Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-10-13

four members embracing all tne oeha of's'
Districts, and thus in some degree represent
ing The whole State. After discovering that
this Committee Of twen,y-four Members con-
CURED in recommending amendments, the Con
vention proceeded 10 act. Was TINS treaung
the Government with leviiy! Was this tearing
it asunder, and scattering its limbs abroad Tor
N. ,urnose of experiment! Was this eours-
disrespec,f u, to those grea' men who had form.
Cd ~, Certainly not. The Committee had re-
commended course which, in oil points, was
resoec,ful to the Cons ion. and was calculs,.
ed 70 produce an harmonious CO. operation Of
rubIic opinion in its result As question oil
form he considered he present question. II u
was true that the proposition OF the gentleman
from Norfolk would save time. thu argument
Of the pent,rm man would have more weight; but
IL must be obvious that If the Convention take
the course proposed BY the Committee OF Twen-
,y.four. they would get through the business
much sooner than if they place themselves in
a situation in which they must take every pro-
position which every member may Offer IN q
COMMITTEE Of the Whole. Plain arithmetic
will settle this question. II was said that the
whole of ne Constitution cannot, with proprl'
etv. be considered in this way. He admitted
that all governments were resoluble into l.gis-
latiye. executive, and judicial. But the gentle.
man. when be himself had said that these
branc he's, by their minging together iesemhIed
the melting Of the colors OF the rainbow, ought
no, 10 h We reflected on he Commi''ee appoint
ed under the fif resolution, as having nothing
TO do The gentleman h,m>elf proves that thai
Committee would have something 20 d.
There were subjects which were not likely TO
be acted on by either of,ne olher Committees,
which would come under the cognizance of this
Commiuee. Their. are rights belonging 10 IN
di.iduals which have not yet been surrendered,
which may come under the cognizance OF all
the Committees in common, for no one hes any
par'icu lar province as to residuary rights.
l.oak from he theoretical 10 the practical
diff cuity The impression OF the gentleman
was 'his--that the Convention Cannot well
frame Government, legislative, executive and
judicial, by three Committees acting Al once
because one will perform the duties belonging
TO another. The remedy would be thia: the
Cony en,ion must AXE up the Repor! which
was frsi made Take the case put by The gen.
rrm4u from Norfolk The Convention is call.
I'd 10 &C, on the Report concerning The Veto
The Repor from the Legislative Committee is
msde and decided upon The Executive Re-
port come, IN, but the question has been already
decided. Dors any member want new deei-
sion? None. No loss Of time has been sus
tanned There is no second decision. Why
should the Conytn ion Re called on 10 decide
the question again? The argument, then, OF
the gentleman from Norfolk was not in point.
But he would suppose the House had changed
its opinion Suppose q decision had BEEN
made on one Repor,, aud ma jori y should AZ
,erwards believe that decision 10 have bern IN
correct: the remedy was al hand, i, was only ne
cesar, 10 suspend the rule, 20 take the question
again, and to reverse the decision. The only
lime which wnuld have been lost, would be that
which the Legislative Committee had employ
ed on the subject, while the Exc. utive Com
miuee were employed on The same. Again: as
TO the tine when the business should COM
meace, he had heard figure used the other
dav, which might he applied in reference TO this
point, He never knew fguralive language US
ed for any useful purpose, except in the way OF
Illustration whenever substituted for argu.
men, i, unifor mly failed. The idea which was
thrown gu, was, thai you could not carve
limb until the whole sta'ue was before you II
there was error in that, there was more error
in the application Of the principle here. There
are many principles which we change or modi-
~ without refrrenre to the whole system, al.
though i, is not the case with all. In the deci-
sion Of every question, il is true, We must Look
sep bv step. and decide The various PROPOSE
lions in order :. and decide them in sue h van
ner as 10 harmonic with those which had been
previously adopted. We can only anticipate
such reports from The Committees as will be in
harmony with the p oper objects OF the Con-
veniion. In eve,y view, il will be found tina,
the Conv.n ion cannot adhere 10 the course re.
commended ny the Commi' ee, without saving
much valuable time, because Ill the questions
20 he acted or will have received The sane
tion Of MAORI Of the Committee TO whom
they were referred. Their bearing on every
part Of the Government will be considered OF
The same line. In the legislative Department,
if there " as proposition 10 diminish The mum.
her Of the H"use Of Delegates, there would be
in the same Report >om- similar proposition
relative to the Senae, because they ought 10
bear proportion TO each other. IF there was
. proposition relative to the Executive Council,
and his would be combined with another cor-