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

- a'I'e u"e' In the Legislative Department
q 'he.e was a proposition to diminish the num-
Der OF the House of Delegates, there would be
~ TIC same report some similar proposition re-
. ,uuVe TO the Senate, because they ought to
oeaf u proportion to each other. II there was n
proposition relative to the Executive Council and
inns would be combined with another CONTAINING
some PROVISION to the auditor or treasurer or who
over might compose the Council of advisemen, there
""ud mus De an end to the conjecture that no ten
PERSONS would agree on the subject of any amend
"eh'- ne argument IN that wonld be the
S'toigcr Tor scidsn@ the subject TO the select CON-
H!stctS-Iur II ten persons would not urrce neither
i''9ht hve--nor two And when the question was in
committee Of the whole every individual member
might otier an amendment: aud as there is no rule
"a coiiinltee which p:ccluJcs ucu,brr from speak
nag rs often as he p'eascs, there might DC no end Ia
iir i'scuaSioa--we might be found sitting here ,i
iii wcr and after al break up in discard w;,luut
uuins: amp thing.
TO the aru;iiuont of the uon,l e,r,u from, S,r
mat ina Convention wutll have to a.iourn from iav
- day without doing jusiness-Iia himself nuht
oFlatc t't circt by moving that the Convention a-
:, urn SINE dc. ant! that question might be tleba,ed
W non the committees created il Is iuorlcr To rive
i:"m INSTRUCTIONS. The gentleman minh, moe "a
*tr"c the committees. There rule To prevc,
s,c'' mo ION, This would bring discussions and
,.S tii. Convention might have plenty of business
lhe cotnin;' ccs os might sit by night and day The
gentleman from Eori;ik and hitn.clf had becn fore
'h'r IN cnFni'ittecS sitting nj night with view to for
Sar'lthe DEineSs IN was then evidently in he uow
or OF the gentleman himself to prevent gnv DELAY of
business. "
TO prevent the evils which the gent eman had sur
Fesfcu' Mr.. MERCER said he proposed to Offer au
a'iendment. the object OF which was To increase Tho
numbers ut tho conp,ttces TO twenty-fur members
coch-;Mc from each senatorial district--and this
would prevent the formation of those phnlanxes which
INC gentleman aPprehcDded. There must then he
thirteen members to carry question i'm comn,i toe
ana Tho majority In the Convention itself would ne
sefnc large. commit &c thus formed would he better
ftte' TOT acton than the whole BODY because tInir
limited numbers while would be in possession of nil
'le t1iofIhailon wlIch every district of the State
could supply.
He concluded by stating that he felt il to be his d
~ to say something this question. He had pa,,s
c1tlong after the gentleman from Norfolk had taken
ms seat, III the hope that some gentleman better
qualified woul., occupy the attention of the Conven
ton but as no other person had risen he had consl
cred the task of replying duty which ne ourbt
not to avoid.
On motion of Dir. r ,vporpu, it was orde-a, that
"nen the question be aSen 1t be taken by ayes and
Question upon Mr. Tazewelis motion was then mn,
and decided in the negative.
AYES-Ressrs. John w Jones r. W. Iesb Sa n,, T,,,o,
Nm 49,, b. e'e; VIM G"adnaS George c Drogolc, sla
Niehoas WI" john s" Sns, I"" anH john Tyler Philip
W n, L Afui Re 1Io s Ga ytq"ha ,on Randolph
Philip Earour John Roane, VIM P rayior, James ,'a9 II
sarne't, John Barbour John Scott, John W Green, L. W
siao ' ss 1oseph fen's George TownG John
MoEs-AlessFs William Anderson, Samuel Cofnan Jacob
Mccoy, sane, Med Moore Andrew Bei1e " W Smith, m
Els%'s Miller John Baxter Rot sianar James Monroo
y Cooke Alfred H. Powell Heroine l. One Tbos Gu i n
t town. J SnyIs G @@ e0n snd ,ha Philip
william yars Gordon Cloyd Henley Chap na WIN. .les
S y E rS o pn:nn J John a Lewis Summers Adam
Fsenia 81 WILSON, ,o. slacfae Font sH Tvps S@ Sar
Joseph Martin, Amhd Stuart, r. James Plsasan,s, WIN r.
iiaes, Flos r. Joynes, Thos. NJ Bayley-5l
The question as then about 10 be put on tho frs,
resolution, when
MR CHAPMAN JOHNSON said it had been in,imated.
to,the house by some gentleman who had addressed
IT. that the first resolution ought TO be amended
and If he had correctly understood the drin
at the suggestion, it met his approbatton He
would state it as he understood it. The first
resolution Is "that Committee be anpoin;ed In
take into consideration the bill or declaration of
"fights" the li.ih resolution is sthat ali such
arts oil the present Constitution not referred
''by the foregoing resolution IN, referred 70 Con-
-mttec, &c."-He mad understood the proposfion
was to unite these resolutions IN one. As tie Resi-
duary C"nmittee would have but little duty to per
fnrn md the Comn:.c formed under the first
resolution would also have bit little to do, lie an
proved OF the suggestion for their union.
Mr.. MERCER thought it would haze been best to
adopt the resolutions FIRST and then to move an
amendment, but lie was willing 10 take any other
eoursc-fIe had ntended himself to propose an
amendment OF the character described after the re
solutions were adopted.
My DopoRtpGE stated that if his friend from Au-
gnita hnd aiudedto something which had fallen from
nm, nc had misunderstood lim.-iic had stated in
answer to an observation that one had objected to
the bill Of rights that he certainly did not object tn
The declaration of rights. Il his text book: but
that since reformation of tie Constitution had been
proposed that declaration had been openly denounced
in 1916 and last winter within these walls as doc
nent containing nothing but theoretical abs
which did well enough on nopcr hut were totally
unit Tor practical use, and he wished re-eDact il
now to the intent that such an done by all united
Virginia, through tbs Conventions might serve to re-
deem the young men of the present generation, who
arc now righttuiy trcadiug our heels from the |
!
There wa clause in the declaration Of rirhfs
III n:n arc By nature equally free" &c. which some
ne'nbrrs might wish to shorten though he did not
lrms'if literal Interpretation of TINT clause |
nade ii ~ embrace a popu alton which its makors
never intended, and which in two neiohbourinr
States. and in Canada, has been thrown in The way Of
the masters seeking to apprehend their runaway
slnvcs.
eli 10 III