Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-02-01
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
HOUSE OF DELEGarES
THURSDAY, Jan 27

Executive ID partment, was taken On. sS% ,aE nv
S, y, ~ ' sasry OF ins Gcvernor, being open MIR
MAXWELL moved tht il be filled with 81 ON 80 WI
Mr.. Nj remarked. that in the old Consiu,io, !, - 90
preNiied, hat the salary OF the Chief Magistrate should
De mod rate ou, adequate aud although that uravi
sion had not baen copied into the npy e., .,,,,, =,
was perhaps The safest criterion TO be observed lie
was convinced, that less than 81 900 would no,
Governor to live in the style IN which he ouyb, >,
1--we, i'm piacs like Richmond. IL had been iii IN
FORMER q. oae' thai he was to come downfor il seemed
settled tina, he was always to come from ~ ,na,,n
'sns-"ilh his ianiiy-and establish himself her.
ana when his term OF Office had expired h. was IN
up again. Il was old maxim tina, ,,yo r.,oo,,,s
were equal to hFe This was an additional consiIe.
ration In favor OF The sum he had proposed
ME-. Ghoison moved TO fill the blank with = ass .
me s"iay now p.d. He was advocate of ade-
quate salaries aud he thought this sum ~ HI sirt T.
should he recoeced, that mansion was provided rea-
dy furnished, Tor tbs reception of The Goyer,or and a.
so that every two three years MONEY =. a. .Si
aed Tor tie furnishing and repair of the Goysrnsr'
House Computing these adj ional accommodations
the salary was more than $4,000. Under the old G n
su'uuon' 'ne election was yearly but under the Few
one, the term was three yesrs-ihe removss ,be,a
'ore "onii not be so irequentani it, az the p,ntIe
man rom norfolk supposed, two removes war. -. A.,
hfe, there were many OF US who wonld ~ ha.
burned out long ago. He was rather of op,ion that
uanPet ouSht 10 be put ON disposition TO exravsgance
aud expensive entertainments in our mn r,ic o1T;ca
than to encourage it by large salaries ''''
MIR. Baily advocated The largest sum p,orosaI I'm
Ger 'he Ole oushution the Governor was elected
yearly and was ess permanently located al the Ssat
oil u vernment. Bat under the new Cons i,n,ion Ia
woulc tic obliged 20 have mere communicated lii
tue Members and the other public funeionaries thsn
~ "e'iy me council did most Ct The business under
the old Constitution but under the nrpsent rach of
nat hu'ness mus! be done by hiln-apd ne eouId a
So"seu 10 'rAhssct much o! the business with he me
oers AZ he own House. The manner Of I,vi,, had al
20 greatly altered. The Legislature had oiveen r.
splendid Mansion, and they ought give him eaarv
sutheien' 10 keep up correspondent style. Vigiuia
was great aud powerful State, and il was but
mat evary distinguished individual whether n.tivs ar
foreign, who vii ell this CITY, should paw his
ne Governor. If they considered the salaries Of
the subordinate CticeIs WashiD ION thew ,yuId nj
mat t was not uncommon to give or 81 600 IN ooI
Clerk, IN order TO the best talent in tLos
Mons lie believed that The most economical Govern
or we had ever elected, had retired ON The off
without dr. T. on his private purse III, men,ionsd
some instances oil this kind; aud therefore expressed
nope 'ha' me salary would be fixed at 81 900
which seemed to him moderate.
Mr.. Baxter asked the ayes and noe, On tis cr.s,,o
which was sustained
MIR. Maxwell said. he Beloved that severa, Msrb.xs
were OF opinion, that the Governor drew salary ot 10
pounds as President ct the James River Comoany-
6u 'Ils was not the case. He President of that
company and S1 mber Of the Board of Public
fees. ''' " muse We
Mr.. Barbour seconded the motion for ST. 600 He
supposed ii was wished that citizsn shout, 5avat
more than his time to the public service Wills ba v,
negecting his private sfars-certaiuly 10 his pscui
ry notwithstanding The remark had grown INTO an
adaEe, thai the eye Of the owner was necessarv IN H.
