Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-09
and ease thehearts of hepeopie of kentucky

and ease heheats Of thepeopie of X entucky
u She was dissatisfied If she complained ol
these laws, was it not her interest to consti-
tute this board, in order to seek redress?
He said, he had been told before he had
come here. by persons who did not know the
character Of Virginia, that Virginans would
talk against the decisions of the Supreme
Court, when they were against her, but that
| she would have no objection tn avail herself
of them, when they operated against her sis
ter states-he had Indignantly repealed such
AN insinuaiion-and he had declared. that
whether those decisions made for or against
her, II was immateriai to her her principles
would remain the same. Was il not better To
settle this family quarrel between parent and
child, by the aid of a family tribunal which
they had marked ont for that purpose, than
to leave it tn strangers TO settle
He concluded with thanking the House for
the courtesy with which they had been re-
ceived-and with acknowledging the n,mer-
Gus acts of public and private civility which
they had experienced la TIE land cf their ma
tivity.
| The illusions which Sir. G.. made through
out his Speech to the land of his birth, and to
the parent of the state of his adoption, were
peculiarly touching. His exordinn, in which
he called to mind the distinguished I,en who
had filed that Hall. to Patrick Henry, whose
indignant and Irresistible ciogurnce had
wrought such noble elects, To The venerable
Pendleton, To the early and generous patron OF
his orphan years, (Mr. Wylhe,l TO Madison,
fromwhom emanatcd paper (ihe Report OF
| 1851 whose admirable method, temper ard
clearness of views would alone purchase him
immortal reDown-;his eXoriiin must have
been heard TO have been duly felt.
When Mr.. Clay concluded, on motion of
Mr.. Morris Of hanover, the House determined
To postpone the further execution of the order
of the day, and To receive the Commissioners
Of Kentucky ut their bar at 10 O'Clock next
day And then the House adjourned.
YESTERDAY, the Commissioners az Ken
lucky, again appeared at the bar ofthe House.
The same marks &C curiosity and interest
We're exhibited. The Senate, the Judges, IA
crowd of ladies' and citizens again appeared.
Mr.. BIsD roge To address the House. Ii is
impossible for us 10 this hasty sketch To do
any sort OF justice to the argument or elo-
quence of this gentleman, which continued
for three hours.-He began with acknowledge
ing in handsome terms the manner in which
his colleague and himself had been received,
! both within and without the walls of the Lee
glsaiure kindness, which coming from the
land of his birth and the home ef his early
days, had sunk deep into his heart, and would
laws of Kentucky hac never been arrasned
previous 10 the decision of the Supreme
Court: and that Kentucky had now seized the
earliest opportunity of indicating her good
| Faith. He observed, that three of the Judges,
who Were most convcrsant with such cases,
were not present, when this decision was
given; that it had been argued by counsel
only on one side, and Though the court has,
postponed the case for one term to give the
other side an opportunity of beps heard, nc
| counsel had appeared on that side; that il was
| on this eTparte hearing that the court haG
pronounced their decision, but on the APP
pilcati0n of his colleague, this decision had
not been recorded and the case was to be re-
| considered.
Mr.. B. then proceeded to examine at great
length the motives, provisions and effects of
the two acts OF kentucky, against winch tls
court had pronouuced.-He commended that
| these acts in allowing compensation to the
bona tide occupant .rr his Improvements, and
to the successful claimant Tor the value OF his
land, had acted according to the strictest
| principles ofequity. He examined with ver''
great force and ingenuity, the provision %
the law which allows rent for the land To the
successful claimant, only from the tine when
the bona fde was converted into bona fd:
possession, aud when from the peculiar cir
tmony in Kentucky, such conversion could only
bt considered as commencing from the decision
of ii court. He commended, thatit was not won
derful, Kentucky had adopted the policy she
had pursued-when thousands more o
land warrants had been issued by Virginia
than she had land in Kentucky to he covered
!, by them, that so many adverse titles SHOULD
be produced; and that Kentucky should at
temp 10 shake OF this Incubus, which arrest
ed her settlement, prevented her growth, ant
endangered her safety; that in doing this, sh
had pursued only such measures AS Virgin;
herself had formerly employed and whicl
the soundest principles of equity would sup
port-ile spoke with great enthusiasm Of th,
character of the early occupants of men, wh'
with G. Rogers Clark, the far-bIazing sta
oil the west, bad conquered Vincennes, ant
added whole region 10 Virginia, which sh,
with SD much munficence and maguanimt,
had given up TO Congress without one cent.
n compensation that most of these early set
tiers had gone from Virginia they had becl
received into the bosom of Kentucky, fathers
brothers, relatives, connected not alone i'm Do
T tica principles, but in bIood-that many o
those who represented the interests of Ken
lucky ON the floor of Congress, or at home
were lrginians by birth that Kentucky wa
bone ~ one bone, and flesh of one flesh will
'fS'tlia anu ne trusted, mat Sfle would no
treat them like AN unnatural step mother
that she would listen to their representation.
| with kindness, and decide upon them accord
| ing to the principles of immutable Justice.
: Mr. II. spoke in very affecting terms of thC
late Gov. Scott of kentucky, whose obiec
tons to the occupying claimants law, on rft
question ofreni, had lately bren laid before
the Virginia Legislature--those objections
however, deserved the less weight, be
cause they were urged by the Gov. of Ken
: lucky, who has not the aid and advice of !