Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-04-08
l'np rus WniG

Assembly oi Virginia, aud the People of Virginia.
The Governor is now i'll olncc under the ncv
constitution; and the Legislature must adjourn With.
out giving him a salary which will enable him to dis
charge his duties unless one course shall be taken.
y" neither that course will he pursued ar not, | know
MOI; In my opinion, justice ~ the State, and to the
Heu'Tai Assembly. requires that n should.
From the day the present salary was established
t' th'S day, II has been inadequate To the support
oi the office; and how the General A.srmblv pro-
pose 10 Justify to the people, the ra,snr their own
wages more than double what they were when the
Govcrnor's salary was tixc ,, and which. during cue.
ceSs'vc Legislatures, has cost the people at least
seven hundred Thousand dollars, al The same time
that that ot the Governor is loft as IL was. know not
If the members Of Assembly can't ,oork for moth
inS ana find themselves. surely the Governor can't
IL an increase Is not necessary as 10 ham. il surely is
not as to them.
II would be little shor, of treason so suppose tina,
they will Justify themselves by saying ,ri1t is not
NE Jrct; that an increase was necessary as TO them,
but not as to him. Ii is an undoubtcd fact, thnt il
has niwnjs been more so ms to him than as To ftcn.
The cNp"nce Of the Legislature for one or two
days added 10 It. would enable the Governor to live
Oh his salary Suppose ITO members to draw daily
wages, reducing th cir allowance, only 81 cents each,
would leave Il sum in the Treasury nearly equal To
The present salary, so thar by reducing their wages
'hat much. mot rs much perhaps IA they Law out
daily IN nuts aud apples) and giving it to him, would
put Tie governor IN n situation to serve the country
without great and incuitabhe injury to himself.
WIN the people submit to tho importation that 1t
is tier ,CW To supper, one branch of the Govern
mcnt at an expence Of $3.50 per day, for the add
t!onal So to the members, when 6! cents deducted
from each, will support the Governor They must,
somehow or o'hsr, wipe off this stigma. or the Lee
%gislaturn and tn" Governor must respectively do NJ
once, what II becomes them 10 do. 1t is impossible
to Justify, according 10 tru;h and fair argument, the
raising their own wages and starving the Executive
am not, nor are The people for starving any de
pnrtmc?t of the Government.
Suppose the Federal Government had the fixing
the salaries OF State officers; and had Left the Gov,
lrTnOr iriD ought tn Bp Tho Gg5tLEnI ~, NJ, l..
U6'ch Tolr.r, to work for nothing, and find him
self; or To separate himself from his family, and al
most from his Office, and live in a Boarding house.
would tins he CONSIDERED the way To procure an ef
cent and independent sentinel, or the reverse Would
not this have been considered IL direct attack on the
Srrcre'gn'Y Of the State
The effect tho Is precisely the same, whether ii
proceeds from tn" one Government or the other. cx-
"cpt that II would be better to give the power to the
Federal Government; for in that case the people
would resist such injustice. even by private subscrip-
'lon. II no other means were left, in order TO sup
port the dignity Of the State.
Is 1t safe and sound policy to ovcrburthen, and also
to starve our State officers; and thus drive all the
men Of talent from our State institutions into Fed.
cral offices, or put It out Of their power TO serve The
State, and thus leav" only underbiddcrs, instead of
master rcorkmsn. to fill the important stations under
the Government?
If the subject pcrtained to the Federal Govern
ment, could they d0vlsc a NOR" eiieciual way 10 break
down the = ates than this: and Il IL was pursued.
would any ono fail to sec its tendency and resist il
accordingly
Surprising it utterly impossible tina, his course
can be considered by any one rs Compatible, with the
honor or safety Of the Slate, the uext question is,
how Is IL no0 20 be remeGied'
| think the Governor ought TO resign his office.
on the ground that his salary is altogether made
qnate to his support, and that nc can neither con-
sent to separate from his family. nor to devote his pri-
vate fortune TO the service Of the State, without
adequate compensation. When he accented the of.
flee the Legislature had 1t in their power to d, JUS
I ~ Tn vln I-,,,t..,o --n,I IS ~ =
was perhaps not tor IN, at that time TO advise or to
presume they would rot do so.
1t has been omitted, however, and It is for him
notc TO say. whether the constitution has been c IN
Piled with IN regard % the ~ndequ1cy Of tie GorcrnOy'S
srktry. IT 1t has not, The Legislature and the people
ought 10 know 1t Possibly m"u may b. cot to
FL the office with the present salary; or our
present Chi"f Magistrate may. | think en.ronc-
ously) suppose that, having accepted the Office hc
ought to 90 on, regardless of consequences. Ifhow
ever he should think, that in justice to the EXccu-
tive Department, eth The independence Of rchich he is
charged, he ought TO resign, and no fit person can
be found to accept the Office until the salary is made
adequate, the Legislature will of course do their
duty IN that respect: whether they would be mlr-
unanimous enough, IN that event TO rc-clect the man
who shall thus have devoted hImFe,f 10 cor
rect principles or whether be would accept the Of
iicc under such circumstances, ! know mott think
both ought to take place Eut be this as it nav,
he will have performed an acceptable service TO his
country; and for which he wall receive it's thanks
1t will be better for him TO resign now than 70
abandon his family, or do 1t Mt the next session.
IhiS IS he GeneSti assembly which Is relied on to
Tx the principles Of action under the new Consttu
ton. The people don't expect to receive Mt their
hands an incDTctcnt EIeCUtiUe. These are times which
call for the course.
Although the words Of the Constitution. ms well
MS rccnilcci, are not express to that ell. c.. ! believe
there can be NJ doubt but that. ACCORDING to Ms
Spirit, the Legislature can fill n vacancy IN the
chair Of State, v one shall occur during the session.
or at The next session after it shall occur
There is another subject TO which / wish 70 draw
the public attention 1t IS one Interesting TO the
whole state, but particularly so to the Shenandoah,
Valley and IT'S dcpcndencirs.- think the act for IN
cooperating n company TO make a rail road from
StuuBton TO the Potomac ought TO be suspended un-
I'll the rising Of the next session of Assembly.
The rates Of toll and transportation nre fixed at
! cents per ton per nile from West to East, and G
cents from East TO West, and } cents per mile for
passengers.
The cost Of the road, 20 he nado Of permanent
mHtcTIgl5. | understand ic Cgtirnnsod gIo oOn 90, r,t,.