Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-03-21
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ed any legislature or any enquiring bo-
dy to the same result at this time.
l. 4 1 =

uy 10 the same result at this time.
The last legislature, however, no,
satisfied with moving in their appro.
PIRATE sphere, and exercising that por-
Ition of annual power which was dele.
lgated to them, erected themselves in
to high court ofenquiry, not only o.
liver the executive, but over all former
Legislatures, as far back as 1899, each
of which possessed equal powers with
themselves. For they resolve to en-.
lquire, mot how the manufactory had
ibeen conducted since the last meeting
tof the legislature; bu) how it had
been conducted since its commence
ment, thereby overhauling the conduc.
lot their own predecessors in Office.
Admitting, however, that this long,
Retrospective enquiry was entirely de.
corous and regular, how ought it to
have been begun and conductedi The
management of the institution, had,
from its commencement, been con6ded
by law to the executive aco-ordinate
and dignihed branch of the govern
ment One would think, therefore,
that the first enquiries Of the commit.
tee would have been addressed to that
|only; who from their intimate and
continual connexion with the business
were the best qualified to throw light
upon it, and from their elevated grade
In the government, were best entitled
to their respect and confidence. Had
the committee made this application,
they would have been pointed, speci-
ALLY, to the various orders OF council
on the SUBJECT: they would have been
directed to the auditors Office, through
which alone, the treasury can be ap.
preached they would have been re-
ferred to the original contracts, shew-
ing the number of arti6cers that had.
from time to time, been employed.
and to the armory books showing all
the various work which had been done
lin the mandatory from its com.
menceme This course would have
at once opened to them all the authen.
tic sources of information, would have
given them full time to examine them.
and thus to have placed their repor,
on such basis as would have entitled
Iit to the respect of the country. Blu,
It seems that the governor and mem
Ibers OF the privy council of the com
monwealth of Virginia, were not wor,
THY OF the respect and confidence oil
the committee. They looked out,
therefore, for more respectable class
OF witnesses, and one more worthy oil
their confidence; and they W re at
tracted and fixed, by the discarded
workmen A set of wrctches, who
had been turned out of the armory as
unworthy of employment within it
either because OF their total ignorance
of every branch of the business, o,
on account of disordcrly conduct
drunkenness or worse vices. Let
1T be borne in mind, that we are in.
vestigating the conduct Of commit
tee, whose wisdom, candor and dipnit,
in the examination ofthe subject com
mitted to them, are supposed to hay,
superseded the necessity of any exam
.nation on the part Of the House. /
is wrong, however, to involve TN,
whole committee in equal censure
there were members Of it, who knew
what was due to themselves, tn,
house OF delegates, to which they be
tonKcd, the country and constitution
ard WHO were shocked and diseusteC
at the proceed are which has been Jus
mentioned.
But before the committee began tn,
examination of any evidence whate
YER, there were two measures taken b,
them worthy of particular note, be
cause they mark, in the stronges
manner, the spirit in which those en-
quiries commenced, and the temper
predisposition OF those who led III,
measures Of the committee. TIL,
first relates to the mode q summon
ing the witnesses. This duty belong
ed to the chairman and he adopted
the rule as he declared, of summon
ing any witness or witnesses, wht
might be stated by any citizen, as ca
Ipable of throwing light upon the sub
ject. Under this rule, Henry Bank
fhe coaJ,to,. =, g ,kD XY:....s... r.. -.