success OF our Kind OF property. II, therefore only
tn lime Of the Chief Ma s,rae was due TO the St,t
'hs salary named ought to be given him. There was
someu Ing like caprice In The opinion Of the nuhIc ON
this subject IL was often said, thai the Gavsrn"r
sho ID not pay aay attention Mambers or extend 20
thea hue hospitality. But il Ia failed to do So cenm,e
was nduIged in. Should they then give him so nm
ous salary that he could not extend that hospitality
TO his feiio" citizens, which was accodant with The
custom oil the world, when, if he did not DO So he
would be expos u to censure or murnurins p-1b.v
we're aware OF She situation OF things aro,nd ,b.,n
They knew that the facilities or travelling were much
,d-sod II letter OF Introduction brought
10 the Chief Magisuate by a citizen of anotbrr Steta
IL would be expected that some attention and hostali-
y-(whicb Virginia looked upon as the fares flower
IN her chaacier)-wOuld be extended % The stranger
Ii would at least be anticipated that dinner wouId no
given to hm--not tor The purposes of eating and dill,
ipg-but IN ord to nroduce him TO respectable cit-
zsns Of our State. Did MT this necessary 10 f,s
ter good understanding with our Sister ales and 10
interchange opinions One Of the great reasons for the
Prejudices which exted, in various sections Of ,his
coua ~ against oher' was, that the people did not
know each other. A. d he believed that when ,bs
people of the North came to the Sau,b mr. The nooIs
oil the South went t. the North, they returned home
WIN better feelings towards each OTHER. Ii was all
so OF our institutions, that the Chief Magistrate
should often communicate with the people, ihai he
might learn their feelings, and keep pace with public
sentiment. Ii he were shut up from The people he
could not become ocqu 1in ed with their opinions and
sentiments. There were Clerks who receiy ed
salaries equal 20 that of Governor add by such
eonparson7, the dignity OF the station was lowered
The ot1ce ought not to be consider ed petty pace-but
to siaod IN higher grade. IL perhaps no aiways
proper to allude TO ones own experience. But the
House was well aware, that he once held the Office of
Governor AT that tims, when be let Rehmond he
was Obliged to give his bond for The sum OF $40 900
Tor be had not the money, which he literally dgged
out Of the ground TO pay. IL believed he was me-
yer very eXFavsgant but he could NOT llen live up-
on the salary OF the office. IL was true that those
were times OF peculiar hsrdship--it being duins the
late war II insieneed tie fact, that he was charge
EllO for a dozen Of decaDters. II was a lamentabe
TACT, that most parsons in this counTy who had speni
Their iYrs I'D tbs public service, hsd died i'm ovr rshsd
He need rot point to the Southern politicians or io
those in ober parts OF the country, prove t0a m IT,
distinguished Tor their public services had lett 10 their
inmIiies the patmeny alone Of their pus,ion. And
az 1t said by Sallus the blood Of the scpios is
mighty poor dOwry for his dau ghsrs-' or such were
tae sentiments OF most men, that the daughter of
mushroom, who started up hut yssteriay, would
be taken with her 80, 900 dollars, han the girl whs
could boa Of TO- tune, but the repu ion OF her Ia
Tier. Virginia poor Republic, aud sNtrsvsgant
salafiss ought not 10 be given 10 public n. But DO
not ecCn0mse their compensation, 10 cause them,
when they rerc from public life, eud their days Ia
poverty
Mr Knox sad the Hou G was asked 20 rails, the ga
larry 81 the Chief MAJ isttate end 10 port 81 that
proposition, hey had been iold that certain clerk in
T. e Department. at Washington received "a aries e
quay gs with that Of Governor. THEY we're
also old at IL necessary for the Governor Il Vir
sinia give l5ass for the entertainment OF strangers
OF foreigner, VIII a. fellow. ciiz.ns he hel
ell the uMe would never ctme, when that d scice
should come necessary Ilitdid come Virgi ia wouh
oe Ter republican character. They often heard adni.
ration expressed Ia regard the ancient republics 81
Greece, and were ot'n exbor,ed 10 init & ibef
amples. But " the history Of that reopls we're OBJ.
efved, Il would he found TIA, as long a. they pre-
eefved their republican habits, they preserved their lie
berries. But when luxury and exhsvagence became
prevalent among them, they were IN the wh-hiil
road to ruin. md such would be the effect OF the
here; for the Golfers Of the State wsuld be