Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1829-10-21

,odv can ael al once--can aci to-day
his very day. It can begin and make &C
NAL progress in the great duties assigned
10 it by the People.
Bnt sir. this is not all that will ensue
mon the adoption of the report which has
been presented by the committee. The
action of this body must be suspended, not
,nlv tll some one of the committees shall
-enort. but ill one certain committee shall
re6ort-We are to have one committee
on the Bill of Rights--aEother committee
on the Executiye-another on the Legs
lafve-another on the Judiciary Depart
nent-anotber on some part ofthe plan Of
Government which Is neither Executive,
o,,elative nor Judicial in Its character
though what that can be, do not under
sstand2for all writer's that have read main
tain that ev'ry function Of Governments OF
Docassitv either Executive, Legislative or
Judicial in its character:) thus, sir, we are
to have seven committees IN operation all
~ one and the same time.-On which OF
,beir renorts must this body first act! on
that relating to the Executive! No, sir;
IN that relating to the Judiciary! No, SIR;
an that which relates to neither olthe De
nartmeDts of Government? no sir--IhIs
bodv cannot act if all these reports were
receceived. until the Committee on the LIE
qisla6ve Department has brought IN ITS
Toport-fr this Department IS universally
u a
and Justly held to be the foundation Of the
system of all government. How vain
were II 10 proceed to any other part OF the
Constitution, till we have first settled that
which is the supreme power IN the State.
How absurd to set about erecting O super.
structure, and begin at the toPl To at
tsnot 10 proceed uil the legislative com
,oit,ees she'll have reported, must involve
Won in contradictions and difficulties at ey-
erV stepl-for exampIe-Yu come to take
mn the subject of the judiciary; the very
first question must be, how many Judges
are 10 be aDDointed} Whal shall be their
dutiesl What their compensation! You
take up the report Of the Executive com
mttee, and your first enquiry Is, what
power shall your Governor have! snail
II be concurrent or exclusive
But all these things must depend on
the report of the legislative committee; the
details in the vesugauons Of that com
mittee, are necessarily grer--they must
unavoidably consume a gret deal OF time
but be the delay ever so geai, the Con.
vention must wait till that committee shall
have completed ITS repOrt-tlIl then, the
whole body must remain on is oars, with
nothing TO do.
Nor is this all. He is liub acquainted
with the nature Of Government, who does
not at once perceive that ID distributing
its several functions into various depart
ments it Is utterly impossible to keep them
completely distinct from each other--do
what YOU will, like the colors Of the ram
bow, they will necessarily run into each
other, and become more or less blendoH to-
gether. The ingenuity Of nan, never yet
has devised a form of government, Dr.
which the powers Of different departments,
were not moro or less conf0unded. What
then, become of the committees proposed
by he report before you! We are to
have one on the Executive Department
another on the Leglslative--auOthero on the
Judiciary and another on the anonymous.
The first question to be settled, w'llncces
sarily be, what part Of The Constitution Is
to be referred to this last committee. fit
Is not to touch things Leg slative, nor
things Executive, nor things Judicial. II
can, as / conceive, have nothing to do. If
it does touch them. or either of tham, what
happens2 You have two distinct ndePen.
dent bodies. acting at the same time Oh the
came subiect--and IN all human probablll
ty rendering to this body dIlf,rom lnd con
hlcting reports. Sir 1t must be so. II
cannot be otherwise.-Their duties arc CO
ordlnate-their powers the eame--and
when they exhibit more uua1lmlty than has
ever vet been Witnessed among mankind.
they must and Will differ from each other
Sir, it is asking too much to expect that
gentlemen so situated, should concur m
their reports. What follows} Each of
these conflicting reports will be referred to
the committee of tie whole, and then the
Convention will have to-begIn Just where !
wish them to begin now. Your Executive
committee and your Legislative committee
both, for instance, report IN relation to the
veto Of the Governor. One says nc shall
have an absolute veto-or d qualified veto.
The other that he shall have no veto at ALL.
Both these reports come into the commit
tee of the whole we take up one aud dc
eide upon it, and there cones new reports
and new discussions. We have passed
on the report ofthe Legislative Committee
and then comes ID the report ofthe Execu-
live Committee. The first question which
viii present itselfmust be a question of or
der-and thus the Convention will soon