Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-09

| nv ' w utpEiNt all tue states. great anu
small. OF PARTON of their power, and because
i interi.red with the separate character of the
states, as independent sovereigniits. He illus
irated this view of the subject by several re-
marks, and then proceeded TO state that he
c"ncurred in the opinion that had been eX-
pressed In debate, that the district system was
calculated 10 bring the election of President
into The House of Representatives. MIR. r.
fully concurred in the views ofthe gentleman
from South Carolina, (Mr. Hayne,) that great
evils WOULD arise from the constant interfer-
ence of Congress in thr Presidential election,
and that any amendment To the constitution
would be very objectionable which would have
the effect of making that interference more
frequent. He said it had been great object
with him fer many years To effect some amend
men To the constitution, which might secure
the electiC.. the President, without troubling
Congress with it. He might not live 10
see that desirable object accomplished, but he
| hoped the gentleman from South Carolina
would.
AS Ia the question Of a congressional caucus
| for The nomination of candidates for the Presi-
dency, MIR. T.~sad, he never had any doubt
that such Il nomination clear riointion
of tho spirit of the constitution On that sub
lect, he believed, his sentiments were in print
1t appeared To hun prrpostrrous Cor gentle
men In contend that, in making such nomi-
nation, they acted in their pirate capacities
! Mr. Il. here entered into some arguments Ia
prove that members of Congress could not
meet al the Seat Of Govprnmrnt and nonli-
nate "A candidate for the Presidency, without
making it public business. The people
Is ould so regard it, and it would produce Inc
same effect as if The nomination was made by
members in their Legislature capacities
! His honorable lripnd and colleague (Alr.
1 RAJ bpurl had Staf..H hn hui
been his instructor in respect TO cnucmSing,
and that he had introduced him into tie
| first Caucus he had ever attended. Hi. col
league, If he had received any Instructions
| from him on the subject had certainly pro-
fitted greatly by them. He had hrrn a re-
| ry apt sckoiar in has lessons, aud had fur out
S!'1bPed has mGsfer. But his colleague was
greatly mistaken. He had never attended u
caucus, either in Congress or elsewhere, for
the purpose ofnontnnting candidates for Offices
Such proceedings he a. nSidprrd rery dnBger-
ouS, and altogether unconstitutional.
The meeting To which the gentle man had
alluded was held by some of The members of
the irglnia legislature, fnr the single purpnsc
of preparing resolutions TO be- proposed in the
legislature. Mr. II. said he did not agree with
the gentlemen On the other SIDE that informal
meetings for preparing bills or resolutions TO
! he proposed Ia legislative bodies, had any re-
sembIance Ia IA congressional caucus, intended
To transfer fr@m the states their constitutional
check and influence in the election of Pre-
sIdent. Ia Congress. 1t had been said indeed,
that congressional caucns acted only IN
their private characters. To Illustrate this
assertion : we have all heard of what is called
! a ball dance. suppose sixty seventy of
the gravesf and n1nsi Respectable private cili-
zens should assemble and entertain the sprc-
ta,ors with .ligs, rigadOons, and li-rDpiprs
| Would not their private characters be psina-
| ted in contemplating the exhibition But, If
the same number of members Of Congress
should asscohie aud exhibit similar scene
would not their public characters be also cs,i-
mated? So, when assembled for nominating a
President, il is their public characters, and
those only, which intended To Influence
the election, and such an influence DESTROYS
that OF the states, bestowed by tie cunsiiu-
ton for representation, by transferring to
| congress power conferred on The states
| Their characters " i'll follow them into n eau
Gus, either for the purpose of a bull dance, or
for nominating President
| MIR. Taylor said, that he had moi previous
! ly mentioned The word caucus in this debate,
nor should he have now done so, had he moi
been personally called upon; bat that, if The
resolutions for amending the constitution
should he taken up, it would be necessary fo
a
wards that consolidated and concentrated
form of Government, towards which we were
verglng with awful rapidly. At this uncturp.
ITS thorough examination would produce an
excitement Inconsistent with Discreet cons-
deratI0n of the amendments and therefore
lie concurred IN the proposed postponrment.
| Mr.. MILLS stated the views which induced
him TO move for the indefinite postponement
Of this subject He had believed that il was
impossible To act upon hrse resolutions nj the
I present session that the public .ntimcnt
was not yet prepared fer any amendment ON
tins SUBJECT, and that Il sufficient number of
the Senate, to carry any one Of these amend
ments, could not he induced 20 vote for any
amendment He thought the present was not
the best time Tor the consideration of the sub
Jtct, ana mat there were many and so va
rlOus propositions, that no one of them wOnd
be adopted at present.
Mr.. KELLY, of Alabama, next took the floor,
and began with observing that he would en-
deavor, so far as it was practicable, to with
draw the subject under debate from the f. q
with which had been cnveIupfd, and to con
form To the rule or debate prescribed by the
| CHAIR. He remarked, that The ~ hole discus
sion on this CGtcus question, had arisen from
/ y want oi fotbrarance on the part Of the gen
.lemcn who had advocated THAT measure
| TIE gentleman from New York. (Mr King
4 had been charged with change nr opinion ON
The subject Ofthe Constitutional amendments.
and hod risen in his defence, and justified his
/ deposition To delay acting on the subject at
fins crlss,on account Of the central po,Cer " hich
now presumed 10 srlrct candidates for thr Pre-
sidsncy aud V. Presidency ofthe T. :. Whp-
Their he actually used the cahaIis'ic and portpn-
tDus word, Caucus, or not, / hold itsaid Mr.. K
inn In nf nj al 10 II. 4.