Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-28

proposition CS0cfuueu,
answersd precisely the end Of lie appointment; which
to reduce. by dividing the Executive power, and
20 render IL incapable Of evil tI
He rstorted the charge Of sristocracy BY charging
the plan TO give power 10 the Executive. with spice
OF Monarchy. He eonended that the Executive OF
the u. States was an elective Monarch. and wen,
into long DEPRESSION the effect of patronage in the
General Government, and concluded with insisting
that II III. Executive Of Virginia was to have similar
powers the election OF Governor would me,s,elv
grew into great Importance in Virginia, a. the cleo.
ton Of President was In the U. States.
Mr. DoDpRIDoE promising to answer tho gentle
man's call for Information tomorrow. moved that the
COMMITTEES rise.
IL rose aecordiugly.
The President laid before the Convention the follow.
Ing letter from Collowhill Menni': tl. r~s
RIcHsaoNp. November 18th.
Sf-My health having become 90 feeble a. to pr..
vent my discharGing tho duties Of member Of the Con.
vsniion, resign my seat With high respect. ~.
CALLOwHiLL MENNiS.
President eftae Convention.
Mr.. CLArroR then announced that the dele alton
from Mr.. MENNrs's District had agreed upon Sam
usl Branch. Esq. Of Buckingham, as suitable person
to ill the vacancy caused by his resignation; and NOV
cd that the Sergeant at arms Mr. Branch TO b,
notified OF his election. Which ordered aceor.
DINGHY
The House then adjourned.
s.a FRIDAY, November a.
Tho Convention met at clock, and was opened with
prayer by the Row Mr. Armstrong of the Presbyterian
The House resolved itself iato Committe. Of the
Whole. Mr.. p p. Barbour in the Chair, the qucs.
m he
LIST resolution of the Executive Committee. ~, -, -
(Thc resolution reads,
Re'0ised. That the Chief Executive Once Of th.
Commonwealth ought 10 be vested in n Governor
Mr.. DopDRrDGE's amendment is in these words:
''To be elected once in every three years at the
time Of the general annual elections. by the person.
quahed to vote for the most branch of the
General Assembly, =.
Mr.. d. took thu foor in explanation OF his amend.
men Having stripped the question Of what he consider
cd as irrelevant to IT, he took up Mr.. Jorsons notes on
virginia. and read an extended quotation from it, con-
ssuny o. the weknown passages In relation to the de-
fecs in the Constitution He advcrted TO the rpenc,,
Of Mr. Us Judgment, AID his freedom from every tbnv
then likely to bias his Judgment. To shew that this
cd by the whole public life of Mr. Jefferson he ne ~
rad to the Committee letter from the same author
, Written IN esio period which succeeded the rejec-
ton OF the hrst Bill for the call Of Conven'io He
recapitua,ed the objection. he had formerly urged =.
gsins the Executive Csuncii-and dweit on their ~ AMI
ol 1e.pon'lo.y-gr'a' as it respected the gi-a,urs
and total az regarded ths peopir: The difficulty AM,
delay attending their removal, and the facility with
which tnid Governor might skuik behind them as
screen He Insisted that his argument had not b, zen
met The only reply had BEEN that this she wed The
independence of that branch of the Government, which
wA''o greatly insisted being de.iI able: that reply
amounted TO confession that the Executive tpus nrac-
tcally Irresponsible
Mr. ID. then traced the operation Of this part of the
Constitution In pracice-and wen. into a statement OF
the reasons which went TO make the Council always
citizens oil Richmond, having the natural local attach.
men's which pertaned to them such; aad therefore
improper guardians Of the public pc ndure. He re-
ierred to tho sums lavished the erection of the
Psnienary and Arnory.
lie alluded TO some .entim ents thrown ont nv Ar
Leigh. in the Legislative Committee, concerning tn.
