Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-25


degree dependant propositions and the remark
Of The gentleman from Norfolk (Mr. TazewelD who
never uttered thought that had not great weight,
perfectly correct. when he had ius sicd on this
ry ground that the whole of those propositions should
be placed within the view Of the Committee The
time. III any machinery had been employed in effect
ing the vote in reference TO the election 81 Governor
he wac ignorant OF He never had (he declared be-
fore heaven voted al ANY time viii aview to htk- any
proposition odious to its supporters When lie was
pressed to vote in Congress los adding the mosses tax
to the Tariff, with view TO make tie Bill oSous t.
New England. he had utterly refused 10 do 50 and
such should ever he his course.
Mr.. RANDOLPH sail, that Tor some time past he had
every day besome and more convinced, that,
from whatever caue, this body utterly ncapaciated
for tbs Performance of the duty, which hal been de-
voved upon it by The people have seen, said Mr.. II
with pain and grief, that proceedings are-in my
view-discfeditahls 10 ourselves, anG Injurious the
best interests Of the Comn,onwe Attn Here the Chair
reminded Mr.. r., tla il was violation Of order TO
make any reflection. The proceedings of the body ]
MIR. X. resumed. do not reflect upon the body: |
have all proper respect for it, but will take leave say
--(under the correction, always of the Chair, aud OF
the ouse),hat il the various schemes and projects
Il speak Of them "a in their present nchoae state)-
which have been brought forward in this assembly
and there are mo @, beleve--no in embryc,-shall
be finally resolved upon,-a deeper wound viii have
been inflicted on the and principles OF free go
vernment, than has been given that and those
principles since the days of the French National Con-
vention. say il deberaely. ! was in hopes that be.
lore now some gentleman would have moved an al.
journment sine dic. Sir-what have we seen. What
mass OF projects has been offered consihered-re
j-cted-re- side red-re adcptedand then secuted
II you had gone through the Common ahh--parish
by pash-and taken the proposals Of every old field
school, you could not have collected such heerogene
Gus mass--such monstrous iarragc-as we see grave
ty proposed to us-by those-whO, il they Sta'es
men, should better have digested their own thou, hts
and not presented them in their crude undgested state
Tor our adoption. thought it right to say thus much
by way of giving the right hand Of fellowship to my old
friend and fellow labourer from Mecklenburg (Mr.
Alexander) Sir-we daily losing the confidence
oil the peope:-aud descrvedly losing IT, What did we
hear about the shocking anomaly of the County
Courts killing their own vacanCies?-When allow
two OF our members 10 return a hird;-and then
fourth-and then ffh- not a shred will be left
OF the body chosen by the people-We shall become
seli-created assembly-whch neither possesses, nor
has right to challenge the confidence of the people
In every respect in which look at the character and
composition OF this body, il is obvious the people
not confde in 1t. declare il openly and the sooner
we return 10 those who sent us, inecfG the beuer
l will agree, before take such step, TO remedy
those evils which are most complained OF. will con-
sent 10 reduce the number of the House OF Dele
one half and let each county send one dele ate. in
stead OF two. will consent to reduce the Executive
Council to halt its present number. | will to
lieve the Com monwealth from burden, by removing
unworthy, slohiul, and incapable Judges from the r
scat. This will satisfy the public. But,-going as
we dot is impossibe-with this lean,-stag sering-
rickety majority -tumtng from side to sde,evcr to
concoct any thing which will commend itself TO the
good sense OF the good people OF This Commonwealth
The question OH striking out was put and carried
without count.
So the House struck out the words 81" is inc xpedien,
to provide any other Executive Council"
The question then recurring on inserting Mr.. FITz-
HUGHs amendment,
Mr.. SUMMERS asked for the yeas and nays.
Mr.. DoDDRIDGE, in reference TO the remarks of
Mr. Nicholas the salaries of the proposed officers OBJ
served that there seemed be something the atmos
phere o, this city, which occasioned great alarm the
subject of salaries AS long as the Ole Council was sus
inpd wifi life eipb
was heard on the subject To meet in part, the difficult
ty about expenses he suggested the adoption o! plan
long pracced in Pennsylvania, by devclvirg the duie.
al the Governor in OF the death OF that officer
the President Of the Senate and let the salary continue
TO the end Of what would have been the Governors term
In the course OF 90 years. hut such cas-. had
Cured in Pennsylvania; which on the death OF Co.
vernon Mitlln, when the office filled by Mr. Word
OF Pittsburgh similar case had once happened in
Oho-when Olhniel I.ucar filed the vac ;ncy Mr.. ID
explained the duties OF Secretary Of State, consist i'm
registering all the official acts OF the Executive Depart
ment in preserving the papersand Offering the seal OF
State Sc So far expense concerned, the propo-
ed plan would be relief 10 the Treasury, while the
duties OF the Department wou'd be smp.ifed.
Mr. LEIGH suggested to Mr.. FITzHUGH, tia, il the
Attorney General to be made the constitutional adj
wiser OF the Governor in all matters of State woud be
necessary TO add Solicitor General, Deputy At
torney General, 10 perform the duties OF his office The
new Secretary eli State was be merely the present,
clerk of the Council with name. He submitted
the question, whether the clerk OF the Council was
proper CONSTITUTIONAL aiVSer Tor the GoVenoE The
ry qualities which made him good clerk uniiitsd him
to be good Councillor, and vice he would eli.
tber be bad clerk, bad Councillor The business
oil Secretary OF State was TO hnk-not 10 write; rot
fold aud endorse and file papers. The same argument
TO certain extent, applied 10 the Attorney General
IL he devoted himself TO aft rs OF State IL must give up
his professional duties Mr. L. secuted the idea of a7y
saving of expense by the new OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and
means would always he found dispose OF the revenue
III the whole debt Of the United States was nail the
revenue would still b. exacted from the peopIe
and spent in come SHAPE. The Governors salary must
he increased with his duessO must those OF The heads
of departments. II gentlemen would command mind
they must pay for mind. They did not want mere
right hand, with pen IN j., and iukstand before it.
He expressed surprise that Mr. Mercer should have al
luded 10 the abolition Of the Council i'm New York Was
IL possible that gentlemen did know that thew had
had two Councils in New York; Council of revision
and Council OF appointments And could he suorose
they had any analogy 10 the Ex"cuiye Council of Vr.
gina! Their name the only point OF resemblance
The Council OF appnn men had been abolished because
IL was corrupt-and the Council Of revision because i,
had rejected popular law H. denied that the ar
such Council as that Of Virg MIA. II contained gene
raj reflections merely. The gentleman had called that
book his political bible and said il was almost the o,I,
book politics he hal read a short cat ngu, in
decd but he would remind the gentleman OF what he
had himself said OF that wokthat IL written i'm the
spirit OF an advocate, Of udgeheing intended 10
persusds The people Of The United States TO adop the
federal constitution. hut weud any have the Fxecu.
tive Of Virginia like that If The United Stated Kenur
Ky had made the experiment and tasted the conseourn.
ces. was Virginia seeking TO form Executive a.
dapted manage the foreign relations Of great NATHAN,
Was an instrument 10 he formed in the same way mo
mater what end it 10 answer? Would they suemn,
TO shave gentleman with broad-axe? or with ,Ie
guilloiine? 1t might indeed, be the very best mode \.
the gentleman would want shaving again g,
...l.. To-. IL