Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-10-22
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TiIURSDAY MORNINt:, OCT. 22, Is2a.
TIE CONVENTION,

Alter prayer by the Rev. Mr. Asmsroosc tbo
Convention was called to order at O'Clock
Judge MARSHALL said it would not probably no tbo
pleasure OF the House to take up any of the Rcoors
OF Committees until all the Committees shopld ha Va
reported be this as it may. it would be we'll to
place tho reports in situation in which ihev c,rL;
be acted on without delay With this view he would
move that the report of the Judicial COMMITTEES be
referred to a Committee eff the whole House.
Mr. Ups:IUR suggested the propriety of wa;tinr
until the other reports should be presented lie was
under the impression that it was the wish of some
members to refer the reports Select COMMITTEES
oeiorc they We're srnt to Committee of the whole
iiouse, IN order that they might be examined and re
ported IN combined fo.m a. the Chairman OF the
Executive Committee not now in his place and
as he believed was intenteI to give to the report
from that Committee different direction La b,5
made the suggestion he now threw out.
Judge MARSHALL said n few words in replv in
whch ne stated that the only object he had in Wow
IN making the motion, ta-put the report in n
tram to be acted on with little DELAY as possI,lo
When the business before the Committees il could
be postponed from day to day, until there was dis
position to act upon it. 1t might not b, the pleasure
OF the House To refer the reports to Select Com
as the gentleman had indicated. He was not
anxious to press the motion, if it was the wish of
gentlemen that it should be withdrawn
MT D'DpRipGE said If the gentleman from Acco-
mack, IN what he had thrown out respectur the
wish OF members for Select Committee alluded IA
my thing which hud been said in the House and MR.
ucularly to any thing which had allen from him Mr.
~. ne mad misunderstood him. lie recolected that
o.
Ter the subjects to a Committee of the Whole in
order that the reports may be considered and amend
cd, accepted rejected They would the have To he
reported TO the House, and sent to u Copying Com
mfttee-
Mr. UpsHUK expressed his Willingness to acouiesce
III any COURSE which ht be acceptable to the con-
vention
The question vas then put to refer the report to a
committees of the whole House, and decided in the af
frmatve.
The question then being ON making it the order
for specific day,
Mr. LEIGH (of Chest d) offered the toiiov,iur r,,
lntion--
Rs'otved, Tina, it be standing order OF the Convention
that the Convention shall every day itself into Com
ulttee OF the Whole Convention, consider the exstrr Cun
stituton of the Commonwealth, such propostion for
amendment alteration thereof as shall e rcte. to or
made i'll the said Committee.
Mr. DopDRlDGE moved to lay the resolution on
tile table, after expressing his conviction that there
was Necessity for the Convention to 90 into com,
ttee OF the whole the judicial report at DR. sent
lie reminded the House that their present hour of
meeting was o'clock, and that ane of the commit
tees was yet husi!y engaged in the Consideration OF
the subjects referred to it.
lie asked 1t there any desire to act on the
other reports before any thing was received from
that committee through who abors he said he be-
gan to discover the dawnng light. He thopghs that
good arise, but that evil might II ON the
adoption of the resolution.
Mr. SrANARD said that the gentleman from Brooke
would not get rid OF the difficulty which he seemed
to have discovered, by his present motion. 1t was
necessary to give direction 10 the subject II
did not follow that because the House might 90 into
commit tee of the whole specific propositjon il
could not take up any other subject. 1t would be
competent to the committee TO lay aside the specific
proposition motion OF any member and TO take up
any other OF the reports which might have been re-
terrcd to them. Such the practice OF the House
of Delegates TO assiilate which the practice of
the Convention the object of the gentleman from
Chesterfield, in offering his resolution.
MIR. DoDDaIDGE expressed his acquiescence in the
general view that propositions properly be refer
rcd to committee of the whole: but he asked what
bonnd the convention to adopt that course now In
the present state of the business what good could
suit from this reference of single report? When
the other committees shall have reported all the re-
ports might be referred at the time. Were the
resolution to be adopted, he asked if the House would
not be obliged every day, TO postpone motioa the
order of the day, to another day?
Mr.. STANARD briefly explained his views
MIR. p Z. BARBOUR suggested that the difficulty
which the gentleman had alluded to us to the daily
postpoDemcnt by motion would occur. He had
enqured of the Secretary if the same practice did not
prevail in the House of Delegates which prevails i'll
the House of Representatives.. There, it requires
nomotion to postpone the order for going into com
Inittee Of the whole When, by standing rule it is
made always IN order Tor the House resolve itself
into committee of the whole, there Is occasion
Tor any motion Of postp"nemcnt. 1t is always ipso
facto in order to go into committee on motion, but it
requires motion TO postpone it.
Mr. MERCER sold he understood the resolution was
70 constitute committee of the whole. There is
already such committee 1 existence, and the Con
ventiOn had referred the judicial report to that
lnttee. 1t always in order at IL o'clock move
that the house resolve itself into committee of the
whole. In this respect the House Of Delegates dt-
fer sfToin the House of Representatives,. We have
but committee of the whole, and all subjects refor
red are sent to that committee. He objected to the
course now proposed, because he thought it was in
tended that the committee should act this subject
byitself He thought too that by resolving itself in
to committee of the whole the state constitution
the Convention would be adopting that very course
which by former decision it had refused TO adopt.
Mr.. LEIGH (of Chesterfeld) said he did not sup
pose that the House by its former decision meant 10
refuse to resolve itself any time into Commit
tee Of the whole the Constitution If it had sc
intended, the remarks OF the gentleman were peril
nent, but if the Convention meant to go into Com
mittee Of the whole in order to compare the present
Constitution with the amended draft, to be submit
ted to it, to contrast the changes with the thing chan
ged, then were the remarks irrelevant 1t was mo-