Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-01-10
Ntc1sass otto Igss1sU.
THE LEGISLATURE.

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THE LEGISLATURE.
On Saturday, the House OF Delegates determined
the questo.. Sf the tenure Of Clerks Ofices-icci-
ding That those officers shall be electric every seven
years, and eat in the iniercai they shall be liable to
removal a, the pleasure of the Courtsin The OF
clerks Of county and corporation courts two birds
OF the acting Justices being required concur in the
act Of removal.
This is n radical change. Under the old Cnns +
tuition. the tenure of the Clerks was good behavior
or in other words for life. The result of this was
that one fthosc off able hut for mall
feassnce in 2fCe-ior his moral condHc' : Il member
of society he was exempt from all official responsible
| lity. What is not httle remarkable is TINT this
change was most warmly abettrd by those who hav.
heretofore been among the decided opponents of
change. The vote near three to one
u To day the Henrco Election will be considered.
Or Saturday. the Committee of Courts Of Justice
cuu,r to the resolution to report ncypcdent to make
any change in the jurisdiction of the County Courts
Thc Committee of Propositions ami Griev1nccs also
decided avorably upon the petition of the people of
Mancl ester and Others for a new bridge over James
River, ut Richmond. But n. the proprjc,ors Of
Mayo's Z ge have made Proposition 20 leave The
regulation of he tolls at that Bridge, the dIscre-
ton Of the Board of Public Works it seems probable
that this matter will end in Compromise
u The !'c'ion o. Kentucky Senator in place Of
M. Rowan, was xed for ,hr 4ih of January The
Washington Telegraph SAYS Nr. Clay was at Frank
fort, and candidate for the office The same vera
cionS paper SAID som" few weeks AGO that hc had
gone 10 New Orleans, suprrin,cnd the Senatori,le
lection thce-aS tho Inter statement was groundipss
tho presumption is that the first is equally So The
Frankfort Argus OF tho goth, rhe latest dntel makes
no mention of Mr. Claws presence in that place
fi"" jackson papers aud the An'i-JackSon ex-
press equal confidence Of electng their man
The of 7'rsscVs tie IaIian This case b,,
called forth great deal of comment, and variety
of opinion We unGcrstan' that the Chief Justice
lad no discretion in granting or withholding tn, ci,a
ton-that tho writ of error, is ono of righG which
he burst not refuse. 1t docs no, therefore assume
jurisdiction for the Supreme Cour,-that question is
to be determined by tho court after he return Nor
Is the refusal of Georgia tn obey the summons 10 b.
construed as throwing off tho authority of tho Su
prrme Court. The writ was mere admoni,orv sno-
tice, which she might di-0bev with committing
contemot. We have seldom in so shor, time. seen
so much nonsense. gnor1ncn md c0nccit from thu
| Press, rs in this of Tassells Not one whose
lnrubrntions have read, appears to rs even IN
have begun TO understand the subject or the Ioral
and constitutional points involved. cxcopt tho PhIa
delphia paper from which we extract what follows
On side. they blaze out in gratutnus defence Of
the conduct Of the chef Justica--on ne other we hay.
the usual ins"nsate slang about State Rirhts-verv
good when appropriate, but which is repeated n, die
in diem until there is danger that even lust rcpnrd
fhr he rights oftha States will he merged in tho
horror and tcdnm inspired by the r1appe chat,erino
and iniermnnble proixity, of those who assume IN
be their exclusive advocates
SIN tho first place. it is altogether mistake TO bs
lrvo that the Chief Justice of the United St.tcs has
isyu"d ''mnndnte Injunction 10 the overro- r
Georsia, forbddng him to execute Tho Indictment ,r
the Cont of Georgia uDon tho person of the dcfonJ
convicted Of murder in the Court of Gnoroio and
sentenced tn bo hanged for the offence. I'll" Chi ri
Jus,Ice has neither forbidden nor hidden the Govnrror
Of Georgia to do not tn do any thinp The lefnn
dant in the prosecution ALLUDED TO- asked "a he had
right IN do for writ Of error from he Surname
Cnnr Of he United S'a 10 examine nd revise tho
Judgment rerdcred against him IN tho Court nr Geor
gin showing such ground wns necessary IN cnitle
him 10 THE writ. The Chief Justice 'nIiotcelir tn
writ. 81 he would have done in anv other case On
the allowance and issuing of such writ citation
rnthor notice, is given N the adverse ,,nriy ado
Dishng him appear aud shew cause if anv no ba-
Whv the jDdEme,d IN question Jomd mi be coyyeced
and Justice he done bSfuesn tie Dnrties This is Tho
form and substance Of every such ctaiion and no in
this case tho adverse party, the paTiV in whose
favor the Judgment given, was m" Snto of Cnnr
gia tho citation served on The Governor a. tho
Executive representative of tho State but IL was d,-
Tected to the State NJ Georgia who the p!an'iT
in the cause IN her own Court and the defendant M
il stood in The Supr"nr Court This. then 10 oil TINT
the Chief Justice has done He has not ordered the
Governor of Genrpi1 IN stny The execution Of the s
tence. commanded him aopcar tho bar Of 'hc
STnreme Cont undnr anv pcnnlv Of contempt or ~
thcrwisc. Er hns given him ncticc ofthe proceeding
that he may appear 10 sh-w cause or not. as Le
pleases if he Dies not. tho will bc examined
other case, on exparlc hearing and "Iusicn
done between the parties "
Nor tho legal operation effect of the writ Of
10 forbid stay tho execution of tho sentence
II IL well known To DO mn supersedcas IN y criminal
cas- indeed i'm n civil rnee tycopt t,r,ior ~.