Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-21

nature snOuid Cease To make and execute Their
own laws by themselves or their creatures.
Ihey ought not TO appoint persons TO public
c,ices OF their own institution. They should
M no "hices whatsoever except such as they
are bound TO fill by the provisions of the CON.
siauiion: and above all things the representa-
ives OF the people, ought not TO raise their
own pay so high, as that the Office of dele-
gate should cease To be honorary, but BECOME
an Office of profit, and thereby an inducemen,
10 long and oppressive sessions.
1T rs well known to all men of correct oh
servaiion, who understand our state cons,itu
tion-that the exec uiive council is the proper
department to see TO the execution Of The
laws, suggest defects or practical evils in their
operation, super'nteHd our public institutions.
make appointments to all Offices created by law
except those property belonging 10 other depart
n'ents, assist IN developing the resources and
energies oil the commonwealth, suggest. or
deyise plans Of Internal improvement. an
point commissioners or other officers accord
ing to law, when necessary for performance
oiimportant duties at distance from the seal
OF government and all officers under ex.cu
I'VE appointments, to hold by the tenure OF
GOOD behaviour, or, 10 be removable for COCO;
causp, M The discretion of the executive cntn-
ell, grant rerrieves and pardDns, ms the cops,i.
luton expressly prescriLes; of course. 10 re-
tnit fnes penalties, and furfeitures, excsrt in
certain cases where the judicial power n,ay.be
more efiectually appled-and generally to
exercise supervising Authority over the inte-
rests OF me commonwealth during the recess
oi The Legislature. All accountability in our
public offices and fiscal CONCERNS, should mass
under the supervision and scrutiny of the OK
ecutive council, whose duty il ought 10 be. 10
collect and preserve all useful information
and evidence 10 relation TO all weighty matters
oil great public concernment. Let The Office
OF Secretary TO the Commonwealth be reyiy.
ed with the assistance of that officer. the al
torney general and other eXecuirre officers
and clerks, all the above duties and many
Others, could he most happily and usefully
performed by the governor and csuncil OF
stare. me General Assembly would then be
renewed rom much aborthe and expensive
legislation They ought not TO entertain lea.
louses towards the council of state, as they
appoint The councillors, fix their salaries. exer.
else the high power of ostracisn, and the re-
cord of the proceedings of the council is al
ways open to The Legislature The peopk
confidently and fondly trust their best inter
esss TO the members of the Assembly. WIN
cannot do every thing the members should
according TO this sacred trust and the consfifu
tion' appoint The most sapient and best aualif
ed men as councillors and Judges The mem
BEES OF the council board, and high iudicia
henches, IL not SUPERIOR, should be at leas
equal III talents and virtne. 10 any citizens O
me oar ana private stations. The Genera
Assembly can easily bring into active opera
| ton that faculty OF the constitution. wl,icl
WI, w'i' secure me selection and appointment %
The proper men TO the proper Offices. and b,
pursuing that course our talents would not re
main neglected, or find their way into The fe
derai government and other states. IL is i,
vain 10 call a convention to effect these oh
lects The ordinary Legislature now poss es
Inc proper powers, for all these great purpo
SEES, aud they should cease wasting the publi,
treasure in useless corporate authorities and
o'her establishments, as well as in their lone
sessions.
IL should he the boundcn duty of the coun-
Gil Oh state, TO report Annually or specially as
required, Ia the General Assembly on.al the
aforesaid matters apperiainiDg 10 their cogn-
! Ztnce and duty. The executive department
might be kept in such order, that when The
House or its proper committee made call :
The requisite statements and evidence, could
be instantly exhibited by merely turning 10
the appropriate files of office. beg leave tn
appeal 10 some cd members of the Assembly;
To bear me out In my statements. They re-
member the Armory and Pententiary estab.
lishments, when the Assembly appointed all
the principal officers in each and undertool,
by Their committees to manage The aifairs of
these ms iiutions. Without Intending any
dIsparagement to the officers, they seemed to
ieei no respect Tor, or amenability, to the
councli'ofs oil state, because both parties de.
rived their appointment from the !ceislatiy,
body. The House raised and sent out ,hs;,
committees, the officers exhibited their ar
counts, The committees merely reported uno,
the accounts as exhibited, without ha vioe i'm.
and the proper means for complete invest
CATION frauds and pecuatiuns could easil,
nave escaped detection. On the appointment
OF The officers by the House, we were detain.
ca ny long nomination speeches, day alte,
day, at the public expense of about one tI,nu.
sand dollars day, and after all, we were of
ten at a loss who TO appoint without jnuuirino
4 Tor Information amongst our private citizens
Here were two great institutions under the
immedete daily view of the governor and
council: had the officers at that period been
! appointed by The executive and accountable
10 me irst instance to that department, the
PuoDc interest," would have been better secured
aud promoted. " may I've proper here fo M
lice, that remission Of a fine of twenty dollar
by petition 10 the Assembly, will sometimes
cost the public fiOtn one 10 two thousand dol
lars, when without cost, il could he RENTED
| by the council or Ivy the court inncting the
line or some other court. II is, however,
unwIse policy, 10 Interfere with judicial
! question or decision, except according to ihe
rules OF judicial proceedings. Had the plans
OF improvement on james river, and nf some
other public works, been maturgd and devised
uoder the auspices Of an efficient exccu,iy,
council, thousands and thousands of dollar,
might have been saved TO the good people oil
this commonwealth; and the time is not dis.
tani, when it will be discovered after vas