Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-02-20
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES, FEB. IA.

A communication was received from tne oe-
nate, that they had passed the bills divorcing
Ishmael Moody from his wife Eliza Armand
the bill establishing a town on the lands OF
WIN. C.. Queen, with amendments-and that
they had rejected the bill allowing Lucy Ann
Dungie to reside in the State. The amend
ments Of the Senate were concurred in.
Nv. Peasants called up the engrossed bill,
rele asing 10 Jas. o. Connell the Common
wealth's right to a piece Of land, and 1t was
passed.
The Speaker laid before the House the fol-
lowing letter from Chancellor Brown.
SPRING FARM, Feb 10, 1926.
Sir.-I have seen published in the Richmond
ENQUIRER of the 18th ultimo, Immediately un-
der the words "Chancellor Brown" in capitals,
10 doubt with the view Of calling the public at
ton more to the subject, the copy OF a preain-
bic and resolutions said to have been submitted
to the House over whose deliberations you pre-
side, on the l4th Of that month, by an honora-
BILE member (Mr. Goggin) from Bedford ceun-
ty.
Mr.. Goggin and I are perfect strangers to
each other, and | sincerely regret that our &C
ouaintance commences under such disagreed
bic circumstances Our residence is from 80
TO 100 miles distant from each other; in parts
oil the Sldlc. DCtWCGn WhA(h tuSi IL NSiN HIM.
if any. communication He lives in a county
not within any of my judicial districts, and
from which no lawyer attends any OF my courts;
/ mus, therefore conclude, that he has no per-
sonal knowledge of the facts on which his pre-
amble and resolutions are boltomed, and no
personal interest in them; and it is to me a
matter of deep modification, that before he felt
it his duty to exhibit me to the public, in such
-z1.S,c 1;o-h, ha had moi aNailpH himself ut
tho information which he might have received
from other members of the House, some Of
them residing near me, in habits Of seeing and
oonversing with me frequently, and Of attend
ine NV courts since my p~aralytic attack
From my knowledge OF those gentlemen, and
the facts which they could and would have sta
ted, I feel confident that the hon. member would
have been sensible that some Of the facts which
he has assumed, as the basis of his preamble
and resolutions, did not exist at all, and none
of them TO the extent assumed. Why he did
not pursue this course, | know not. Perhaps
il is not parliamentary to enquire into the truth
of facts before you report them. Perhaps In
such a case public duty goes no farther, than
10 bring forward the accused, bound and gag
ped, so that the punishment due to his sup
nosrd offence can be inflicted on him, not only
without a struggle, but without a complaint.
Or. i'm Justice to the hon. member, we may
sapDose that he had received information,
from. some quarter, which was satisfactory to
himself of the truth Of the facts which he has
reported; and without enquiring minutely int
the correctness Of that Information, or whether
it was not opposed by facts, which proved that
il could not be correct, and hurried away by
a sense of public duty, he assumed upon him.
self the responsibility to pronounce to all the
people of the Commonwealth, and TO me IN
particular, that, III the opinion of the Assem-
bly Of Virginia, l was constitulionally incapa-
citated from longer holding the office OF Chan
cellor, and that the said Office was vacant, and
ought to be filed! If the facts l now beg leave
to state, and am prepared TO prove, had been
known TO the hon. mover, (and they might
have been, had a due regard for private feeling,
private character, and private right, entered
into the estimate of his public duty, as a Legis-
lator,) | would beg leave to ask him, would he
have thought himself compelled by his sense
of that duty, and his oath to support the con-
stitution, to have reported his resolutions, and
the preamble on which they are based! Should
the hon. member decline to answer this PLAIN
question, lest it might lead 10 another which
would be more difficult for him to answer, then
I submit it to any man of honor, to answer Tor
him. The following are the facts alluded TO:
On the soth day Of July, 1924, closed my
court, after a session Of more than live weeks,
and early the next morning was visited with
my present malady. In the month OF October
following, had so far recovered as TO De able
to walk about my plantation, and in February
to ride out, and to attend a survey Tor two
DAYS, and remain from four to five hours each
day, on horseback. And though | was unable
to attend the Wythe, Lewisburgh, aud Staun-
ton Courts in October and November of that
wear. vet as | had never for twenty two years,
failed 10 hold my courts regularly (excep, that
once before, i was so much injured by the fall
ing of my horse, when on my way to Lewis
burg, I was unable to attend the court there,
I did not think the public had much cause 20
complain, and the opinion of my physician,
and the fattering anticipations OF my friends,
strengthening my own hopes Of speedy reco-
yery. concluded not 20 resign my commission,
while such a well grounded hope remained,
tina, j. should soon be enabled to resume my
public duties But though dad not hoid my
fall courts, / was not wholly disengaged from
my Official duties. After the month OF Novem-