Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-01-16

IN. v.
welfare OF thy people.
| Finally, we pray thee, that IN the nations Of the
earth may be made TO CHERISH and 10 stand fast in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free-snd TIA,
me Time may soon arrive when the comfortable Gospel
OF The Saviour shall be truly preached truly received
and truly followed in all places, TO the breaking down
OF the Kingdom OF sin, Satan and dea,h,,iii at length
the whole oil Thy dispersed sheep being gathered into
one fold, shall become pariakers OF everlasting Ite
through the merits and death Of Jesus Christ SA
viour.
The Grace Of our Lord Jesus Christ and the low. of
Cod and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with
all ever more, .7men
| Mr.JorNEs, from the committee appointed to SUI
perinend the enrolment Of the Cons,ituon entered
tue Convention about IL o'clock, with that instrument
IN his hand, enrolled parchment of the largest SIZE
anu presented u to the chair accompanied with
uhe"te that 1t had been carefully compared with the
engtossed copy and been found TO be correct.
Mr. RANDOLPH now addressed the House in a
Speech which we shall present in subsequent paper,
I. reference to til right Of the Convention TO present
.he constitution Tor acceptance rejection TO other
than the Freeholders OF the Con,nonweai,
He was followed by Mr.. CoALrER on the same
ground-who con,ended that the act of the Assembly
calling Convention WIS an act of a,iou-wbicb
lie had oppo ed at the time, and still considered as
revolutionary movrmeDt-IIe explained the grounds
OF necessity which he had voted for delegates to the
Convention and contended that as that body derived
all its authority from Freeboders il had no right to 20
beyond them In submitting its acts.
!. "n"e mr' RANDOLPH was engaged in reducing
his intended motion TO writing
| MIR. MASON OF Frederick stated 10 the Convent;on
hat when the question had been agitaed, the evening
previous, as 10 the proper mode of auhr ang the
instrument which had to-day been returned by the
committee on enrolment finding il 10 he the senmen,
majority that It was TO receive the signatures of
all the members who chose to sign it, he had been
strongly Impressed with the necessity of presenting the
views he'd by himse and others opposed to the adop-
"on OF ,he new Constitution in the shape of P,oiest:
out nndng afterwards that the resolution on that sb.
ee mad been laid upon the table, and perceivng it TO
DC ,he understanding tina, 1t was not again bo taken
| atinra filatp
! therefore, TO Protest would be presented.
| MT RANDOLPH now moved the following:
he'oired, That the amended Constitution adopted
oy th' Convention he submitted on the respective T..
Lection Days in the month OF April next, to the pYrson.
quaihed to vote under the existing Constitution for
members oil The General Assembly.
| MIR. THOMPSON opposed the motion with warmth
con'enng that the act Of the Legislature, having been
sanctioned by the People. The Charter Of ,hi. no.
dy, that 1t gave ample power to the Conv enon to sub
nit the Constitution TO whom they pleased and h.
had rather IL should have been submit d to all the
People OF Virginia. The act of the Legislature was
the act OF The People and they had adopted it by elect
ing members 10 the Convention. He concluded by in
iimating that II the resolution pressn cd should
pass he should move reconsideration OF the vote
| by which The new Constitution had been a,lopted.
| Mr.. HENDERSON invited Mr.. Marshall TO expres.
n" opinion on the question; but Mr. III. retaining his
seat,
MIR. MASON OF Son hampton addre.-cd the House
at length, giving the why he had fer the
act IN the contemplating what he understood TO
he lis true intent and aiming. aud indicating flrom
| The charge oil having been an act OF usurpaiion.
Mr. RANDOLPH made a courteous reply di.claimed
all purpose OF imputing ccn.ure TO Mr.. NJ. in wora
thought o deed-but farther insisted the argument
he had urged TO she that the of the Legislature
hor sed and Conferred no riyhtlul authortv
| upon the Convention
Mr. JOHNSON then rose and went into an argument
at length, discussing the terms of the act, and main.
tanning II TO he in the power Of the Convention sub.
NIT the Constitution TO whom they in,, ed right: the
original constituent body having giving il to the Con.
veniion. The act could not be separated; part of
could not he received az legitimate and the rest not:
II they had power TO set by h act they had power 70
submit the Constitution in the way the act permit d.
The assent OF the FreeholGers had given and they
were no, BETRAYED.
Mr.. RANDOLPH replied-admi,,ea the ingenuity of
MIR Js argument, hut is force and denied that the
freehohiers had ever intended TO conmun cate such
power as was claimed; they had made the Conven-
ton advisers on all other points, but absolute 10 this
MIR. NICHOLAS ronended that there were but two
modes in which the government ofa country could he
changed; either against the consent Of the existing gov
eminent, which was revolution; with ts consent as
was now proposed. But the existing government he
ing IN the Freeholders, their will must govern Yet
Others Than they were set 10 pass the Constitution
the will OF the Frrelolders might be Superseded He
was for the resolution
| Mr.. STUART argued, that az the Act of Assembly
was The only authority by which the Convention were
at an directed to submit III Constitution to the People
the directions were valid 10 extend they were to
restrict, the powers Of the Convention as TO the per-
sons to whom il 10 he submitted.
Inc question was taken, on Mr.. RANDoLPH's mo.
ton. hv Yeas and Nays, and decided as follows:
| fEAS-MessrS. Jones. Leigh of Chesterfield. Tavlo
~ Chesterfield, GIL Brodnax, Dromgooe, Alexander
Nicholas. Mason of Southampton, Trszvan,, Ciaihorne
urq"har Randolph. Leigh Of Halifax. Logan, Venabl~
HoIladay. Roane, Morris, Gafnett Tazewell, Loyal
Preni' Grigsby, Branch, Coai,er, Upshur and Perrin
-2S
NOES-Messrs. Barbour Presileni) Goods Mar
snail oil Henico, Tyler, Clopion, Anderson, Cofrnsn
| Harrison, Williamson, Baldwin, Johnson, MCoy
Moore Berne, Smith. Miller, Baxter, Madison Stan
ard, Fhzhugh, Henderson, Osborne, Cooke, Powell
Grgg', Mason OF Frederick, Naylor Donaldson Boyd
pendlston George NJ MILAN. Campbell OF Washington
Bvars TAYLOR of Caroline, Cloyd, Chapman, Mathews.
Oglesby, Duncan, LaiIlev, Summers, See, Morgan
Campbell Of Brooke Wilson, Barbour Of Culpeper
Scott Green Marshall of Fduqncr Campbell Of b ID
tod, Cayor, Saunders, Townes, Cabell, Martin, Stuart
Plea'ani', Gordon, Thomp'on, Ma,.ie Bates, Neale
Rose, Joynes, Bayly.-66
Mr. COOKE now moved the con side RAJ ion of muci,
o his proportions as had been superseded; fol-
Iows
j. II shall he the duly ofthe Executive Department
e the existing Government, all the returns
CURED ny the twentieth section OF the Of the General
Assembly, entitled An act TO organize Convention,
shall have been made, II il shall appear that majority
oil all The votes given, is for rayng this pnded Con-
sbig'Ion, forthwith to make proclamation Of The fact
~. And II shall moreover be the duty al the Exc
cuhve Department, in and by such proclamation 10
command the Sheriff. and Other officers directed by
law 10 hold and superintea sd elections under penalty Of
dollars Tor failing to obsv such command
10 open polls IN their respective counties, cities towns
and boroughs and in the election districts established
by law IN their respective COUNTESS the 6r.t Mon
day IN November. in the present year Tor the election
o Delegate or Delegates, as the may be. rep