Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-05-24
their functions until his pleasure shall be

/. their functions until his pleasure shall be
known. -
COLONIAL PARLIAMENT. z
We publish the following Message OF
the Governor, with the reply Of the House
of Assembly-without comment or re
mark:
aWM. LUMLEY,
"The Governor and Commander in
Chief takes the first opportunity afforded
him by the House of Assembly, to &C
knowledge the receipt of a Copy ola Me-
mortal Of that House, of the oath instant,
addressed to his Majesty, and although
the Assembly have not thought proper to
entrust him with the charge of forward
ing the same to the Throne, yet the Go
vernon assures the House, that he shall
avail himself of the earliest means of call
ing the attention of his Majesty's Govern
ment to that Memorial, together with the
series of Resolutions with which it was
accompanied.
"The Documents form SO strange a
medley, in some parts entering on subjects
with which the Assembly can have no
concern whatever, and on which they do
not pretend to have authentic informa-
tion:-in other parts discussing points al
ready decided by his majesty, & through
out SO replete, with what every member
must know, or might easily ascertain to
be the mistatements of violent faction
that any heightened discussion thereon
would be as useless as it would be degra-
ding.
Colonial Houses of Assembly formed
of men of intelligence and responsibility,
would at all times afford a useful and be-
~seficial means of intercourse between the
Sovereign and the People, and would
give additional responsibility to the Indi-
viduals who composed them: But when
from fifteen to twenty or twenty-five Per-
sons, although forming a Majority of the
Assembly, as appears by the Minutes of
the present and former House., assume to
themselves the duties of the Executive, &
attempt to sit in judgment, to be Judge &
Jury over the Public Servants of the
Crown, and finally when they presume to
decide upon the guilt of their Kings Rep
resentative, without either the powers of
trial, or even any form of defence, and alb
solutely not leaving to the King himself
the quantum of punishment, to be affixed
to this their decision on their Governors
delinquency, the case exhibits too mon
strous an encroachment, becomes too Sc
riOus, to be further commented upon.
"The proceedings of the Assembly
speak for themselves, and can only be de-
cided upon by the highest authority.
"The Governor and Commander in
Chief has the satisfaction of believing that
his firm, decisive, and he trusts upright
conduct; has generally been approved by
every sensible, religious and loyal inhabi-
tant of the colony, who is capable of
forming a correct judgment, and he still
hopes that most Of those who have con-
Quoted themselves f~actiously or improp-
erly, have, through error alone, been led
astray by a very few of q most mischiev-
Gus, irreligious and disappointed party.
"The Governor and Commander in
Chief is at loss to imagine upon what
principle the House of Assembly has ia
ken upon itself to borrow q Thousand
Pounds, "to ensure the success of the Me
mortal " as he can positively state to the
House that memorials OF petitions from
all classes of his Majesty's subjects, when
respectfully worded, are certain in due
time to elicit the Royal Pleasure, through
the Intervention of one of his Majesty's
Principal Secretaries Of State, unaccom-
panied by any expense whatever. In or
der, therefore to prevent the possibility of
mistake or misrepresentation on the part
of persons who might otherwise be dispo-
sed to lend their money on the pledge of |
repayment by the House-as also to re-
sist IN imine the monstrous innovation
attempted by the House, of pledging by
implication, the faith of the Colony for |
the payment of any sum-, without the pri- |
witty or consent of the other branches of
the Legislature.
"The Gov. and Commander in Chief
now requests the House to caution their |
committee not on any p~retence to hold out
to persons so inclined, any expectations
whatever, that the faith of the Colony is, /
or can in any shape stand pledged for the
repayment of such sums as they may |
feel inclined to borrow.
"The Governor and Commander in |
Chief now earnestly calls upon the House
to proceed to business, as one month has
already elapsed since the House was form
ed, and no bills have yet been passed.
"W. L.
" Govt. House, april 3oth, 1891"
MESSAGE IN REPLY.
/" May it please your ErceUency,
"The House of Assembly in reply to
your E~xcellency's Message of the 3Oth