Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-11

TO subscrve them, or ii has been foHx 70 ado,,
them In the case now brought into precedent
they had the same objects in view; and, the orn.
tefnan will find, if he adopt their policy in This
respect also, he vii! reap the fruits of this as he
has done of other preccdcnts set BY them
Mr.. FLOYD, of Virginia, said he had no dis,a
stlon to say much on this subject; but, ho,d;no
the opinion, which he did, OF the most deliberate
character that not only this subject, but on ali
others there should be nosecrecy whatever il, the
proceedings of the Government, he was not dis
posedto vote on this question now without sa vino
few words. He was not disposed to set a pre.
cedent now, 10 be governed by hereafter in a
state OF excitement. Is there any excitement
now The opinion of every member of the
House, in regard to the Presidential Election.
is made up decidedly aud distinctly, and can be
expressed in open sitting, as well, and no doubt
as honestly, as if ot,r doors we're closed: and
1 was sorry tnhear the gentleman from Delaware
say, that the presence of persons in the gale
| rIes could have no effect on his vote-for am
sure there is not a man in the u. States who
would suppose such a declaration from him ne.
cessary.
In reply to the argument that but a few persons
VINO were industrious enough to get up soon,
would be able to obtain admission into the gal
iery-Mr. f. asked, If so, why should any gen
tleman wish to close the gallery? Let them in
|
no objection toit, Nor could he agree with the
gentleman from Ohio, that the intrlguers woud
be always up IN The gdiler1es-for that was not
the place for them. The gentleman had also re-
terence TO late occasion, not more than a wear
ago, growing out of this very election, in which
there were some symptoms of dissatisfa ction in
the galleries. Mr.. F. here was going to re.
mark on this illustration, supposing it had re-
terence to the meeting at the Capitol on the
night oil the 18th Feb last, but Mr. w. intima
ted that that was not the incident to which he
referred Mr. + continued. Poor King ANGUS
having been so much abused and spoken of. sir
| thought the gentleman might have referred to
that OCCASION where | was myself presentation.
sir, l was one of that respectable body, and |
am yet proud OF IT. If, however, he meant not
| to refer to that case, will refer to case the
excitement OF which, probably in this House.
and in the galleries, and out of the House. never
was, and never can be, exceeded. allude to
the Missouri question-during the arduous and
Protracted discussion Of which no disturbance
proceeded from the galleries. am not, there
fore, Tor setting precedent now, in anticipa-
ton OF what has never yet happened. If. sir.
the Representatives of the People, in their Ca
pacity OF individuals, or acting by States. are
capable OF being operated upon by disorders in
the galleries, it Is high time Tor us TO go home.
But | apprehend disturbance. In all the
trying CT circumstances of the Missouri question
as respectful conduct, at least, was exhibited by
: the galleries, as by the House itself. wear @,
Two ago we were three or four days baliotinp
for Speaker of this House Was the election
of President more important than the ek.:tion
oil a Speaker OF this House? For himself. since
the amendment of the Constitutions he thouebt
the Office of Speaker second in the Government.
II we can elect Speaker without any trouble.
from the galleries, can we not also elect a
PRESIDENT l would not suffer the belief TO po
abroad among the People, from our over-p
4 cautions, that We cannot. 1t had been scme
tunes said in reference to the movements of his
Government, that the eye of Europe is upon
u.s. Now, Mr.. F. said, he would not, in the
eye of this People, or of Europe, have this
House look like the COnclave Of Cardinals, the
Council OF Zen at Venice, or even the Star
Chamber of England lie would have the cleo
ton of President as public as possible. and
let all the People, and all the world, see ali that
is done. There would moi, perhaps be much to
see; the ballot-box would be placed on the
Clerks table, he presumed, and the States
would deposIte their votes in it as called over
that was the mode approaching in the CaGsus
last winter, and more respectable aud honor
able body of men, he must say, he had never
known. and he had no objection to the whole
world being spectators of the ceremony II
seemed that 1t was what happened on late &C.
caslon at New York, that the gentleman from
Ohio had referred to. OF that State, Mr.. F.
saId--for she was great State-he would avoid
saying any thing; but, if what happened there
happened in Virginia, he should have said as
little as possible of it: for the occurrence of the
disturbance in the galleries of the Legislative
body, argued as little in favor of the BODY which
did not suppress and punish the authors of it, as
to those who disgraced themselves by making
it. As he could not see any reason for secrecy,
IN conducting the affairs of Government gener-
ally, he was not wiling to sanction it in this in
stance. Ii the Government was, as the gentle
man from Delaware had suggested strong
enough for the purpose of security at home and
protection abroad, it had nothing to apprehend
from disorder in the galleries Of this House, its
power being sufficient TO enforce due respect
To it.
Mr.. +. said he was rather sorr, for several
reasons, that the gentleman from s. Carolina
should have alluded to the old federal party. He
had no doubt that, in every thing the federal
party had done, not involving its construction
Of the Constitution, things were as well done
} as they are now. The error Of that party was
in not appOrtioDing its legislation and expendi-
, ture to the true condition of the country As
to the elder John Adams and Timothy Picker
ing he did not at all approve their constitutional
opinions, and no one had been more decidedly
: opposed to them, but state Of things might oc-
cur, and he did not know but ii had occurred in
which he believed he would take the old ones
f IN preference 20 it. If the doctrines of the old
} federal party we're obnoxious, he did not see
that those of the present day were any better
They undertook to do every thing under the
clause of the constitution to provide for tho