Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-03-15
RICHMOND, MARCH Is, i8as.
ron THE ENQUIRER.


ought TO be dear to you. You are called upon
10 select from your own body such men us
are to he charged with your interests in the
next General Assembly. The law of the land
fines You for not attending at the polls and
Fcxercising your right of suffrage. But will
you require compulsi0n TO exercise the dear
est right you possess ? Will not your own in
tfrtsts carry you to the polls? Does not ex-
pcrience warn you not TO exercise this privi-
ir5e lii careless and sIovenly manner ?-Ex-
ctise me for inyitiny your attention one mo-
ment To this important subject.
viii not detaiD you by long review of
the Transactions Of the last Legislature. The
2 sense Of the cunntry has consigned them to
some rrproach. They have wasteA the time
and treasured the public To a degree, which
they themselves ART, unable to justify and even
tpacco'mt for The most intelligent and candid
gentlemen among them are the first 10 con
tess ard la cnd,mn the unnecessary rro.rac-
ton Of the session. They will tell YOU how
many things the Legislature have done which
They ought not tn have done, and how many
they haze left undone which they ought To
have done
Compare The last legislature with the me-
'morabIc one of 1815-16 Compare the lhc-
iT'i views, the active cxerlions of the one ses-
sion with the inactivity and parsinony of the
last. The one laid the broad foundation of
the Literary Fund, and the Fund for Internal
jn'nrovement.-They wasted little time in
Idle and protracted discussion. They gave
TO the public Institutions all the pecuniary
means which they required They we're not
alarmed by the specious watchword of public
economy, ar the idle fears of your resent
ment. They marched straight forward. They
cid VIVA! The public interest rcquired-thev
wasted no time In doing it--and they retired
70 Their homes, crowned with the appiauses of
their country.
Such was not the course of the last Assem-
bly,. Such are not the hosannas which at
fenh them home. What great public mea-
SURE have they enacted Look nj their cata-
iegi" 81 li9 acts, and say ii these could have
required thirteen weeks to mature and mass
Them Does any man believe that with or.
anlaTy lndnsiry--with men thoroughly quail
ned 70 transact the public business, all The
matters before them could mt have been dis
patched IN the course of cgh, weeks And
yet In this catalogue of 1I9 acts, we find no
Jaw I" assist in putting yunr University into
operation. You find nnne 10 expedite The adj
m'nis:ratlon OF Justice in your suffering high
eel tribunal.
Truth compr.s n,eto add, that they have
passed u few sanitary laws. The cheeks up
On the abuse of the primary school f,nd, are
'is"inl though they are short al the object
desfcd-but II is not one swallow that mikes
= summer. i; Is not tvs or three laws which
VIII stamp your Legislators with The character
,og able Statesmen.
What then is the reason, fellow citizens. Of
these things Why are the sessions 81 unne.
cessarily spun out Why this drain from
Snrir treasury Of S 100000 ? Why are your
concerns sometimes neglect e,--aild at other
no, so well conducted as they ought to he p
Ask yourselves this question:, and confess it i.
Principally your own fault. Your representa-
yves are not always selected with due discre.
non. Geniicinen are sometimes PIT into Of
nee, who are not sufficiently qualified by thei,
habits and experience for the business Of lie.
sisiailon. Hence, when they take their seats
they pave mitch information To seek. The,
have much need Of debate. Their minds are
not always quick and confident enuurh r.
some to a decision, and to cut short the arsI
incnts ofmany who pretend 10 address them
Hence large portion of the debate is thller
np by members. who wish tn display the
own tioquencc to the greedy ears Of the in
experienced. If the House contained NOR,
men OF experience and talents, these secon
Diary decaimrrs would give way, and the fjel,
OF debate wonld he confined TO fewer dis,in
giished individuals. Hence the Debate would
iie shorter. Fewer aborve subjects woult
he brought forward. Each subject would b
discussed III more condensed but a NOR
he conducted with greater expeditiun. am,
what was done at all would be done will
greater ability and success. We should SCI
The cause of education better attended 10 :; tn
University more thriving the primary school
more sedniously guarded against abuse tn
fund for internal Improvement more carefrI
cisbnrsed the plans OF projected roads an,
canals, better understood, and more iutlicious
~ prosecuted the administration of iustic
better assisted by the lights of experience
your executive departments and public insti
tu'Ions more rigidly guarded and reformed
ana u IL were necessary to speak on consti
tutlonal principle your resolutions would car
ny with them greater weigbt--aud the stream
OF public business flow on in more even an,
dIgnliied course. Such might he The effect
II you would exercise the right of suTrag
with more circumspectiOn.
freely admit, that the last Assembly com
Prlsed many high minded and honorable men
snfaf gentlemen of much experience and ia
ieri anS several young men, Of great promis
m the ilrlos of fame. There were man
respectable gentlemen OF solid Judgment anc
e turn for business but there were variet,
oil others, who were not cut out by habit Z,
education for the purposes oflcgislaiion.
call upon you, therefore, fellow citizens. {,
exert yourselves on the ensuing election. Sc
lect from your last Legislature such gentle
men as are calculated for the station Ca
upon your ablest men TO come out Seel
them at their own houses and ask them Il
declare Themselves candidates. Press them
n you can, into your seryice-Wc ar
told that the next session may be important
subjects have already been named, whic
WI call forth all ITS abilities. Put then YOU
TALENTS INTO reqnIsiton--and Ietus Sec wheth
or the work OF this great commonwealth can