Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-30

ton nv Congress. II the instiiu,ior r.rrc Il,
continue, th,t committee WIRE of opinion that
The law ought 10 he modified, Sc. so as In
make the agent mere responsible for the per-
iormance of the duties understood to he de-
vo!ved upon him by it.
Mr.. WRIGHT adyerted to the inconveraen-
ccs experienced before the discovery and ,gs-
neral diffusion of vaccination, To shew how
important it was to cherish and protect it,
He reviewed The evils of the small pox,
aud the great blessing, comfort, and cheap
ness of vaccination preventive. He ex-
pressed his doubts, indeed, whether the snaah
pox had been sent to North Carolina by DIR.
Smith, who had every motive to prevent his
sending it and thought il more likely To have
been introduced by the North Carolina doc
tors, whose interest it was Ia have the people
as sick as they could be- The nation, he con-
cluded, was bound To diniusc such blessing
ms vaccination by every possible means and
he therefore hoped that this bill would not
pass, but that another agent would be appoint
ed, &c.
Mr.. TOP asked, whether it was not fact
that a question had heenrais as to the elf
cacy of vaccination Whether there were
not some doctors, or Quacks, who pretend
that vaccination is wholly useless He knew
he said, that there were people in his country
who went about preaching 10 that effect, and
that the old-fashiOned Small poN WAS the on
" thing at last. Now, if you repeal this law.
said Mr.. Il. will it not be supposed TINT the
whole Legislature has lost confidence in vac
clnatlon He asked another question Whe-
Their vaccination had not, since its introduction
among us, saved great many lives? Wke-
ther there did not die ofsmall pox, before the
introduction of vaccination, more persons IN
II hon, IL r.
this question was answered in the affirmative.
he would ask another: Whether the question
OF the repeal of the act establishing the Vac
cfne Agency he not Il very serious one (? He
knew that Congress could not compel an "a
gent 10 perform the duties by punishment for
failure, &c.-but, he asked, fthc accident had
not happened in North Carolina, should we
have ever beard of the repeal of that law P
Ii so, ought the house, from momenary ir-
rltation, to repeal the law /? five are to legis-
late on this principle, said Mr.. II. it is very
wen we have not authority to regulate steam
boats: fen, not long ago, steam boat burst
her boiler on the Mississippi or the Ohio. and
Killed or wounded sixteen persons. A hOr-
rihle accident And if this house had had
the power To regulate steam beats, and any
member from The West had moved, in con-
seqnenceof this accident Ia his constituents
to Prohibit their use altogether, Mr.. II. con-
tended it would have been Just as reasonable
as to pass this bill. &c. He repeated The idea
that Congress ought not, ut this moment. to
throw its authority into the scale against vac
cination and therefore hoped The bill would
net pass.
hlr- BuRror said, that no one doubted the
efficacy of vaccination. Ii was believed in be-
fore the act of 1913 passed, and would he e.
Inaly conGdrd in aficrts repeal.
Mr. E1rSrIs .iu:,.Gx, JaI;,.r..l 4 a..
on thr subject uf he biz. He,was opposed to
the postpOnement, because the Office Of Agent
being now vacant, the question 10 abolish il
could be decides; on the abstract question of
IFS uIi.!iy, without references to the individual
filing II. The whole subject of vaccination,
he said, WAS always, III his opinion, one OF
those which are best left to the states, the;
medical faculty, and the people. The motives
OF the law, he knew, were benevolent; and he
would not say that Ill might not have had some
little beneficial effect But it constitutes a
m"nopoly,,snd tfiscouragrs medical men, who.
are acquainted with the subject, from exert
ing themselves II promoting vaccination. The
very reason that had been urged for retaining
the Agency, viz: that this Agent would ,lre-
serve theWaccine matter when others would
moi, was lie very reason why he objected to
1t. All Physicians ought fully to understand
the subject and they will make it their BIZ
siness IL do SO when it becomes their interest.
by the abolition oi the present monopoly. If
the exclusive care uf it he given To one, it will
never be generally understood Inthe gene
raj doctrine of the efficacy of vaccination, all
Europe andlthis country were agreed. There
Is, however, III man propensity, when thing
is done io'his hand. tO take it rs he finds il ;
and our physicians, therefore, have not of
late sufficiently attended To this important sub
-Jcct. The very debate of to-day shews that
this ought never TO have been subject of le-
sisla'ion. It's professional entirely and il
cnald not he expected that the President
should be competent to select for the Agency
II suffered to continue, the person best fitted
Tor 1t by professional acqureHlcGta. I'Iiis go
yernmcnt, Mr.. T.. said, was instituted Ito col
lect revenue, TO provide for the public defence,
and pay the public debts. How far it had de-
parted from that limited sphere of action, he
would not now Inquire; hut it was certainly
at fault when it undertook to regulate INV
part of the practice .sf medicine. After some
other remarks, Mr.. T.. said, in conclusion, that
1T was very important that the Medical Ia
Guilty should be taught to take and preserve
this matter, and that they never would do so
unless this Agency was abolished.
The bill was passed, and sent To the Sc
nate for concurrence.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 81.
COMPENSATION BILLS.
Mr.. III rnnvpd uccnrdinp fo