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

by any means, sufficiently scsraf 10 induce ia,
call Ola Convention in any rorm, ard, espe-
ciai'y, N the manner proposed rhai ex-
pense levied on the pe@ple by cIpiiotion ia
would only amount Ia RI cents and 92-lOO al
IA cent per head This he said was the whole
cost OF civil government and were the pp0-
J pie prepared to jeopar lie their constitution,
under which they enjoyed So much Tranquil
lity, liberty and happiness, for The sake ofre-
duclng u to cents per heed lie had no
doubt hut that the British Go, crnment would
wIlll0gly pay all the expenses complained Of
and take us back under its protection, sc.
MIR. l.. said he had heard with surprise of
the burthen Of taxes in this country. He
asked what those taxes were, and conirastrd
them with the civil, political and religious
rights we enjoy.
Mems disappointments, he sa,d, seem 10
vent themselves in Il desire for convention.
If man became bankrupt-ifhe is refused
discount at bank-Or If lie loses cause in
the court of appeals-he imme diately impuies
II to defects in the constitution, and becomes
! the advocate of cow eniion. respectable
cIizen he said, had come ia Richmond lately,
violent enemy ofa convention--a cause of
Importance was decided against him in the
court of appeals-and he instantly exclaimed
+" OF Cd there mus, be Il conrention."
No man, said Nlr. l.. had a greater interest
w..
He bclenged In profession the chief Deepen
dence at which Uas on that prosperity. He
expressed his apprehensions as to the effect
OF the proposed changes. The right of suf-
irage-the courts-the executive and the
legislature are TO be upturned and new
1 modelled. But no one could say what were
to be the substitutes in their place. What
evils he asked were suffered from the folly or
the defects ut the executive ? There was
one feature in that department which he
would abolish, and which the gentleman
MIR. Munford) had called the scratch -
He considered it odous because it unnecps
sarily subjected to modification, the feelings
OF honorable men. But to save the persunal
feelings OF men he was not prepared TO up
turn the government to abandon, for uncer-
tainiy that which we had tesIed and found 10
be good, and that too, by open rebellion
Nor was he disposed to acquiesce in the
doctrine ofnon-resistaHce and passive obedi-
ence. When tyranny or oppression existed.
no man would be found more willing than
himself to resist il. But there is at present no
grievance to redress no oppression 10 resist
He had expected the object Of the meeting
was TO digest something like memorial to
the legislature. expressive of the evils winch
exist and calling on them for the proper re-
lief. Instead of that the proposition was to
g1re up dH-and take the chances whether
we get a better or worse constitution. He
referred to the results of the conventions which
had been called in other states, and asked if
the people were any better satisfied since than
before they were held. He said the gentle
man, lMr. NJ was mistaken in surprising
that the expression in the constitution of a
'requentrecurrenc 10 fundamental principles
meant, that there should be frequent revulr-
tiuns IN the government. II only, meant
| a regard should be had, i'm the ordinary
course OF legislst ion to these principles and
was rather an injunction or .ir departments
oi government 10 that effect, than any thing
e'se. Any other interpretation he,thought in
consistent with the peace and good order of
society. No human production could in the
nature OF things, be perfect. Every Consti-
union must, therefore, be imperfect And If
~ followed, az = uEatter OF course, that every
'mperieeioD either real or imaginary was to
De remedltd by Convention, there would
be no end Ia them. The FREQUENT changes
would disturb the tranquility and harmony Of
society tiG they did not produce more serious
coDsequrnces1 without any corresponding
benefit. Let this principle be but once adopted
t" the extent 10 which gentlemen seem dis
posed to carry IL ard we shall be subject to
constant changes aud revolutions. .NefU ights
will br perpetual!y sproging up0n us. For
his own part Dir. L. said, he preferred The en-
durance Of some trfiing evils to the hazard of
| important benefits. If the length of the SEES
sions OF our legislature be an objection, il is
one ot trlillng Importance. This country is
perhaps, more given To discussion than any
other. But debate tends to- deliberatiun and
! 10 the diffusion of information among the
people. The British Parliament consists of
500 men. Yet they dispatch business more
rapidly than either the Virginia Legislature
or Congress; for no man could be- heard there
| no rad afu
verify ofbeing heard.
| Mr.. Leigh said, that many of the defects
| complained of by the friends ola Convention.
could be remedied by Legislative enactments,
which he thought preferable to total revolu-
ton IN the government, the results of which
no one could foresee. They might be either
for tunate or calamitous, and he was unwil-
ling to take the hazard.
Mr.. HALLAM, in few remarks which we
did not distinctly hear, supported the resolu.
tons. He was followed by
Mr. john RoBEKTsoN, ATTY. General, =
who, after calling for tie reading of the reso
lutIons, said, that if voting for them, was high
treason, he was prepared TO march 10 the scat
fold. They were in his opinion nothing but
the expression of an opinion. And if there
was no other argument in favor of couven-
ton, but the mere annuneiatiOn of an opinion,
that the people of this free country could NOT
peaceably assemble and express their opinions.
he should consider that sufficient
Messrs. Nicholas and Leigh both explained.
Mr.. Robertson, in continuation, remarked,
that the friends ofa Convention had been I'm
Justly denounced rs the advocates of disunon
and dscord. This denunciation was disprov-
ed 10y the very course Of the present de
bate. Mr.. Il. commented on the glorious er-
iccts oil our revolutionary struggle. and the