Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-01-03
RICHMOND, JAN s.
, COMMUNICATED
TO The Friends IF Reo,y, in thetro Houses Of

l" '"S HFte''oS Of ttJo1il IN ttetLro Houses Of
The Legislature.
UENrLEMEN:-A fellow laborer with YOU in
me great and good work of reforming our nolili-
cal institutions, congratulates Won Oh the si.rnal
victory witch has recently crowned your efforts,
IN the most numerous oil the Legislative. bpd,s and
iii that which, coming fresh from the hands of the
people, must be considered as dccisively and au-
tnoritativey pronouncing their sovereign will The
victory is indeed signal. The march OF the public
mind, on this monenious subject has been even
more rapid than the most sang.ine among US p,r-
united ourselves TO hope. The torrent rolls on
ward. Neither art nor strength can impede its
resi5t!ess course. The appeal which YOU have
ni"ue 10 me people, though proper and necessary,
Is merely torrlal You have yourselves expressed
their opinion in the very appeal YOU have made TO
them: and, iii a few short months they will re-
spond TO that appeal with loud vaccinations and
shouts oil Joy and triumph The long contest is
ovcr--the victory is achievcd-,hc victory of The
| people over legalzed usurpation
But the nostbriliiant success in great POLITICAL
contests, comes not without its alloy of cares and
duties and responsibility. You occupy new po-
s.uoh' ana nave new part TO act. For the first
tine you constitute majority in both of the lcgis-
laiive bodies. Permit friend and fellow -labourer
one who, in his humble sphere, has toiled with
you, through the heat and burthen of the day. 10
commune freely with you as To the course YOU are
now to take. Che truly wise do not Iesniac tho
| counseis even OF the unknown and the Obscure.
| you have carried the Convention Question
| through the House of Delegates with a nromn,i
,uue ana decision entitled TO the highest praise
You have deserved and YOU are r,eccivinr tho
thanks and the applause Of the neonIe Whetba.
you VIII retain the popularity which YOU have
| mus acquired, IS question which your future
course can alone decide. Ii is certainly natural
mat you should seek TO deserve still higher an
pause, by employing the power YOU now for tbe
Inst time, possess in the mitigation of some of tho
| numerous evils with which the. ln;srule of vour
predecessors has afflicted the Commonwealth
eolnllis mo power as the avowed friends and pat
io'9 q. REFORM II would seem, at the first view, to
De entirely proper that you should commence. ot
once, the reforms which lie within the scope Of
your legislative powers. This is the question OF
pohcy' 10 brief examination of which 1 would
respectfully call your attention
My own opinion on the subject is eynresso5 j.,
two words-.testi7lG iente. Do not precinto,e tho
work OF reform. Repose beneath your iaurels-
Garry throughthe acts of Indispensable legislation.
make short session and cheap one and return
TO your constituents TO receive the thanks that
| await you. 'i"'
The evils that ailict the commonwealth flow,
from sources which your Legislative powers can.
not reach You will but throw away your own
ulne ana la3our, and the money of the people, il
you undertake the Hercuean task of cleansinc;
! inns Augean Stable. You will, moreover incuT
the danger OF presumption, if you seek to modify.
III detail, those institutions which the people hare
expressed tier determination to revise, by agents
soon 10 be deputed, for that special purpose with
unlimited powers of amendment
rake, lor example, the judici airy system of the
state, whicht 1t Is evidently the wish of the people
10 alter IN many important particulars. What can
you 90 win IT. At the very threshold of your in
vesugatlons into the causes, and proper mode of
cure OF the existing evils you are encountered Inv,
constitutional obstacles. You cannot Give II H.
notifications which seem TO be chiefly called for
wi'hou. offending the constitutional scruples Gun
founded, II you please, but still honest and entitled
/ to respecD OF large portion of your constituents
W ny encounter the charge Of presumptuously Law
ing your hands on the ark OF the constitution
when constituent assembly is SO Scca to meet
Win ample and unqucs!ioncd powers? Alter fhe
system as you viii, and it will again and speedil,
be subjected TO total revision. Possessed of more
ample powers, the Convention viii doubtless strike
deeper than you can, conceGing YOU the utmost
power that Is claimed under the existing constjt,
ton. Your time and labour then and what Is also
OF some importance, the heavy expense of Ieeisla-
ting on, the subject, will be absolutely thrown
away
The expense of legislation in VIRGINIA i mn. t,,e
least OF long list of grievances which have excl
TIED " dissatisfaction, and even the indignation of
( me people. Fourteen years ago they fell short of
| nifty thspsand dollars-now they exceed an hum
dTed thousand and IL the state OF the currency at
the Two periods be brought into the calculation il
! would perhaps not be extravagant TO say, that
they have been fSeb!ea within the period mention
ed. There is obviously no legitimate excuse for
this enormous increase of the burthens of govern
inent. ana 1t becomes you, as the friends of re-
form to shew by your conduct, IN this tie first
/ gear o. your Po1ceT, That you dsapprove of this
LAVISH expenditure the public money.
How many works ofunquestioned utility might
be elected, even IN one short year, by reducing
| your legislative expenses to the standard of the
! year l3,-The second auditor reports 10 Won that
the fund for internal Improvement is Inadequate 10
| the payment of the sums specially charged ON II
and advises you TO defer till 20, the payment
which the government is pledged to make in 1928.
on the latl OF legislative promises large works are
IN progress; and failure TO make the stipulated
payments would not only be blot on the escntch-
con OF the state, but would be productive of great
loss and injury to those who have reposed imnlci,
confidence in the good faith of the government
Ono halt OF the saving proposed would redeem the
pledges that have been given, and save the honor
ofthc state.
Or, If You choose 70 give the fund in question
some other destination, objects in abundance pre-
sent themselves on which the bounty of the Soy.
eminent might be most worthily bestowed The
savings oil single year would erect for examine
one hundred school houses, with habitation 10,
teacher annexed TO each, for the education Of The
children OF the poor throughout the commen.
wealth. How gloriously would the first wear ~
the administration OF the friends Of reform be si
naized by so benehcent acG-To court popui3.
rity by iiattering and cabling the people is admit
yea, on all hands, to be despicable and unworthy
but TO deserDe Il, by comforting on them subs,sI
tia benefits is legitimate object OF honorable arm
bition. That you may thus seek and NAV tbn.
obtain solid and lasting popularity is the ferven
wish OF FRIEND or RFFOBIi
~ q meeting at tho Courthouse In Urbanr,
Mddlessx County, Of large number of frecI,ol5
crs OF said county friendly to the election Of C;c
! ANDREW JACryeOr. fltc ESr,.:ro..... -