Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-19
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.


structions 10 reduce the ratio to 81, 1900
Messrs. Butler OF II. H.-Wi!liams of N
CarOIina-Swan, and Tod of Penrsylvania
successfully addressed the House On Mr.
Tod's sitting down, Mr.. Randolph rose.
Mr.. RANDOLPH said, it was subject fun-
teigned regret to him that the worthy mem
Der who had Just taken his seat was not
sent To this House for the purpose of making
himself agreeable :" hut ut the same time he
must be permitted to tender TO the gentle
man and to the House, his sincere congratu-
lations that he had been able so successfully
to obtain the purpose which he may have
been sent fol.
| The friends ola ratio smaller than that now
suhsistinS in the bill, never introduced into this
House, III the first instance, the example Of the
British House of Commons or of the French
Constituent Assembly--for rs TO the Council
OF Five Hundred, he confessed he had not
heard it named. The example was first in
troduced on the other side But in what way
was It applied by himself and his friends p
was 1t brought forward by us, (said Mr.. r.
to shew that the members orthe British Par.
Lament were independent ofthe ministry, or
freely and equally elected by the people, Or
that the members Of the French Legislative
Government were of similar character? No,
Mr. Is. said; the question had reference, not
10 the composition and character of these as
semblies, but TO the number, which could con-
veniently transact business in one cllambcr-
And, he venturcd TO say, il we go on with this
Egyptian magnificence, in point of space at
ieast-put us in the great temple ut Thebps,
or In the pyramid of Cheops, (supposing it to
be hollow,) ard you may reduce the House
to the smallest number that could be named
and the members on the opposite sides of the
apartment would hardly be in hail of one an
other.
1t does not grow out OF the size of this hall,
said Mr.. r. that we cannot always have the
benefit the cioquence of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania the difficulty of hearing grows
ont OF the architecture, sculpture, and pccu-
liar structure Of The hall. Would any man
pretend that there would he any greater DIFF
ticulty in this respect If more of the space was
filed up with human bodes--if there was less
AIR To he put in motion by the human bellows?
Every one knew, on the contrary, that the
most difficult place TO speak in is large
empty room, where the speaker is overcome
| by the reverbrratons of his own voice-'To
such degree was the echo perceptible in this
hall, that gentleman who had been frequent
| ~ referred TO in a late debate informed him
the other day, that he had heard two SER
| mons at oncc-the one being a reverberation
of the other.
But it seemed that The British House of
consisted of a small number. Here MIR. r..
| rather thought, must be some confusion of
words. They were at that time independents,
| hut hy no means independent For it was
mat very sGail Parliament to which celebra-
ted individual, a great stickIer, (in the Begin
ing) fol hherty-hed the language-no, he
did not hold the language, which has been
ascrIbed to him by the member from Penn
syIvania-but he did tell member who said
he was seeking the Lord there" that to his
certain knowledge the Lord had not been
found there for many years. | trust, said Mr..
X. considering the service to which, one day
10 every week, this House is devoted, that
that lmputatlon will never lie against u.s.
The House had been told that the conven-
ton OF 1856 consisted ofbut 80 men, and the
Congress which declared Independence of
but % members and that. in the constitution
OF most of the states, the number of the pop
niar branch of the Legislature did not exceed
one hundred. The Congress of 1916, Mr..
X. said was in fact, as well as in name, a Con-
gress they were deputies from thirteen differ
ent states, havinga character rather diplomatic
Than legislative, taking measures TO resist an
unnatural parent converted into common
Toe Gould it he believed that their measures
would have been less unanimous or impress
siVe, had ihtIrnumbers been larger? In regard
10 me convention of 1897, they had not TO
PROFOUND IL law, or system of laws not
near and return answers to petitions not TO
go through the detail of observation-disclosures
vas no necessity, heretofore, of their being
intimately connected with and ranIGed
throughout society. They were to present
a WISE and free constitution TO our accept
ance or rejection to act not as an ordinary
Legislature, hut as the LYcurgus, the Scion,
the Alfred ,'of the country. And Mr.. r aided.
ne had no hesitation in saying, thatit would
be as competent for n single individual TO
produce such a constitution ms for any assem-
bly, of indlvlduals-Mr. Locle's fatal and to-
tai failure to the contrary notwithstanding.
But, sir, said he when see how extremely
difficult il is in this body to prevent almost one
individual from doing every thing as he pleas
es-tor must consider the Executive branch |
oil the government as an unit cannot con |
sent-and when speak of the Executive. | |
refer not To the present President of the L. |
States, but OF all times past the future as well |
as present. cannot consent to his argument |
in favour of limited legislature, although we
could no doubt procure an atItocrat ,yho |
would be t.irowh into no heats or passions by |
Ills own friction, and would not be charged
with unnecessary delays in the PRONUNCIATION |
of his edicts, who, in the beginning, would |
agree TO receive but small compensation for
his services-but which, lie app?chcnded, like
some other economical plans, would prove in
the end the dearest we could possibly adopt
We could indeed, said Nr. r. obtain single
man, or trumyirate, TO legisIatc for us-to
prescribe and prescribe we could be govern
cd as every nation which has preceded us has
been governed we could become so impatient
tired, vexcd, and chafed by our own fric
ton, 10 use the words Of the gentleman
rom Pennsylvania as, like every other nation
which has preceded us, jew or Gentle, TO
want 10 have king set over us. How long
ago is it since Denmark possessing free con-
10 go back to the time ofThe