Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-12-03

tenant Governors; aud the Legislature may provide
for The case OF removal DEATH or similar inability OF
the Lieutenant Governor.
And the fifth Resolution having been read, as FOL-
lows;
sRcsolyed That the slerifs of the different coun-
ties in the Commonwealth shall hereafter be elected
BY the qualified 60 for the most numerous
brunch of the Lcgislature."
Mr.. HENDERSON moved TO strike out this reso.
luton.
Mr.. NAyLoR then rose aud spoke as follows:
MIR. CHAtRMAN;--Asn is expected that the advo.
Gates for each provision To be introduced he
Constitution SHOULD say something support of It,
and show some cause for it's adoption; aud il
on my motion that this reported. think It
incumbent upon me To state the consideration which
prevailed in the Committee, and which think ought
TO prevail generally III favor o tins provision. In do
ing this shall be brief possible. II Is essential
to the character OF republican government that the
people with whom III whom Is all the power, should
have the appointment of all their officers public
iuuconarics, either directly indirectly. Now there
ID not officer under this government fur or
ent rely removed from the control OF the people
sheriff They have no agency IL his appointment, c-
thcr directly ar indirectly; he is creature OF the
county courts, and the county courts CRATE them.
selves. They pCrpctuAtc their own body, aud have
become what Is called Emporium IN mp"rln. They
have also by long usage appropriated the office ~
slCr,tt ~ themselves. although there IS word in
thc Constitution which indicates such a mrNnlng.--
They have Just much ight appropriate the clerk
ship 70 themselves the ShcriiIa!,y. II L. nothing
more Or less than Sc otmcu entrusted WI the pow
g OF appointment tor tn good ct the community, who
have taken - themselves tho whole benefit uft, and
DO CNcrcI>C /, Tor tir own use and emo Mt
They have established order o. fittings among them
selves by which tu,y tGAc tAS office az kind OF
ia'lon And u Is ROW t..c universe! practice with
every one OF those COUNTY court mag S'rH'Cs who
ccives the ,iFcc, i tT j., hughes price he can
obtain, aud IN SOM iuStarcrs, hay" b iunrm-
cd, this las b en- done at pubic auc lur. !h.s has
raised up another class of officers caid dcrutg sher
ifs, many o. whom worthy ou4 r> cJt-llc.
rect and upright IN the discharge of the duty, though
from circumstances they all expns,i : rong
temptation. And where any Disposed 20 81 i'll to
this temptation, there Is >tnutun IN inca II
be done o 20 much advantage with uIch i;nruni
ty. Aud unfortunately there too many who do
30 yield An OH uccOun' al &c icir g,S which arc
be made IN that Office many Of those who IA RIM tho
Office give more for II than the whole fees would
amour: to- which is manife>tly done upon he ca Gu
luton of indemuityng themselves by prculston and
cNactious III one shape or other fran unfortunate
deb OTIS 10 large amount. Yes Sir, and by this
the miStortuncs o: the unfortunate are every
day aggravated to an extreme degree. The sheriff
by delay the first instance discourages the creditor
plaintiff IN much that he sells 10 the deputy his
whole clam AT discount of perhaps - per cont
The sale is then forced, which was always delayed
before, and the property purchased by the deputy
for his benefit at OnC-tOuTth OF It's value perhaps. II
is Immediately rcsold to the debtor at it's full value
on short credit, taking bond and good security for
the amount This bond Is immediately put in suit
when due, and then anpihcE round of shaving and en-
toron takes place and perhaps again md ngain until
the original debt Is doubled trcblcd. But this is
only of those NUMEROUS devices to crafty rapac-
ty. These men who have been some time thus en-
gagged, look ahead and secure the office for number
of years in advance. The longer they hold il the
more adroit they become in their exortions until
they become the perfect ccches of society. IL is IN
this office alone that the bold and daring usurer can
escape. 1t throws around him protection " ch tho
law cannot or does n remove, and II is here alone
TINT tho laws against usuvy 'etaIly Riei<uJ-
Thus II IS that many who wish to follow the practice
lg .rNN4f ftF,fr
neg seek the Office OF deputy sheriff as The only STU
alton where II can be carried on with impunty IL
may bcnqtIrcd why are not these pecuIaiors punish
ed;-and why is not the law put in force against them
The answer is that the only persons to pu; this law
~ force are always much in the power nf ,hose
sirers and extortIoners that they dare not COMPLAIN
II the shers were elected by Tic pcopc these enor-
mites could not and would not take place; for, al
thoogh those men might escape from the bar of pub
lie justice, yet they would be taken up tried and CON
demned at the bar OF public opinion. and none such
would be permitted to hodt the office
But it will be objected that to make the sheriff eli
gibe by the people would be increasing the turmoil
and turbulence of popular elections, from which dan
ger is apprehended. For my part | do not apprehend
the danger much Even in the States of New Y orh
md Pennsy vanin which held up to us as fright
full examples of popular elections, do not that 50
much evil has resulted. Where there is The vitality
of liberty, there will be the vivacy Of liberty, anc
this is far preferable TO the calm TINT reigns i'll those
governments where there is no liberty where It's fire.
are Tepressed and buried deeply within the mountain
it were until with concentrated violence they burs
into volcano. Garry those fears a degree furthc
and it may be found convenient and safe to deprive
the people OF all Claims and TO save them from tn
trouble and demoralizng Influence of choosing my o
! their public dictionaries. But there is ccrtain
much more danger in this fear than all which give
rise to II. would rather drink Of the rapid mounts
stream, although 1t may sometimes be turbulent an
sometimes overflow It's banks, than TO drink ~ IT,
stagnant pool which breeds peSiencc and Death
The one IL an apt representation Of frecmcn in tn
exercise Of their rights, the ether Of an all paayzn
dcspotlsm. Moreover, Am compelled to say tina
there is something in the Vrgnian character whicl
secures against al apprehension Of those excesse
which have been held up o. resulting from popu
lar elections in some States TO the North The pco
pie IN these last mentioned States are much NOR
7 mixed, thC nutyc American thcro has boon much al
Logged with n material which makes IT more variabl
and unstable. Not 80 with the people of virginia
where political sentiment moves on "a larger seal
ard cannot be easily agitated Their history show
that capiiciOus unreasonable cumInoton ha
prevailed amongst them; and If there is a people nj