Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-12-03

II !fis opinion had sis1 boon asked ON tho e,,h,, :
q Convehtl"n. Inc history Of the original biI ha
anrl'"y Dceh gSen IL was brought into .hc Srr,,h i
iS!;, and rejected by small r,aiortr in l9is m
P"nhc became excited. md this had produced arofi
eI b II l8l6-IGI7, :c history of which had i,ec,
{ Sneuy I.g gentleman from Norfolk. This hi
pIc tue Rouse OF Delegates and ravc WAY ~ .br
senate to The bill ala ing the Scn,,o.,.,
!1rre DC read anoti o. eatrac fo,a letter of Efr
iftsi''rson relative tn the ENrcu,ive.
.c9Sc' M. w. sai, We're the oinicns oc Er. Tcf-
t!essoo IN reference 10 The Executive Suchorc tho
s'ntEncts OF Mr.. 9eiTrson at the d;s;inc, rrr;nds
winch bad been stated II. had already SAID. .,n5
| ne Wone now barely notice tho fast in order 10 ar
rTc n the Arguments against him ina. tho C,,.,r
o. was Cot responsible officer; that the Council
9'cc' MN as 10 what nc eal and what he shall not
90; and that the Council, from their CONSTITUTION rc
not dcPenden. On the General Assemble He had
said, that the responsibility of the Cou.c d;,.n5
among eight, vas not fell Il nav be ALA ns.cr,
CD MS general irrtt, that the gentleman who takes
ms scat a the CoracH table, dogs no, calculate TINT
ne N,n bc the first victim IF the scra' CHI l. was
n"t DEev TINT the whole Of The Council World ror
der themselves obnoxor,s to the General Hsse,,bl;
md tha' al would be rotten in that little State ~
OnnnisFi'. Every third year, if the mer,hers were
10 lrnPenchea, and he had forgotten il they were
subject TO impeachment; SO that twelve ynSrs tho
L"gsl tGrc must cadurc Sc rule before tho, can
get rid Of tue Coonci This vidyY of tho conss;,I,
ton 81 thn ETccutye Council shews thu; i any ros
potsloi!y attaches to thcr It IS weak ard imperfect;
and behind such an authority any evil disposed Gny-
e1Elnr my slalli from responsibility Tcse were The
arguments which had aLe vet been met -
y hen he soTplaincl tl,iit tie. f,Spcutive WIS rot
susrlentiy rc>pots.bl@aa vas by the gentleman
from Rickruond SIR Ncfplos) who ocn,cnTed ti,i
they we're sufficiently So. To shew however thai
they are not dependent, we haze crlv to turn our
eyes TO the fact, that the people cn1 have no con-
'o except ehrou gh their agents IN the General As
teeinhly' If the Council are not amenable there
they are not oInenah!e to the people. Thc nconlc
then can have no power over them In showing
tia; they we're responsible to none, he showed that
! III
ensI ~elS nos uPpoin'ea BY the people, and could
There wus another general view Of the situation
In which the mcmbers of the COUNCIL were pla-
ced; aud IN what he said he disciained any refer
ence 10 any enc who had heen, or is msJsher OF
that body lis reference was general rs 20 their
situation, exposed to tho operation of the n-rnities
of nature, of those wealnessrs to which VIC are al
liable, aud to which II any one supposed he was MOI
liable, lie bad yet 10 learn the great lessou-rnoti
scautoH. Each nlesIltlee has to sustain ly-1!ir Dc
pendent or him, and considering the eypene-s OF
sustaining, of rearing up and educating family il
nay be lHfhed az once, that the salary of mcIntcr
! of the Executive Council ~ not that on which hn
can suhsiss. He must be engaged IL o.acr business
! He must pursue the profession of LAWYER or SOM,
other honest craft, from which he must calculate TO
draw subsistence during liz lie is also compelled
:. to become resident Of Richnopd, foF5us tlacli-
Ieus, and liable TO be ed oD By thos. ~ whom
he Is immcdiatey surrounded, md With whom he as
socrates. nnd elogucntiv snid by the nrntieman
from Chesterfield IS oporated on through bis virtues
themselves lie belongs more 10 tie country
but to the city and wherever there is collision he
tween city policy and that the co,in.-v ho mt Ela
~ to be fair representative OF the latter This Is
likely to have, and MAJ have effect in IT'S opSruto, IN
the financial concerns Of tho government aud if en-
pabe OF such operation there many rich harvests
! On which this influence may operate. Great cxpen
ditures have been rRnde here on the building of the
Penrentlnry, in tho erection Of the Arrdorv and
other works which have required large distributions
Of money; and on those two great iteurs thousgpds
and hundreds of thousands have been committed to
the discretion of the Executive. As bod been said
yesterday, the patronage OF the Executive is DOT
exactly to bc compared to the ey loavcs and fishes
ct the sane time they not sufficient to satisfy the
craving OF the whole world. II the liabilities 10
abuee great, this influence may rn re.rHrlel
Us practical evil. But what wos it 10 the
country, if abuse should be practisrd by the E:iec
utivc, or by others, that they are irresponsible tc
the people The abuse is the evil, and the mean.
to avoid it is present object. As we have not in
this discussion, confined ourselves parliamentary
Pucs he ought to be permitted TO refer to what fell
from the gentleman from Chesterfield in the Legs}a
/ tive Committee.
Fhe CHAM stated that 1t could only be tolerate.
uow, because such violations Of parliamentary prac
tice had been permitted before.
! nIr. LEIGH said he was willing that any thin.
which he had said any Where should be the subject
remark.
qrhe CnA.n, 10 its decision, discIaimed any refer
ence to any individual
Il Mr.. DoDpRrpGE said he only desired 10 refer t
the remark of the gentleman as 30 our tendency
corruption VIII ouF grown upwards. lie state
that from his first manhood to the present time,
/ had marked IFS progress in various ways, and Ia
especially racedit in the love Of Office and The mode
to which men resort 80 obtain it. There was muc
truth in the observation, although he not dispo
Sed to look at the worst side of things. Perhap
other causes might be assigned for those effects whic
; the gentleman had witnessed. Phere vas Ger
man Dutch writer Of 8phorisms who had said tina
r he is old who knows many villains. 1t Is Ptobubl
that as We pass through the tosome scenes of llC
in our extending acquaintance with man, disco
yer more Of his weaknesses. and may thus take u
the erroneous opinion that MI around Us is growing
corruption and which does not serve 10 increase Oh
confidence in mankind, but rather to make us dis
: trusful of those whom we have little control
: While discussing this subject he had undeFsteo
The gentleman from Chesterfield as saying that h
. was acting for the Cenmonwcath Hc had turne
: himself round to reflect what that commonwealth
could be for which the gentleman had taken a stan
so distinct from others Who is this commonwealth
and against whose attacks is il to be defended &c
tc,rd i,,rr TO- rc