Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-05-12

some hundred miles distant from those
who hear the argument
" To deliver an opinion is the RICH. q
all men; and that Of constituents is q
weighty and respectable opinion, which q
representative ought always to rejoice to
hear and which he ought always most
seriously to consider. But authors.
tGtiUe instructions-m0nddtes issued
which the member is bound blindly and
implicitly to obey, to vote, and to argue
for, though contrary to the clearest con.
viction of his judgment and his con.
science-these are things utterly unknown
to the laws Of this land, and which arise
from fundamental mistake of the whole
order and tenor Of our Constitution.
Parliament is not Congress of am.
bassadors from different and hostile inter-
ests which interests each must maintain
as an agent and advocate against other
agents and advocates. But, Parliament is
dsliberative assembly Of ONE nation with
ONE interest, that Of the whole, Where
not local purposes, or local preiudices,
onght to guide, but the general good. re-
sulting from the general reason of the
whole. You choose member indeed /;
but when you have chosen him, he is not
a member Of Bristol, but a member of
Parliament. If the local constituent
should have an interest, or should form a
hasty opinion, evidently opposed to the re-
al good Of the rest of the community, the
member from that place ought to be as
far as any other from any endeavour to
give it effect. I beg pardon for SAYING so
much on this subject; l have been un-
willingly drawn into it; but shall ever
use respectful frankness of communica-
ton with you.
We are now members of "a rich COM
mercial city this city however is but a
part of the rich commercial nation, the in
terests of which are various, multiform.
and intricate. We are members for that
great nation, which is, however, itself but
part Of great and extended Empire"
DR.. Cooper, president of the South Caro-
lima College, who is well known for the stand
he has taken against tariff, wrote'a pam
phlet some years ago, on that subject in
which he took occasion to make some re-
marks on the doctrine of instructions. We
think all must agree with him that man
who can so far prostitute his talents as to
advocate measure for the sake of popular
ity with his immediate constituents which
is hostile IL the interests Of the nation at
at large and is an unworthy citizen. DR..
Cooper says
every man called to the national rep
resentation, is national, not local, rep
resentative. He is sent to debate, and
after debate, to decide on the great inter-
est of the nation. Ofwhat use is de-
Lucrative assembly, with power to send for
persons and papers, and to ascertain all
dubious and necessary facts on the highest
responsible authority. if a member may de-
eide without, or in the face Of, them I! The
very essence and constitution of repre-
sentative assembly imply that mutual de-
liberation and discussion must precede
the vote. A member from another State
has right to say to an instructed MEM
Der, Sir, we are entitled here to the
benefit of your opinion, founded upon the
inuestig atoms and discussions that take
place here. Your constituents do not
know what passes here. We have no
Of communicating with them /;
our arguments cannot reach them they
are not acquainted with the facts we have
called up before US they are therefore
not competent, constitutionally, or in any
other way, to decide. They have no
right to decide upon imperfect informa-
ton, or partial elaboration. In appoint
ing you, they have given up that right ;
nor can you be bound by such decision.
Moreover, you belong to us, not to them.
You are sent here to the national council
to deliberate for the nation, and not for
the petty district where you reside. If
you are allowed at any time to advocate
their immediate interests, it is upon the
presumption that they can be shown to
be coincident with national interests, and
that you are likely to possess more accu-
rate local knowledge than the rest of us.
If they have taken up i'll founded opinions,
or prejudices, from partial views of the
subject, it is your duty not to foster and
defend, but to- correct. them.
We know, or rather we are strongly In