Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-10-19

tnere ooinS no business before tho Convention,
DIR. DoDDRIDcE, after stating that some further
docuinents had been obtained from the Auditors
Office, which would. under the former resolution of
the Convention, be- landed TO the Public Printer
moved that the Convention do now adjourn which
vas carried IN the Affirmative
The Convention tle.' adjourned TIL MONDAY, at >
o'clock.
Wan. X. Perrin Esq. of Gloucester, elected bv The
remaining delegates from that district 1.-THE 2ith) to
supply the vacancy caused by tho death of Dr. Cal
Vim IL Read, appeared IN hl' scat Saturday. and
was appointed TO the Cva! Iittec OH IT,. Bill OF
Rights, &c.
Ira Comm, Wees.--Tn the Legislative COMMITTEES on
Saturday Resolution offered by Mr.. Johnson was
adopted, fixing the numbers Of The House of Dele
gatc5-the minimum at 100, the alriui,lL at 15O-
Much debate occurred on this and other propostions
In the Executive Committee, the Chairman Mr.
'Illes, az the request of one more of the Commit
tec, delivered his sentiments NJ largo on Govern
fnen in general, and the mode ofelectinp tie Govcr
nor IN particular. 1t was curious speech and we
ahonid be pleased to have IL i'll Jwer TO rcDort
~ Alter an explanation of the purposes for which
me Convention was met, aid disqusition upcn tho
theory OF Government, Nr. Giles proco eded TO saw
that all Governments were founded upon one of tYo
principles, inUOidbiitu or rcSDon sijity. The first
he said was introduced by fraud and cunning hacked
oy fierce and had no foundation in nature or science
The last depended upon principle founded i'm mn
tlre and sustained by science, and was Decuyinr to
these States. We were pleased with this part of
Mr.. Giles argument, al except his historical i,,s
ice AMI naccuracy, IN asserting that respon 1ity or
accoiin ability was unknown to all other nations and
peculiar to II is credit enough 10 the Ap,e
rican people aud to Geo Mason, that this rnsno,S;
olhty has been fundamentally established, and re-
cognzcd as the very salt of representative democracy
TINS we say IS credit and honor enough vitIcu, sol
ing to violate the truth Of history, and DENYING Justice
10 oicer or extinct nations. Nothing is tr,icr diam tha;
responsibility has existed, and must exist ez 1scce,j
cue rei IN all Republics; for Mr. Giles principle If
invioabity, or responsibility Is funded upon the
NOTION "l uVino right aud hereditary claim 1t is ne
cesarly excluded from all governments land The con
Vary principle OF respOnel Utility established which
cihanate rom the people. Ancient and modern his
'ory are full OF examples, aud Charles he and ms
son sh9w mat nnsibity was known and enforced
700, IN England Not IN the u. Stntcs il The r,snon.
sfp'iiy OF the public agent defined or insisted
upon, than IN the latter country.
Having got through with his theory The Goycypor
entertained The committee with panegyrc and ms.o
~ OF the Constitution Of Virginia which nc preferred
l" an that ever did or shall exist Never before
- birth, had tho world seen polticn light, Geo Ma
SON was The terrestrial Jehovah who had illuminated
t.'e universal ciiaos To him assigned tho urdi
vidcd glory OF the Constitution of Virginia. q work
Perfcct m in itself, and constructed without noasH
NJ this sounded 30 very like bc;nbGst That
Geo. Mason, was, as Mr. Jefferson says, in the first
Urdcr Of great man, every Virginian at least u,iH
gladly acknowledge; that he tho Principal archi-
icc of the Virginia Constitution all ngre TO DO true;
but that he worked without model before him, and
originated the Constitution ont of,hc dcaths of HIS
own intellect is an absurd and untenable idea He
had not only model before HIN in the CJns tuition
Ot England, but he initiated tho model so
exactly, two had almost said Seyriisih that the
original aud the copy externally uailstn-
guishabe. they differ it is true in many things
bat only III degree and not in principle. In England
tue powers OF the Government, vested Yin three
Departments kept separate and dsjinct-so are tley
by Constitution, and the parallel troug hout is so
coppcie To- differ only, Ia the mode OF constitution
Of the Executive aud branch of the Icuislatnre
and the extent of power entrusted TO the one qoG-
crnmen ana TO tho other. II is the very close rea-.
uonshp bttween Inc two indeed, that is the principal
cause OF the desire OF change in Vrgnia-the invcs
ting the Legislative power in the andholdcr instead
Of the peop'e. Does Mr. Giles ina zine that George
Mason did not borrow the freehold qualification from
Enyland-tIat the theory Of the three Departments
that giving the Governor n Prvy Council-ihat
making the tenure oftlIe Judges during good beha
uonr--ihot the idea Of County Courts, Sheriff,
Consiobcs, and The posse, were not all borrowed
from England Nay were these principles not all
IN 0perf!sai an IirginiH, hundred years before
Geo. Mas2ls hjorshcd, and is il not true that he
did little NOR athan cngrait them in written Con
stltution, with such adaptations suited the change
rom Monarchy to Demo racy' In the felicity Of
-Lesc ndaptnlionsn making IN fact, rs iIic ctGnge
~ was compatible with the order Of things--in
his knowledge Of human nature, and tho character
aud habits Of his countrymcn, and IN his patriotism
un5cnding aud unblenching-ihc true glory Of Geo.
mason and LIS compltriots. consists. Those afford
50 ample n fund. that his admirers and those of ls
perfect and original gork, ought to hc satisfied and
not inurc his fame by blowing II mp like bladder.
In opposition to tho election Of Governor by tho poo
PIC, Mr.. Giles was jealous and gave for IL somo
reasons which we were rather surprised to hear
from pntent democrat. The Legislature was
preferred as moro intelligent th0n the whole body Of
Tho People whose morals he thought would fall
sacrifice TO ,ohisfoy, f they eniri ted with iIc
power Of choosing their own Chief Magistrate
TIC Know nc soid, no mode Of asCcrtaining the mo-
rat condition of nations but and that through
thc assistance Of tho Pcnieniiqry system! The
Pententlary OF Virginia contained 4O convicts, The
houses OF corrections in New York, l5O0--that is
about limos MS many as Virginia, making allow
auce t9r the diiiprcncc Of population. This was
nscrlbabe 20 The crtontion NJ suffrage in New York
favor Of Virginia!
This simple may give some idea Of Mr. Giles yca-
soning. The facts that Che Stat or New York con.
of Justice from oil oouurics, lond thcrc-tbat greit
cities arc always The Eros of crino and minor.
atty, and that largr proportion Of these convics
go from the city Of New York--all these striking
considerations were overlooked, in his Exceoncy's