Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-09-09

al hough this regulation Was truly oupres-
s''e and in some instances seemed calcu.
lated Tor no other end bur 10 orpress us !!
| Independents ofthcse m5rtifv;n, ci-c,,mstar.
ces OF insidt and opplession-Th very govern
ineht, even had It given no cause of discomfort
| ny an abuse OF pawer, was enough to excite ,ln.
easlness IN every breast which has any feclnr
For the King appointed all officers civil and
military amonSstus, although It was ir,oossib,e
rom the vast re noteness of our situation from
ms residence, that he should be acquainted
WI, w,tn the Character of the persons properly qua
lined to fill such Offices az might beccr1e va.
cant-Hencc, the fawning, flatterinr aud intri-
g'i,ne OF courtiers. gave us governors md conn
ciiiors, and these were bound by the Kings in
structions, which they were sworn e, Observe.
and Keep secret and yet they were Judges in
all cases, as well ecclesiast-ai as civil and the
| council orned an Upper House or orr Assem-
piy' complete branch of the legislature resem
ping rs nearly as British pride would permit.
.re HOUSE OF Lords; having like them, right
~ originating bills Except money bils) amen
ding or rejecting them. enjoying several priy;
| reyes, and secured against Insults by an act Of
assemoiy--and though not here titarv, vet the
office WIS generally by the royal favor handed
| down m rich families OF approved ROYALTY. from
iathor 70 son in regular succession for more
than one hundred years uninterrupted, exceD.
oy some accident. or by non. age, or the too
yo9'h'nl age of the heir apparent of the tiecea-
SEQ couneiaor: And TO secure completely the
/ obedience OF the council To the royI will and
instruc ion, tliey were removable at the pIea
sure OF the King, aud might also be suspended
! pVhe governor, who might also be rem ,ved BY
tne htng's command--and he too had a mega.
1--WE on III laws; and exercised the royal pre-
IoBa,iVe 81 cPnvcn'rg, pr roguing and hssoly-
| ing the AsscmbIes-and this pn,r err was some
u es exercised rs the governor thong Il wo Id
pest accori wlth the caprice of his master at
| one me, or us RESENTMENT and mali eat an,-
ther.2 but this WIS not all, The King hims if
caerased an arbitrary control over the acts
4 OF our legislatures, as ifto guard against case
| IN winch his council and governor mich, have
Deen prevailed on to pass laws IN favor of the
oppressed colony and this control was g ytrtcd
: sometimes ut he.instigation of a company of
merchants. and sometimes even of n individu-
m-oar council or governor frequently refused
20 pass laws. unless they contained !, clause
suspendirg their operation till the Kings as
sent could be obtained, which sometimes could
not he had till the law might be useless or even
! mischlevous -What situation then could be
| more wfetchedly dependent and slavsh than
| ours we were permitted to have a govern
ment IT IS true in some measure resembling
the British, which however was Infinitely BET {
ter than o,rs-For the people of Britain had de-
posed their Kings when they pleased, and had
changed their succcssion-they had abolished
monarchy, established republicansm in it's
stead, and had again put aside this lat err stJe
cies OF government and resumed the former,
and clam right to change their government
as 1T shall seem best to the JIajesty of The Pep
4 p'e--but we were not permitted TO depose n go
vernon "r councillor. or even to complain of the
abuse OF . er-The people Of Britain, though
uneqnally represented, were not more so than
we shou have been, had the Kings pleasure
been indu'ged ; for, all our new counties were
TO he unrepresented--The British had par.
hamentarv right 30 an election once in seven
yearsi but we had no certain claim 10 elections,
an enjoyed them by the favor of the King 5
eorfrn1rs alore. 1t ia true, we Aattered our
I serves that we enjoyed the British right to sep.
: ten-iai e'ectionstsand electinhs were for ma
ny wears nearly within that period, ~ they were
grnted to Us on the deathofa king, or OF a
g,vernnr, or on tie removal of governor, III
al of which cases writs issued from the gov
ernor or { . pres flent nj the council for ne "
election OF burgesses--in Iced the frequent dis
solutions of our assemblies which F;illowed the
death of George the ID, occasoncd so man,
new elections that they were not distinguished
by many Of our cOuntrymen fro a those vh h
proceeded from the re gnation of gov Dinwid
die, x the death IF FaIquier & Lord ,tetour
and therefore led many to suppose, that we al.
ways had enjoyed at least septennia elections
til tho late Richard Bland, one of the members
of our first delegation of Congress, published !
pamphlet. in which amongst other grievance.
he stated this, and proved its existence from
the records of our Assemblies (; showing that
we were once nine years without an election o!
burgesses.
Gro Re coNrISUED)
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The following article is recommended to the