Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-10-29

resolution offered by Mr. Stuart Of Patrick.
declaring il inexpedicnt to amend the Bill OF
Rights was adopted,
Saturday. October IL.
Aftcr prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Kerr, the.
Convention, at O'Clock was called to order
There being no business before the Con-
vcntion,
Mr. Doddridgs, after stating that some fur
Their documents had been obtained from the
Auditors Office, which would, under the for
mer resolution OF the Convention, be handed
to the Public Printer, moved that the Con-
vontion DO now adjourn, which was carried
The Convention then adjourned I'LL Mon
day, at O'Clock.
VIM. X. Perrin, Esq Of Gloucester, cleo
ted by the remaining delegates from that die
trict tthe s4th) to supply the vacancy caused
by the death Of DIR. Calvin H. Read, appear
ed in his seat on Saturday. and was appointed
to the Committee on the Dill OF Rights, Sc.
The Conuniifees.--In the Legislative Com.
fhittee ON Saturday. a Resolution offered by
Mr.. johnson, was adopted. fixing the mum
bers of the House Of Delegatcs--the piais.sss
at l20. the Bpsrimmn at lso--Nurh debate
occurred on this and other propositions.
In the Executive Committee, the Chairman.
Mr. Giles, at the request OF one OF more Of
the Committee, delivered his sentiman,s at
large, on Government in general, and the
mode of elcctng the Governor in particular
II was curious speech, and we should DO
pleased to have it IN our power TO report it.
After an explanation of the purposes for which
the Convention was met, and disqnisition
upon the theory of Government. Mr. Gilcs
proceeded to say that all Governments wero
founded upon one of two principles, 1ariolGbi-
lily or responsibility The FIRST, he said, was
introduced by fraud and cunning, backed by
force and had no foundation in nature or
science. The last depended ,ipon principle
founded in nature, and sustained by science.
and was peculiar to these States. We werc
pleased with this part Of Mr.. Giles argument,
all except his historical injustice and inaccurA
acy, in asserting that responsibility or accom-
liability was unknown TO all other nations, and
peculiar to our own. II is credit enough to
the American people and to Geo. Mason, that
this responsibility has been fundamentally cs-.
tablishcd, and recognized as the very salt Of
representative democracy; this we say. is cree
dit and honour enough, without seeking to
violate the truth Of history, and denying JUS
tice to older or extinct nations. Nothing -
trucr than that responsibility has existed. and
for as MIR. Giles principle Of inviolability, or
irrcsponslbility, is founded upon the notion Of
divine right and hereditary claim, it Is me-
ccssarily excluded from an governments (and
the contrary principle Of responsibility esta-
blished;) which emanate from the people.
Ancient and modern history, arc full ofexam-i
pies, and Charles the |. and his son, show that
responsibility was known and enforced too,
in England Not in the u. States Is the res
possibility of The public agent more defined
or insisted upon, than in the latter country
Having got through with his theory, the
Governor entertained the committee with .
panegyric and history Of the Constitution OF
Virginia, which he preferred to all that ever
did or ever shall exist. Never belore its BIRTH
had the world seen political light. Geo. Ma
son was the terrestrial Jehovah who had iliu-
minated the universal chaos! To him was
assigned the undivided glory Of the Constitu-
ton Of Virginia, a work perfect in itself, and
constructed without model All this so'ul-5
ded 10 our ears, very like bombast That
Geo Mason. was, as Mr.. Jefferson says, 10
the Srst order Of great men, every Virglnian
at least, will gladly acknowledge: that no was
the principal architect of the Virginia Constr
tuition all agree to be true; but that he wor-
kcd without model before him, and Original
ted the Constitution out Of the depths VI his
own intellect, Is an absurd and untenable isiea-
He had not only model before hina. IN the
Constitution ofEngland, but he has initiated
that model so exactly, 1--WE had almost said
serpiIely) that the original and the copy are
externally undistinguishable. They differ i
is true IN many things, but only in degree and
not in principle. In England, the powers Of
the Government are vested in three Depart
ments, kept separate and distinct--so are
they by our Constitution, and the parallel
throughout is so complete, as to differ only
in the mode Of constitution Of the Executive
and one branch of the Legislature, and the
extent of power entrusted 10 the one govern
ment and to the other. II Is the very close
relationship between the two indeed, that
the principal cause Of the desire OF change N
Virginia--the investing the Legislative power
| in the landholder, instead Of the people Docs
Mr. Giles imagine that George Mason did NOT
borrow the freehold qualification from Eng
land--that the theory Of the three Depart
ments-that giving the Governor Pnyy
| CounciI--that making the tenure Of the Jan.
yes during good bebavlour--thaa The ioea o.
County Courts, Sheriffs, Constables, and tne
posse, were not all borrowed from Engiandi
NAV were these principles not all IN operation
u, Trga,ia, one hundred years before uso
Mason tlourished. and is it not true tnat ~
did little more than engraft them IN a Writer
Constitution. with such adaptations az suite.
the change from Monarchy to Democracy
i In the felicity of these adaptations--'n making
in fact, as Title change as was eomPanp'
with the new order Of things--tn ms Know
ledge Of human nature, and the character an
habits OF his countrymen, and N ms Pauao
ism unbending and unbienching--.n ~
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