Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-12-11
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VIRGINIA CONVENTION.


TIE sad Councillors shall be elected by the General ise.
by, and shall continue Office years hot may
eected from All yactrees occssoned by death
tes'snston removal from the Commonwealth other
lty. snail be supplied by the General Assembly
Two Vi the SAID Council shall gi,arun and 10 OF
an equal division of the Council the Governor shall have the
casting vote
Mt FITzruGn moved amendment tic proposition Of
Dir Upsbur
Mr.. UPsHUR said the proposition had bees alrcady
discussed HIS object was simply ascertain whether the
present Executive enducd with different powers might
acceptable Every prCe conienpla,es Council The At
tTncy General and NJ the heads Of department
a. present.. as much members Of the Council icy
The Treasurer could not be appointed, he subject
conrou Of the Executive The applies To the Audioc
IL you contemplate the heads Of department, members
tue Executive Council. what principle YOU tem
nsto the Treasurer will you look his qualifications
feasurer or Statesman, fat So he agreed
with respect to all other officers Besides their atentian war
reasons farther On the oieconony will be gaed
You them additional salaries The great ob,c, of
must have Lieutenant Governor We have no assurance
that the Governor will health the time hc IS
additional cost.
As % the TWO Councillors which tho proposition
hs submitted proposed the expense was not great in
comparison of their advantage
The advantages of such an Executive arc too str-
king tn require further illustration.
Inc plural Executive contains check and control
within itself Its conduct Is before the public and
keep, journal subject TO their inspection He need
not repeat the arguments he had already offered
Mr.. MERcER sud he held unity necessary IN the
Executive.
Mr. LEIGH SAID the Governor can 10 no act with
out me advice OF the Council but he refuse DO
what the Council advise
Mr. ScoTT asked was il in order TO offer an amend
ment.
The CHAR replied in the nl.rmatie.
Mr. SCOTT said, when he cam here ne vas in f-
vor OF aboshing the Conncil bat tho arguments he
beard, showed the necessity of some Council. urho'
he was not in favor ofgiving control the Go
vernon
Mr. RANDOLPH made few observations. ami the
ST. ftusta
ayes ~, noes ~.
Mr. Lrrou said he did m, believe the Committee
understood the question which had brcn taken
Mr. CLAYrof SAID the question was distinctly I'M
derstood by MI.
Mr. UPsHUR said he misunderstood the question, as
several other gentlemen with whom lac convcrscd.
lie hoped the quest ION would he taken again.
The question was again put on striking 90: the
third resolution, and was carried IN the affirmative
uyes ~, noes &c.
The question being on the proposition of Mr.
Upshur,
Mr. Scorr said he wished the Council to be q
Council of advice and not of controul, and be moved
to strike out the following words:
WHO shall perform the same duties. and in all 9TH
respects hold the relation TO the Governor as
the present Council IT State"
The motion carried IN the Affirmative
ayes 81.
Mr.. RANDOLPH said we know now what the duties
ofthe Executive Council are. but according to The
present proposition, could not know until had
defined them. He was not for going for an ignotpD'
per ignOtius.
MIR. BnnpvAx asked was no; the present an adyi
sing Council.
Mr.. ScorT said he could remove the difficulty
of both gentlemen. In all cases EXCEPT IN his militia
~ character, he consult his Council, and Is not
oD' rel to pursue thcir atyicc.
The Governor cannot perform my acts without
advising with his Council, and IN relation 10 all sub
ects except those arising from his military situation
Mg ScorT moved to strike out the litter branch
viz
"rwo of the sad Council shall form quorum. anl
IN ofnn cqfal division Of the Council, the Co
vernon shall have The casting vote"
Carried IN tho affirmative.
Mr. SCorT moved the following Amendment in al
dton to what remains ftI; proposition nj Mr.. Up
shur:
"Re,oircd That The Governor, before b. r,-r,rm.
any net m his otic'1l capacity other than os Com
rnander in Chief take the advice Of the EXccuiye
Council thcrrom but ic shall be at liberty 10 adopt
or reject the same
Mr.. GtLEg s1l ihr proposition ros'rliur! ihc CIV
crnor from performing any act without consulting
the Council The Governor would he prevented
from authcnticltuv any dlcum mt bY such pr'vis-
ION IIc agreed with the gentleman from Charlotte
(Mr. Randolpl) that souc certainty should exist.
The Governor now initiates every tnlng. The 90
vcrnor my now refuse or adopt a. be- pleas"s
These nc's produce responsibility IN both Senate and
Governor.
Mr.. ScorT said he had bcon convinced uf SOME
OF tho errors he had enter aimed with respect 10 'he
Executive Council Ills object was % chungo
the Council from one ofcontrol 10 one Of advice
Mr.. LEiGu said the only objections he had ever
heard against the Council was that It was useless,
Ony ono objection has been made here, viz. MS "a
the abuse III the armoury; and tha' was mt IN a
manner mo would not now repeat. II the Council is
useless, than the main proposition before max,
il more useless, He referred to the distinction be-
tween The acts upon which the Governor was obgec
90 ask for advice anu those not, and showed that II
would be utterly useless. The Executive Council
he said, divides the patronage aud there can be No
possible abuse Of that power. The patronage Of tht
Iioyernment is so divided that it cannot he abused.
Mr.. l.. repeated the different arguments he had
heretofore submitted, in support Of the Executive
Council. lie referred to tho proposition to form
different departments and to make Cabinet Coun-
Gil. I, was proposed to make Secretary of State
rnc,rrcL the dnIlea of SncLcLnLY nlSLaLn. I