Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-02-07
GINIALEGIsLATURE.

/ .
70 inatruct their Senator'S in the Con-
gre.. otshe United States.
The General Assembly Of Virginia, having
at the last session, after mature dellberatiol
on the subject, and under solemn convic-
t;on that the institution of the Bank OF the
limited States was unconstitutional, instruct
ed the Senators of this state In Congress- 70
onnose the renewal of the charter OF that banK
= has since seen, with mingled regret ana
disnleasure, the authority of its instruction
denied nv one Senator and disobeyed by the
other.
Ne man, however exalted by station OF
character. could be so considerable as to ex-
cite the resentment of this Assembly re-
sentmcst unworthy its own dignity, and IN a
manner honorable to its object; it will never
descend to inflct personal injury OF insult oh
any individual; it is withheld at once oy us
Justice, its benignity and its PRIDE from IN
dulging in itself or exciting IN Others the spi-
rit of persecution or revenge; least or all,
can if ever be so devoid of self-respect as to
enter into an alteration with It's own servants.
Rut. under present circumstances, when
rieht of vital importance, the prostratlon OF
which might ultimately affect the existence OF
the state governments, the balance OF the con-
stitution, and the integrity of the union, is o.
penly questioned and denied, if this Assembly
were to pass the subject over In silence, 1t
might. perhaps properly, be inferred, that 1t
retracted from It's claim of right In humble
submission, or abandoned it as an idle, or
Welded it as an un Just, pretension.
Whether the General Assembly has been
guilty of an act of usurpatlon, or Its senator's
of culpable disobcdience, let the world judge.
This Assembly will never dlsdaln to give
the reasons its conduct. Z
There can be no doubt, that the scheme OF
representative republic, was derived to our
forefathers from the constitution OF the English
House Of Commons and that that branch OF
the English government, whatever 1t be now
in practice, was in its origin, and In theory al
ways has been, purely republican. 1t is GER
tan too, that the statesmen OF America, In as
suming that as the model of our own instltu-
tons, designed to adopt it here iii its purest
form, and with its strictcst republican tenets
and principles. 1t becomes, therefore, an IN
quiry yet greater utility than curiosity, to
.iscertain the sound doctrines OF the constitu-
ton of the English House of Commons, in
regard to this right OF the constituent to IN
struct the representative. For the position
NAV safely be assumed, that the wise and viz
tuous men, who framed our constitutions,
thoroughly yersed, as they undoubtedly were
in the English doctrines OF representation,
l:l .b4 -: ti,v rUmrCu Olarcs, The cnn-
stituent should have at least as much, IT not
great deal more influence over the reprcsen-
tatiye, than was known to have existed, time
immemorial in England. Let us then inter-
ropate the history of the British nation: Let
rs consult the opinions of their wise men,
Instances abound in parliamentary history
of formal instructions from the constituent to
tbe representative, of which, though doubt
les. stricter search would disclose many
more, the following may suffice In 1910,
the knights of the shire tor Dorset and Kent,
informed the commons, that they had in charge
from their constituents, seven articles OF grlev-
ances, which they accordingly laid before the
House. where they were received and acted
on. In the SD year of Charles II. the citizens
of london instructed their members to insist
on the bill for excluding the Duke OF York
afterwards King James H. from the sue
cession to the throne and their representa-
tive said, " that his duty 10 his electors obAg-
ed him to vote tor the bill"--At a subsequent
! election, in l6Sl, in many places, formal IN
structions were given to the members return-
ed, to insist on the same exclusion bill we
| know, from history, how uniformly and faith
/ fully those instructions were obeyed. IN
structions are still extant, on the subject OF
the relations between England and France In
l7ol. The peace of Utrecht gave occasion,
4 fro
Gus parts of England: Those of London, par
ticularly, are in the most authoritative tone
(; In l74l, the citizens OF London instructed
heirmembers to vote against standing armies,
| excise laws, the septennial bill anda long
| train of evil measures, already felt, or antici-
p$tcd and expressly affirm their right of in