Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-12-12

MI. LEIGH moved that the Letter received lrou
the President of tue House of Delegates, be laid on
| the table. Agreed to.
| On the motion of MIR. LEIGiI, the Convention n
greed To adjourn TIL 10 O'Clock tomorrow to EEact in
| the lonsc OF Delegates.
"WEDNESDAY, DEE. Q.
The Convention WAS called to order at the usual
| hour.
| In tile absence of Mr. Mo.aoE, Mr.. p. p. G,a-
| BUR acted President.
| Sir. CAMrpEI.I. muved that the report of The ST..
iect COMMITTEES appointed to obtain suitable accom-
inndatons for tho Convention, be referred l,acl, oqnu
to them. He stated that the Convention ,cuI ia "a
! the Use Of the Old Baptist Church
Mr.. DoDpRIpGE novel 10 lay the resolution on
| the table
/ Some conversation ensuci, and the motion to Law
the resolution on the table, carried in the atr-
iinative-uyes 40, noes 50.
| On the motion of Mr.. BRoDNAx q vote Of thanks
Was spontaneously passed to the Pastor, Trustees &c.
of the frs, Presbyterian Church, for t. Kindness
they manifested IN aiitrd,ng the Convention The use
/! of that building. :
The House thon resolved lt@eit INTO Committee
OF the Who!r, Mr.. GORDON III the Chair.
The first clause of the proposition offered By Mr.
| UpSipr being under s,ueration,
! AR Scorr withdrew the amendment he la.! offer
ca, and proposed strike on. the whole of the
luton, and insert In lieu thereof the following:
"-An Exccutive Council consis np of three n,em
| oefs' shall he chosen by OF both Houses of
Assembly, to remain IN office for three yea.S They
shall annually choose out of their own members \
president, Who III ottc Death inability or netes-
say absence of the Governor from the governments
snail act as Governor. Their proceedings shall be
entered OF record and signed by the MANNERS, pre-
sent. to any part whereof any member may enter his
dissent and laid before the General Assembly when
called for by them. This Council NAV annoint their
own'cl TX who shall have salary settled by law,
ana take an oath OF secrecy IL such matters
as he shall be directed by the Board TO conceal Al
the end OF one year after their first appointment one
couhcIiior, to be designated by lot, shall 90 out of
ohlce; and the vacancy shall be supplied by new
l q rf.nn 4 .,tt go 81
citor, TO be designated in like manner shall po ON
OF c1tce, and the vacancy be supplied by new cleo
Ton; and this rotation shall be continued in due order
annually. t.lr Executiy.. Council shall stand in ~
same relation TO the Governor the Priyy Council
or Council of State under the existing Constitution
except that 1t shah advise merely, ond not cont.o!
| him"
Mr. UpsnuR said he would vote against the amend
tEent. Ii was apparent that according to the
provision OF the amendment, the Governor may ask
the advice OF the Council md when he receives
1t, ne may follow 1t or not. The Council will then
only do this good-tO keep record of the occasions
when the Governor may follow The advice Of Council
or not We are then paying three men to do that
which s OF no use to the State-merely as spies Oh
the Governor. There responsibility either Or
important cnses, the Governor will consult the
Council, but i'll all cases of difficulty fhe supposas the
Council will differ from him, he will not consult
| them.
| Mr. LEIGH said he had taken occasion to stare his
objections to the change proposed and he would not
therefore intiict the Committee reoeiition Of
| them he should make no remarks to persuade zen
tlemen who were opposed to all Executive Councils
He would address himself to those who wish to retain
something. not 10 demolish all He said the forna-
ton OF an Executive Government the diff
cult problem to be imagined. Our Executive was
different from that which has CHARGE of the foreion
relations ofe Country. Mr. LEtoH went into com
parson of the Executive of Virginia and Of tie u
nted States, and stated the considerations which in
| fuenced the trainers ofthe former The Executive
| OF Virginia was merely the executor of the laws
he referred to the argument used by the gentleman
from Frederick. that forming an Executive we
should look to state of things when we NAV be at war
with orr heighborng statesor foreign enemy; O. said
II we are to look to such state OF things would
set ourselves 10 perform work which human wisdom
cannot achieve.
| When ihat event shall occur and we nre in po-
lltical being, the eXgences of the times will provide
tor them. Sure as man is man, the sword will have
no small influence in settling the form of government
at that time, whether it will be military despotisn
monarchy, or any Other form. Until that time, We
shall enjoy tho beIeftS of the common law trial hy
| jury, &c He looked in forming government 20 the
present times, and not to circumstances which man
cannot provide for. Nothing was more incompatible
with the power of Edan than to provide for such a
state of things dissolution of the Union What
KIND OF Executive is then necessary for Us? That is
tae question we have to consider All we want is an
| Executive to suit present circumstances The
prospective operation OF any political principle can
| not be looked upon with certainty. When we have
government that answers present purposes, he
would appeal to the gentleman from Fau1ucr who
| tber we should change it for another.
! Mr. LE1GH then stated that the present Executive
answered all the purposes of Virginia and he asked
what was proposed? To abolish It altogether not to
remodel it. He stated the different views Of ren-
tlomen as to the organization Of the Executive Couu-
Gil, Some preferred an ordinary Councjl-aud some
t controlling Council. Il was proposed TO make the
Governor independent What was The object Of it,
| He referred 10 Che distinction made in the differ
ent Constitutions cfthe states between the Executive
judicial and Legislative departments. IL was re
yer intended they should be dis met, only in this
respect, tna The power Of two of them should not
| be tIcrolsod by at the same time. This max
I'm Of Mon;esquicu is Illustrated so distinctly that nc
thought it would be questioned again after the
/ appearance Of that paper in the Federailst which
contained it. To what end therefore was it -propo-
sed to make him more independents He repeated
you cannot infusc into the Executive. such power
| as proposed, without introducing spice of ronar-
chy. He did not use the term offensive sense,