The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-21

| mongst his immediate constituents. and for
| that reason he was not inclined to give a ST.
| lent vote.
The other day we were told, (said Mr.. By
by gentleman from Orange, (Mr Barbourl
mat we were attempting to introduce no.
vel principle into our constitution. and that
the effort to place the judiciary in some de-
gree under the controLof the Legislature was
a daring innovation upon our wise Jpst;tnt;
ons. The gentleman ought tohave recoi,ect.
lea that at this very moment, several of our
| sister states have established by their consti-
tutions the very principle for which we con-
tend, & it is well known that a similar prov;
sion has been engrafted on the constitution Of
'rreat britain for more than one hundred
years Morris - attempt to increase the re-
sPohsiDiiity OF the federal Judges new, as it
REGARDS the u Suites A resolution similar
| to the one which IL before us was pronosed
three years ago on the floor Of the House of
Representatives., and although it was not then
acted on, it Certainly exclted considerable
discussion ont Of doors. The novelty Of opr
project therefore IS no objection to it.
lie same gentlemen hasCautitmed NC a
gainst interfering with our sacred ,.3r,stituf;-
or formed as it was BY that galaxy of talents
winch shone IN the gram convention Mt Phil
adclphia. ] admire, nv Chbirmap the
splendor of their talents, bat the gcntiom,n
npS
sing cloud must now and then have o,scnrc,,
their briliiancy. How else could it have bcfn
necessary to introduce so many amendrnents
to their favonrite work as have ALREADY heeu
adopted How else could it have hapDened
that one branch OF the Legislature was made
so little responsible to the seatcGa Or INV,
else could SO unwiss ard dangerous Il r,,os iri..
on nave crept into the system as that which
directs the method of e!ectins the President
ana Vice-President? | mean that clause
which requires that the electors shal vote
tor two persons without designating r5r whom
tAe vote IS given As President, and for wnoin
as flce-PrcSidcnt a provision which in the
eNenttul period OF February 1901 had Hearty
conVnlsed the commonwealth to It's cenfrc
& had wei nigh caused the constitution itself
10 expire in agony. Let gentlemen be, con-
WINGED by these facts that the galaxy Of ia
tents which appeared in the federal conyen-,
ton, and the still more resplen,lent constel-
Iation in the convention OF Virginia were some
times deficient in lustrc
The worthy gentleman again. and again
adJures us not to ianoy;stc too hastily Ib,d
supposed, sir, that my friend from ORANGE
WAS not one OF these men who" see aspectrein
every bJsh," and who fear dancers from a.
very political change. But since his anrra.
henSinns are alive on this subject, Ter him h.
informed IN the words of Gerald. "that fhe.
most useful discoveries liz philosophy, the
most important Charges in the moral history
o. man, have all been innovations" The
American Revolution was al, innov. rio, th,
adoption of the federal constitution Use was
an innovation, ard this same srstenri - mint
ed oat mode BY which innovations NAV he
quietly and safely introduced, whenever the
goo sense OF the people may require them
Having made these general rc.nar:s vii,
now with the permission OF the conmitte.
enter more particularly into the merits of tbe.
question under discussion.
We have been told that this amendments
viii destroy the independence of the 5adicja.
~; ms word, Independence hasa magi-
Cal ehect; no sooner is it mentioned tban a
thousand fears are conjured up. NVhencvep
Jndicial independence is spoken of all or
curry at once ceases bat, Sir, contend that
the questionbeiore us is not whe her the indie
es ought to be dependent on the pe0pIe
but whether we ought not to fncredxe
their reshonsi5iHty. Ia every Renublirsn
government it is essential that ali the a.
gents OF the people should be accountable
to them for their acts. If they were ner-
iectiy wise, and incoiruptible it is proba-
oie' mat the IDEA o. responsibility would ne
yer have existed But since th0yc WIN or.
selected By the people to transact the Dub;;c
business are possessed ofall the passions. and
preJudiceS incident to human nature sinca
they are liable to be swayed bv interest and
seouced from their daty b. the bland shmerte
OF ftattery, and the allurements of wealth Il
becomes necessary that the peopie for whom
alone governments instituted should be ahle
to control them, and cashier them far nil.
conduct. in this Country the lie islative and
executive branches are immediately account
abe to the people, being removable al Ger
tam definite periods, but the iudiciart are
almost irresponsible and uncomfortable by
them. Why should judges be free from the
controls Why should VIC be unable to purify
the bench OF justice whcu il is profaned by
wicBedness and by inordilate auibjtiopp Az.
cord:ng to the true import Of the coastituti.
on, contend that Judge cannot be renov-
ca unless nc commit some eHencc for which
ne may be punished in a Court oflaw. win
turn the attention Of the committee Ia tbe
fourth section of the I'd article OF that instru.
ment. " The President, Vice-President and
all civil officers Of the II. States shall he re-
moved from Office on impeachment for and
convict ~ o Treasor Bribery. % o her h
crimes, or miSleMCanol s. IL IN V be fair
ly inferred from this clause that a iajse can
not be removed unless lie commit treason ~
brlbery, or do some oiher act whjchresem-
b.es treason or bribery in the atrcci.y of ito
quit, and IN the severity OF It's punishment.
ms construction is strengthened by the th;rd
OF the 1st article which declares that md
men. IN cases OF impeachment, shall nor %.
Ng4sr Il L. a. A..