Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-13

I hrhahe "a Itself and calculated 10 suften tho
lgors of the common law. Yet il was some
What singular, that after the gentleman had
abolished the chaucery courts, he was willing
| transfer their powers To other hands. Bu
was 1t not better for one man TO revise and
correct the decisions of another, than to con-
rentrate SO many and such different powers in
the same hand
Mr.. n. wound up by asking, why il was
that when we were peaceful and happy, we
should BIZ rushing into experiment upon
our constitution, the consequences of which
no man can foresee.-As to the manner of
calling convention, is the gentleman serious
~ prepared TO dispense with the agency of
the Legislature Is he prepared to Nv 10 the
lace OF the Statute book, which forbids the
erection OF another independent government.
within the limits of Virginia, unless by act of
the Legislature Tor that purpose first obtain
ted? And is this attempt to he made too at a
iime, when the Allies of Europe are threaten
ne the liberties of the human race; and when
we are on the eve of most important cleo
ii5n, which may be carried into the II. of Rep.
resentatives, 10 agitaie the whole nation p
But 1t II be the will Of the people, delibe-
rately expressed, to change their constitution,
he trusted he for one should not be the last
to bow TO their decision.
MIR. Munford explained. He denied that
ms resolution went TO dispense with the aid
oil the legisature-or that it was his wish To
proceed without their fundamentally in TAX
ing the sense of the people, and in calling
| the convention.
| MIR. Il. w. LEIGH next took the floor i'm OPP
position to the resolutions. He had not gone
10 the meeting prepared to discuss the various
| questions involved in the proposition submit
ted for their adoption. But he augured i'll
from the spirit of illumination and reform
which had gone forth among the people and
especially from such proposition as the pre-
sent; coming too, from man of such mild
and amable disposition, and whose motives
were always SO free from objection, as the
mover of the resolutions. What, he asked
were the meeting called ON TO do? They
were called on TO do, or TO recommend AN
act, which amounted to nothing short Of high
treason. In proof of this Mr.. l.. read that
part of an act of the General Assembly which
prescrlbes, that ."every person or persons
who shall erect or establish, any government
separate from, or independent Of, the govern
ment of Virginia. within the limits thereof
unless by act of the legislature of this COM
munwealth for that purpose FIRST obtained. or
who shall, &c. &c shall be adjudged guiifv OF
high reoson."* The proposition, Mr. Leie b
SAID, II he understoodit correctly, was, 10 call
convention by the people without the cor
sent oil the legislature; and to establish go
vernment, which shall be above the Legislature
and The. present government Of the state
Gentlemen, he hoped, could not mean this.
and yet if the first resolution meant any thing,
II proposed TO go TO this extremity.
MT Muniord rose TO explain. He said ii
! The great ma ority of the people, in their
sovereign will, were disposed to call CONVEX
ton, they had the power TO do So. Such a
cow ention would be legitima te and DO D., rsun
would be guilty of treason for being concern
ed IN IT, He did nos say that a convention
ought TO be called by The people in any other
! than their sovereign character. He had no
doubt but that, when the legislature under
stood the Will of the people in this resnect ,
they would call Il convention.
Mr.. Leigh resumed his remarks He adj
mltted II was true th't the people in their
sovereign capacity, had the right, in resistance
tn Srievous expressions. tU assemble and rV-
dress themselves. But was IL intended, he
asked, that the people of Richmond should
recommend an open act uf rebrllion, without
the existence of any oppression or tyranny.
IN relation tn our civil, political or religions
rights: without even the insiDuation nf cor
rnptioD III any of the public fiinciionatiae !?
lie called on gentlemen To show that from the
very commencement of the government, sin
gle act of oppression bad been committed
either by the Legislature, The Executive or
IN" Judiciary And lie asked If The same pa :
neSyrc could be pronounced on any other
government which had ever existed on earth !?
tie would not say that errors in the several
departments of the government had not been
complained of. But they were errors in poll
cy-partaking i'll no degree either of oppres-
sion or corruption. And yet, said he, this is
the government against which we are called
90 10 enter into absolute rebellion, without
even making respectful application to the
legislature on the subject. If no bribery,
corruption or oppression he found in the go
Nernment, why, he asked adopt a measure Of
The violent and Illegal character of that pro
posed
Mr.. Leigh said he had not come to the
meeting to enquire into the various questions
which had been brought before it, Such sub
Ircts were MOTTO be discussed in the heel of
an evening. All men were not prepared to
act with the spirit of intuition, like some of
The gentlemen who had so Zealously entered
into the subject of reform. Most of these
questions, hr said, had been graveIy and de-
'iberately discussed by the wisest and hes,
patriots the country had ever produced and.
perhaps none more so than the right of suE
JrdSe which experience had proved To have
been fixed upon the safest basis. But 71e,c
tights, u would seem. have been obtained
The spirit of reform had gone abroad and
the long established ard approved features of
our government were To pass in review. and
10 be- new modelled after the fashionable no
lions of the day. For bis owu part, Mr.. l..
said he was satisfied with the present state
of things, aud should not enter into such dis
Gus ions
But, he remarked, that one great objection
had been urged in the papers, which had had
much influence in producing tbe present dis
satisfaction. ], was HE long Sessions of The
lao ieIofure Frb.t Lod,, b. iii