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

elections. These he depicted in glowing coior.. ii.
seeung his rhetoric more especially against the exi.t-
ing condition Of the Press In thi. Country To give
additional point to this part Of his remarks he alluded
10 modern work. entitled voyage TO the moor AMI
h.. p'on 'here given, o. certain Syringe
with Two sorts OF liquid, black and fe,iJ the oihe,
swhi,e and very odorous which they squ ted. respec
lively, on friend and foe by which every candidate ~
turned on one side, all black and stinkins IT,
on the Other, white as snow, aud more agrant thar
roses. Mr. L. concluded thi. part Of his ,n.t,, bos
coming to the conclusion. that lac was al n los which
to consider the greater, the blessing OF free Press. Or
tho curse Of lcen,ious one.
He quoted, in happy illustration Of this subject those
Ffwourn by Jovss high throne
From this die rcssion. Mr. l.. returned 10 HIS ergu
m-nf, and urged the Committee not 10 asgravate this
state OF things by bringing all the evils OF
Virginia He referred to the able indvidus. who had
hed the Office OF Councillors, under the existing Con-
'n'on; and after referring to the pain he had felt oil
witnessing the scratch or exclusion OF two mem
oer' OF Council by the Legislature, the fret year he
had seat there, he detailed what would be his own
| plan TO remodel the Council.
IL was in substance this: To reduce the number to
fo1r dividing TO them the whole sum now allowed TO
.he members: to let them appoint Of their mum.
Der az Preside nj Of the Council and Lieut.
Let each be elected for on years. one 90 oa, In
rotation every year The term OF their service to de-
beyond his term. The relations Of the BODY 10 bs
oovsrnor to be the same as al present.
IL being now near o'clock, the conmit.e &c rose and
e House adlnurned 10 give place to tire sitting OF the
Al o'clock the Convention again convened, and
INN ediaely into Committee of the Whole Mr.
GORDON in the Chair.
Mr.: scofr then and went into vindication of
III: scheme Tor Council. and reply to the objection,
which had been urged against it Sy Mes.rs UpsuuK
and LEIGH
He had had no purpose to bring on such Discus
sion-and the state OF his health forbade him 10 90 We
ry extensively into debate He aver,cd to the stage
OF the debate when he had moved his amendment
system, having failed it seemed ,ha, there mus, 81.
Their be no Council, which the Gov ernor NIGH.
consult or not, as he pleased. Their arguments he'd
gone lar TO convince him, that there ought 10 be a
Council OF some kind, and he sketched out his plan as
middle course. Ast seemed agreed all hands that
there must be o Lieut.. Governor, he thought thew
might go step farther, aud add 2 other persons r,
make Council Instead of Lieut.. Governor eo nom.
me- he wished these councillors choose of their
own number, who should be in effect His plan dit-
Tered frem Mr.. UPsuUR's in taking awsy iron, the
Council the veto now exercises. He in favour
Of giving to the Governor the whole benefit Of the
wisdom and advice Of his Council bat no, of bipdna
him to be governed by their win.
Mr. u. he said. had misconceved hihr ia sdpposna
hat te Governor not to be obliged ask the adj
vice OF Counc-he was in all cases ASK for and re-
eeive it. But the gentleman IRON Northampton had
s.Sed, why pay much for advice the leave the
vernon at liberty TO reject in In ferfy, Etr ScorT
asked IL this was not done in the daily affairs of feS
Did not men pay for the advice of a Physician. but
were they obliged TO take it, even il he prescribed
dose Of arsenic! Was advice worth nothing unless
man was imPerativsly bound to pursue ii' Would
gentlemen tell aCommander in Chief that he mus me-
yer summon Council Of War; unless he me ant 10 s,,S
nit to the opinions Of his officers.
IL from,
worthy friend from Chesterfield But he had conc -
mis- Convention, impressed with the belief that tbs
Coanc was not only useless, but positively injurious;
and such was tho opinion Of large PARTON of the CHI;
zens Of the Commonwealth. The gentlema from Cbes
tsrleld had not seen the operation of the Councils: no
had only been panied by Witnessing the process of the
" Scratch but Mr. s. said that his people CONSIDERED
that mere scratch, indeed in comparison TO tbr evil;
which had grown this part of the Goyernme, he
was about, however, TO prefer bill OF Indictment. he
had practiccd home for 40 years in the Character G
public prosecutor, and he well knew how hard il was,
ut IN .n,t H.
process In his hands compel the attendance Of ifnes
es; he should not think OF exercising his flnc,on II;
ms committee when the Governor and. Council were
10 De the prisoners at the bar, and the Judges before
whom he was to plead already invincibIx pr.nos
'rsred in favour OF the parties But h. might
appeal TO many members OF the House who were &C.
quainfed with the inability of this par. Of tbe S,af
maclnery,snd how badly IL he'd worked in MANY cas-
ss. IL was natural that gentfenan who had eo,srd
with all his Constitutional srdour into the dsCemr. 81
the existing Government in al is Department. IA III,
It's forms, and all il, past and present officers TO be We
ry sensitive when the minutsst feature of either was
sssacd not an could be Topped off but Aft
hts Tears were excited at once. He (Mr. S.) would
naro, III ~ v% ~ IMPROVE, ana he thought this De-
though not the amputsng Knife.
After noticing the irreieyaney Of much that Mr.
L. mad said to the question before the Committee =.
the gentleman had asked whether they would havs
the Governor without advice? and il not, whether bc
was TO look to his private friends infe and
dependents, or to public and responsible body,-
He answered, to body public and respon.ib,a.
and such an one he had provided He would have
was dependant, nor those who were d,pen-
dant upon him; but to council, Obliged 10 advise
him. and responsible for their advice The rerri;r
Of the acs OF the Governor and the publicity of ali his
transactions 50 phily sdvered TO by the gentlemen
iron Charlotte (Mr. Rsndolph,) whom he was sorry
not to see in his place, and who had reminded ,ha
committee that publicity was the Safeguard of Virtue
were all secured by the pi.n now proposed N had
the excellence OF perpetuy too, which had bean ,o
wei. insisted uren by the gentleman from Amelia AMI
his friend from Chesterfield They had bcen ,olJ b.,
the present incumbent Of the Governor's chair III,
The Executive ot Virgins was the most respons hIs
Executive in the world: he it all that
was preserved unmpsircd by his smsndment An ,bs
valuable characteristics OF the present system vers
retained, untouched But he told that such =,
council ms was proposed anomaly; bur Ia
thought that remark applied rather TO council liz
the present, where the advisers were made nara
mount to the party advised. He war asked In hs-
would put all the power In the Governor2 He
4 answered yes but il all in the council =
And the question was, whether IL better 10 nus
the Governor or 10 place IT, without any check al all
IN the Council IL had been said with great truth tbat
the Governor could shelter himself from resuon.
sibiity behind his Council. He had power IL wa.
truc in himself IL stand still; but II he took ore ,sn
he most be shielded by the advice Of his Council
y Mr. g. said, his plan appeared TO him to arike the
golden mean betwosn Governor, withou, any Cam.
ell. and Governor with council who ruied ovcr
him. At present, he may submit measure after nea
sure, but i'll he varies his proposition 30 as exsctIv IN
hit the views OF his COUNSELLOR the wheels Of nvS,ns
planned Of by those who had filled the ofes Of CoysTn
or, & he had learned from the gentleman from Orspee
(Mr MadsoD) that one Governor OF Virginia had felt
the check severely, IL 10 have