Mr. Madison. Three of Che representative.
nom Virginia are atpresent absent from this place
Some OF our friends did not attend from belle
that 1t was an improper interference. For nv
self had no such scruple. 1t was understood
luiiy by the meeting, as it is by every meeting o
lie same sort, that the persons present act pr
IFate citizens, and that their act is mere recon
Hendatlon to which the people OF the u State
VIII give Just so much weight rs it merits and nc
more. There can be no doubt, that any intliyiclu
al citizen or any number of citizens, are at liber
" TO recommend any man for office, or any mea
sure that they approve. At this meeting no en-
gagemcnt was entered into, no pledge given FOL
any man or number OF. men. This practice hs
prevailed Tor many years II was first done in al
open and avowed manner by the federalists ia thu
year 1870, when they recommended Mr.. Adam
and MIR. Pinckney soon after which the republl
| cans met and recommended Mr.. jefferson an,
Mr. Burr. In 1900, at general meeting M hi
place, which was believe attended by every re
publican but one, recommendation was made O
the gentleman now in Office If this course !
not pursued, how is there ever to be any concert
Or what is the probability that an election will G
yer be made by the electors If no person Ina
| majority OF the electoral votes the election dc
Yolves upon the House of Representatives
thing that may tend to the most mischevieus con
sequences 1t opens source Of intrigue and cor
ruption, which fear will cause the puEiic goo
to be lost sight of, in the pursuit of personal an
local Objects It's practiced in all the states PAL
ticuiariy IN those where the governor is electe
by the people.
" understand in the states of NJ York, Penn
syvama and Massachusetts, preceding every c
IectIoI, there is a nomination made bv the mem
bcrs OF the legislature &; and thatn9 governor Ina
been elected for many years, ia either of thos
| states, without such recommendation. In VII
gInia all our important appointments are made b
the Assembly, except the electors Ever sine
the present node of election was in use, it Ina
been the practice TO recommend n 4;cL,t -, e.;