Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-10-29

:
pcrty cannot be invaded this side of the inounta ain
ana there can be no general law passed, offensive 10
one section which will not to greater extent inu
riousiy affect the other We have heard of qua. an
tees against the abuse of power. lie knew of 40
adequate guarantee but that which was TO be found in
Representations The proposition OF the committees
provides only tor the representation of property in the
Seuate, and IN few years there would be danger of
its being entirely unrcpresented lie regretted that
he had detained the committee with his crude remarks
His object to present the n,portant facts M, ,d
communicated.
Mr.. CAMPBELL (of Brookc) said that he did not
rise nor was 1t his purpose to make speech. Ills
intention merely was to call the attention of the COM
mittee to point of order. He thought they had de
waited from what he considered ;u ., the eyfsc which
order pointed out. Ii he to Judge from, the meal
ing which the term order conveyed, he feared very
much that gentlemen had departed from it. and if we
depart from that grand Principe of order by which i
things IN nature were governed, which is heavens
hrst law VIC could expect no other result from our de-
parturc than confusion and darkness.
Yesterday the order OF day was the development
OF some fundamental prmcples-:iIc ramificatiun
and details of which were to dispose of when
these had been settled, established. The object
was TO lay down some fundamental doctrnes-to
place thenl-lt may be pei mited 10 use tie term
as the SAB oasis OF the fundamental law of the coun-
try.
There were some very interesting remarks offered
yesterday Dy gentlemen, OH the subj OF principles
and 1t was afterwards sug gcsted, that it was ont of
order TO enter upon the consideration of these ah
stract'ons, and that not 10 be governed bv
principles lie knew nothing of what was called
principle, which was not i'm itself I'm obsf ,sc,ior
They all abstract ideas. Every tnnhamnntal
principle Ill every science under heaven was noth;p
else bnt an abstraction. What is the idea of oood
ness, OF TRUTH or OF justice, but abstraction? If
there be any fundamental principles of Justice t,ov
must be abstract ideas. He would review the arr,
| Inents which were yesterday offered 1t was said
to be inexpcdient to discuss prncipes-cons;de,in
practiGe irrespective OF principleson the ground OF
their being distractions, and until we had gone into
details-wfich were not distractions We wore
! tlrcn III confusion
was next determined take up the report of the e,h,ivc
Committee When that report before us an sneno,en,
was offered That amendment threw oz,s ,,obadi ON The
gentleman who offered Wcn we met this mornrn
question was still pending After The abandonment IF the
principle yesterday, and hesg called upon today for some
proof the gentleman from Cupeper (AIr Green) declined far
nsinS any He seemed 10 forget the maxn,-unrs probu;
"'cna"t GD"mHmf but the gentleman om Cuppper being
III ucuy caied upon us fer statement PRINCIPLES and
lheEeby threw the weight OF pouf holding tho nega
tive The question these b, added or ,To
1uee as an aeGmeni 10 the first resolution ofth Legislative
REPORT They hold the affirmative, the negative Nuu,
10 eau upon us 10 urnsh documents arguments why these
oIus s" moi be added is great alteration dav
rom parliamentary iSicaS WIS yesterday tho abandonn,en,
| OF principles.
lie rose to suggest ta, we should either adopt principles
contained liz the Bill or Declaration Of Rights as canonca and
So "pon eoI these principles erroneous,
gentlemen dssented Ion altogether lie,
them submit others to the Committee. Let them submit some
arguments and instead OF calling discuss principles
WHICH we have already refused discuss let submit Then
propositions to numerically arranged The order of YES
teTiay was no princples-ihat of to-day no proofs
MI UPSllUR said he sinclined to submit 10 the
from the backward which gentlemen OH the other side
evinced to submit theirs He assumed that they were taken by
debate and were not prepared upon the discussion
OF the question The proper conduct the argument wa
order would be preserved, and the question yqoud la Am.
la scussed In order therefore give gentlemen on tn
oief sue une 10 prepare he would thar the COMMITTEE
| Mr. MERCER requested the gentleman who had ,., g.
Gown 10 "ithsiEa" ms motion, that he might offer e exnIs
tory remarks. ~ 's'a
| MIR. UPsHUR consented and
| he
their preparation TO the question: for he could
that the presumption the gentleman had no n"dson
lie r Upshur says that prepared to reDv Nov
saia MI M am perfectly willing to lot the questions resi- on
Il 'he argument which we have heard
derSood him He (Nr U took granted that every zen,
eman was fully possessed of information on this snb;eci to
enter into the discussion of time nigh, not how
ever sun their We" to go the discussion Ills object
was TO induce alternate discussion That would be he
me proper and parliame course in that the whole
PRINCIPLES could be better discussed He hoped if gen,l.n
VIII i". pePaIen mat the Committee would rise He
would renew his motion to that cfIec be should
"'h 1 u any gentleman wished speak
Mr. MERCER replied, that if gentlemen or The o,hcr edo
were nat prepared their amendments il o,i ~
| o! DIM, me cay we are ready 90 into the discussion
ne question was then put that the Committee now rise and
! was decided in the negative ' ~
! Judge UPSHUR then rose to address tho rh.ix
re v1l,td not say that he had been driven into the
discussion without preparation, but he n;.rht
DC Perinttea to declare that he did not antcipae
ma he should thus early, be called on to present his
vlcws 10 the Committee. The few s;mnie dos
winch It I'NS his purpose to submit did not indcoJ
require Iaboised preparation OF any sort; bat il
would at least have been agreeable to his feel
lngS' had he not been unexpectedly pressed into the
debate ~ '''e
There seems to exist sore difference % 57,;:,.n
among US as to the party from which the first argument
on on tins subject ought to have enanated Wbetber
s ss I ha or tue foes Of The particular mea
sure before u, were bound to open the debata
II Gid not appear to be of the slightest nrortorrr
70 MN what course was pursued in this respect brt
he t1~':glt 1t would conduce to the elucidotio rs
1ne subject t1a5 each party should be heard in turn
!ion' and answered in spirit of kindness md resrt
80 '!a drought WIFI hin to this Conventor. NO fse
~; q. local Partially, local prejudice lie came
n!IHer as repTeSC -iIYe Of The whole State of Vir
gina aud not Of any plrticufar distr;c, IL ~ ~
WIN sincere desire to contribute with all his mind
-. -, IS the new government on that basis. which
MouIu ee pest for The whole, e. not for particular nor