Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-02-20


den.ials OF title 10 seat. he shall take
his seat. and perform The functions of a
member, until 4 prior and better claim
shall not only bcpfeterred. hal establish
ed. II WAS seen, that, The day befose
yesterday. the committee OF elections OF
tius house came forward with report,
stating that The qualifications ar., returns
OF cei'aa members were periect who
have heen acting and legisiatime, aud on
whose votcs The laws oi the land have
depended. inr the last three ar four
mnaihs. Jus, gu il ought 10 have bseu
wth regard IN the representative from
The Siaie OF Missouri. She has now, said
Mr.. TX. presented heisrlt, for The hrs;
Time. in visible and tangible SHAPE. She
comes into this house. no, IN foyn,a pGG-
P.'tJ but Claiming 10 be one OF the co..
sovereIgn'its of tins conseIcraied govern.
mcnt. and rre"eHis 10 YOU her vote, by
receiving or rejecting which the election
OF your Chief Magistrate will he lawful
ar un!aw'nl-He did 10, mean by the
vote OF Missouri. hut by the votes OF all
me states. Now comes the question, whe
ther we will not merely repel her, but
repel her with scorn and couiumriy..
On como And, he might add, quo irar-
,a"to lie should like To hear, he said.
Tom the gentleman from n. Hampshire.
(Nir. Liver;nore) where this house gets
lis auihority-he should like Ia hear
seine ct the learned Tor unIearned) sages
ct the law, with which this muse. az
well as all our legislative bodies abounds.
she" their authority for refu sing To re =
ceive the votes from Missouri. Mr.. r,
said. he went back 10 first principles.
The Electoral Colleges, he sail, are as
independent Of this house, as this house
IL or them They had az good right 10
pronounce on their qualifications as This
ho,ise has of those of is members. Your
ONCE, saH he, IN regard 10 the electoral
votes, Is merely ministerial. II is 10 count
me votrs. and YOU undertake e. reject
votes. To "hai will This lead Do YOU
ever expect TO see the time when there
shai' be IN the Presidential chair crea>
lure s" poor. so imhecil., not only not
worthy ut being at the head of the nation.
buf moi worthy of being al The head Of a
petty corpnraiicn-d YOU ever expect to
see III that oEi @ an ANNA, 40 poor, as
moi 10 nave IN tins house rrtainers enough
10 enable him IN reject The vote OF any
state which. being counted, might pre-.
vent his continuance, and their con,in,,-
ance, and that Of their friends, iu office {?
he spoke not OF the present incumbent
ne was MOI so waning IN common de
cency and dccorum IA 10 doso-he spoke
IN reference not only 10 what ia past. but
10 that which is prospective, and which
every man, who looks the .ras, into ru
'url'y, must know viii happen, and, in
aU probability, will very shortly happen.
II" undertook 10 saw, that. if ehis house
shonid, by vote nf indefinite os,ponr
mPn'-tor the form was imtnaierial-o? in
any other way, and it would be observed.
tor HE first INSTANCE III The person of Mis-
sour, or this much injured, long insuI,ed
and trampled upon member OF this con-
federacy, was this example 10 he sst-if.
SAID he. YOU do, for the first time, nov
refuse To receive the votes OF state il
VIII be created into "A precedent and
that IL the life time of some Of those who
nov hear me, for the manufacture of
Presidents by this House, The wises,
mem may max" constitutions, on paper. az
'hev please. What. Mr.. r a.ked, was
',e the0ry of This constitution II il. that
tiuS h2nsp. except uDon certain con-
'Ingenry, has nofhing al all 10 do with
IT, appointment of Presidep, and Vice
President Of the u, States. and, when it
does act. Husi at by the st1tes. and by
states only can IL act on this subject, mn"
less II transcend The limits of the cons,i-
tuition. What, he asked. was Ia be The
practice Of tie constitution, as now Dro
posed That an informal meering OF
this and The other house is 10 usutp the
initiative, The uominaiivp power, will re.
gard 10 The Two first officers of The 90
vrrumcnf: that they are TO wrest from
The people oi the U. States their indelea.
sibi" right OF telling ms whom they wish
10 exercise The functions Of The govern
mPn'. in despite ard contempt of their
decision. l. there 10 be no limit 10 the
power Of Congress No mound or bar.
rier IN stav their n>urpaiicn Why were
the electoral bodiea established The
ION Institution las wisely provided that
HEY shall assemble, each bv itself. and
not III one great assembly. Bv THIS tnraas
ASsurediv, that system Of intrigue which
'Yas N'aiurrd into sciPuce, or rather in
In an art here, was guarded against.
But. Mr.. r. veuiured 10 say, that the
Electoral College Of Ibis much dcspised
Missouri, acting copfnrmablv 10 law, and
10 I'll" oenIus and nature of our ins!itu.
tioms. If II were composed of but one
NAV was az independent Of this house
as this honsF was Of it. If hneever, said
he. per- FMS ant nefaS. the point is 70 be
carried; if HE locsin be sounded ifihe
troops are IN he rallied, and Missouri is
70 I've expelled with scorB from our au-
rust prcsencP-how august, Mr.. Speaker,
leave IL for Won Ia decide there are
hose who will be willing 10 take her 10
heir srms. And. in point Of mere expo,
iiencv. 10 would ask &c gcnllemen-bc
oUi iIe suggestion in that shape, because
20 believed thpv were inaccessible 10
'iher rorsiiersiione--in poini ofrxpedi.
'ncy, he asked them, what were they now
LONG hut riyc!inc those lies by which
would, I've trusted, forever be
bound fo that section of the country bv
which, viii! whatever reason her rights
iayc been supported on this floor? do