Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-02
MARCELLUS.
PIRGLVL4 LEGISLATURE.

MARCELLUS.
PIRGLVL4 LEGISLATURE.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Remocot Of The Seat Of Gorernment.
7nesap. JIM Con- motion OF MIR. Patteson of
A. In" House went INTO committee of the whole I'm
take under consider ION sundry petitions for The re-
mova OF the seat of governmen,-Nlr Thompson in
the char. "
The petition from die county of Rail, ,v,s ,,,.,
rcai ana On Mr.. Pai'esons motion, the read;ny of
the either petitions dispensed with rs ,hey were
all ot the purport.
MIR Morris of w moved a resolution, declaring
the PRAYER Of the said petitions REASONABLE, iic ell
Il the House now, FOR the first time nbon, ~
locate the seat of government, they would fix IL n,
some central spot, and that Trey oasht now To nc, on
,ne same p,'ncpie tic thought the public properly
here would he more than sufficient To nav ia, Tho
erection of the necessary buildings Elsewhere. Here
u was found necessary to employ n public pu,,, n,
the expense OF $4,000 per annum, which was a per-
pctuai tax on The people. He atveried to the adj.
vantnges which Richmond enjoyed, and believed !,
would not he injured by the removal of the seat of
government, &c.
The committee disagreed TO the resolution and
on motion, rose-Mr. Thompson reported unfayorn.
bly, 10 the prayer of the petitions.
Mr.. Broirn, oi Bath, moved to amend the rpnor,
by striking on the words he rejected and insert
ing the words " IS reasonable" In support of This
motion, MIR. b. spoke nj some length He ,,ouyh,
That the petitions o such respectable norton of Inc
people, couchod ~ decent language, should he treat
pressed by the member fiom Woodland said, when
the seat ri government was located at WILLIAMSBURG
IL was then The centre oi population, and of the in
hanneu part OF the country At that time, the idea
o the settlement OF the country on the Ohio river
would have been considered as chmcrica When
the progress OF population had peopled the ,pne,
country The legislature, in compliance with the nrn-
cpi@S oi lIs'ice aud prOprcty, rs they regar. the
rights "f thc people, removed the seat of govrr,m,r
10 Rich,icnd The measurc of Justice was ,,,r,, !,
waidrr' which IS n9w asked. Remove tue seat or
so''r"n'"ni, aud will 30 toa healthy country where
AZ iie nccrssarieS OF life cheap, without ip;nr,nu
hic''Wo"'s- bi comforting benefit on the ,,to,,la
whose convenience shon,d NC the great oticci ol
| vermont lie referred 10 The practice na,sued in
other ~iA'rS. a. renewing fhcr seats of government
20 Tic m"r central POSITIONS both in regard to popn
laon and territory. -"
MI Blackburn aud spoke as follows
Dir. SPEAKER: Is this the manner IN which
this House means ia get over this business ,
is this the respect with which it treats the mo-
Gesi ard respectful petition Of ttco hundred
md ,ffIy four thousand, one hundred anu ten of
| or citizens 2 respectfully received as was he
le'ed soinc time past, and made the order of
the day for subsequent period, and then,
postponed TO This day for further information ;
Is It n"w believed that the claims of 254.1IO
free ielt'te ctii-enS, peaccah!y and respectfully
urged by their representatives, do not merit a
single remark from that part of the House
when may please tn reject the application (?
have said free citizens, HAT To be sure may
'ceA he DOUBTED but if they are NOT, they
ought TO he free, and let me add they tpW be
fee; nor is there Il pawer, under Gods. thai
can prevent il. And although the petitions nm
your table come from five or six counties on
~, lamong which Bath cla;ins no pre-emi-
| nence IN wealth, numbers or talents verify
believe they express the sentiments of that en-
tire section ofcounry, and that "A being can
rtsa l..
sessIng the shape OF man, living ,cesi of Tie
Blue Ridge, who on the petition being pre-
sented, and properly understood, would not
sign 1t. Having made these observations
naturally suggested by the extraordinary
course TINS question was tik;ng,) permit me,
VII: opeaker, as briefly as possible To say
a lew things in support of the amendment
proposed by my friend from Bath, and should
my duty unexpectedly trcspass on the pa
Hence of this House, may | not hope for lie
continuance OF that indulgence, so often expe-
rlencrd .1ir. SpeGber, il cannot now be tleni-
ed, that government is, or ought TO he in
siItuted Tor the common benefit protection
ana security OF the people = and to SECURE
nose great objects, 1t appears that the pioce,
as well as thc manner of administering thn,
government, should be strictly attended TO.
| ny all concerned in that administration. II
Is at the seat of government the General As
senhly annually meets from every section OF
me STATE, to transact The Affairs Of the nation.
mere the Executive and heads of depart.
meet Of necessity reside. There the superior
courts, the federal court, and courts of oernier
resort. are held. Ihlther many, nav most of
or citizens are compelled occasionally 10 re-
sort for the transaction of their o,gn business.
or that Of their .JfienaS-Io this point the
wealth OF the state, as far as the revenue ex-
tends, Is annually collected. Il appears then,
mat 10 insure The safety and integrity of the
sfate,--to facilitate the intercourse, promote
me convenience, and secure equal rights to all
uLe citiZena o! tins commonwealth the seat
oi government ought TO be us near the centre
oi territory and population, as the situation Of
the country wiiI ADM. and 10 this course the
principles Of our government, the practice of
our sister states, land Of this state y and the
anerrln5 laws Of prOYidGut nature, directly
point, and give abundant examples. Permit
ihe,o ir, To dinpfy Ittic on inis subject the
human heart, the seat and reservoir of life, to
place II beyond the reach Of external invasion
vs. situated ~ the centre Of the body, and am
ply fortified by the spine, the ribs and the
strrnon or breast hone; and still farther TO
protect it from injury by coming into contact
with those Outw orks, although rounded and
smOothed So rs To- threaten tie least possible
uanger; the heart rs envclnpcd by the lungs
which are composed of the most elastic aud
yielding materials, is constantly nourislcd by
the arteries and great blood vessels ,communi-
eating directly and promptly with the extre-
mites and supplying them in turn, and in the
meantime is perpetually cooled aud famed by
respiration and The hraving of those lungs.
Again, does not the smallest fibre, which
draws from mother earth support and
nourishmcnt to the sturdy oak, receive on the
return OF the sap, its due proportion, and in
crease IN SIZE and CONSEQUENCE in cniiaI ratin