progress OF this country toward corrupon-tbe arIor
sor Office &cand applied those scntimen ts as bearing
on the oihce OF Councilman. Mr.. l.. had owned that
IN this debate no was the advocate Of the Common.
wealth; Mr.. ID. enquired what that Commonws ma,
sou'u oe OF which Mr.. L. was an advocate, Of which
the other Inc nbers moi? and applying the
preston 10 Commonwealth Of the freehoies opposed
to the Convention, when
INIT. LEIGH explained. II a spor,ive express
In ct,r
which Mr.. Cooke had promised to bring against ths
past course OF Legislation. and which Mr. had piedg
OIL himself to meet: II was in that sense that he had
'p"kin OF himself (sPorvey) cosnsei for the Com
Mr. ID. replied by complimentary referenc. 10 Mr.
- talents and vriues-and then went to meet MIR
LIS challenge for zone instance Of abuse of nowsrn
tHere Mr. L. again explained. He had asked for
the proof of one instance Of the usu,afion of power
by ths Executive
Mr. ID then called for the reading of tina, part Of the
journal oil The Legislature which contains the report
OF me Committee appointed to the
oil the Armory. IN the winter Of 1903 Nearly the
whoie OF that report was read at the Clerks table
Mr ~ proceeded TO comment upon it, and 10 recite
detailed history Of that whole nvestigaon with ito re.
eni's, as going to shsw tho loose irregular and pey
hgeot manner In which the Council had attended
TO the endorsement Of the public funds
been made without being even reduced to writing:
mad been repeatedly changed at the suggestion OF the
osnractor whose certificates had be taken a. voucb
crsfr the work done by hi. own slaves, and vast sm,
oil mosey had been drawn from the Treasury far arm,
"hen proved useless on the trial of them, and wer.
~ nj
they had cost, 81. " ~
RE referred TO the Dill which had grown ont of This
ihVesugahon. taxing away from the Executive the
power OF appointing the ants of the srmorv
ana giving TO the Assembly by baIio-the proposcd
impeachment Of the whole council-the di,ms,ion nj
inc superntepdants, &c. From all which, Mr. d. ar
gned me nresponsihty Of the Council and their I'm.
nness 10 he charged with the of the puh
NC "ndS ana hence tiss propretv of giving TO that
branch d ths Government different organization
and making IL directly resrsnsib's 10 the PEOPLE
a. Mr.. LEIGH rose in reply-snd went into history of
the Causes which led to che appointment of the Com
mittee oil Investigation. lie referred 10 the determine
ton OF party to put down the Arnery-the means re-
sorted to- to libel the superintendent unfair and on.
Pressive course which pursued IN DENYING him an
opportunity OF defence; he then went on To give far
tner history OF the suit at law iastitucd against that
ocer-thc elaborate trial OF the before the Gen
crai Court OF the Commonwe alfh-the ample admis.
sion OF the testimony fro all qua tiers and the resut
IN MS honorable and Triumphant acqu tai His inoo
ccnce was farther confirmed by his poverty This one
iact' ne considered as Mr.. DIS whefe ar
gunch Tor II the Superintendent Major John CLARK,
dd oeen guilty OF no injury to the public the Council
had not permitted an injury be done and so were free
from the charge which had been brought aoa;n. tbe,
MT L. defended Mr.. Clark (who resides in h distrcN
win ardent ZEAL aud challenged the world 10 disorove
his statement. " P'''o
Mr.. DoDDaIDeE rejsined. Major CIark's scoujt,a,
W" no' oich his argument weaken il IN the 10 ,st
lie bad no, charged him with malfea.snc- hut ,b.
3or CLARK honesty saved the State from injury a, hi.
nands no thanks dHe to those who n ed IA M ~
IN hH hand, by which he might have drpYedsted 10 =
vsst extent upon the public money. He knew Clarke
wel ADD was his personal friend
Mr. COOKE, after advertny TO what hal (,tIe, ,,o,