Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-03-05
MIR. PATRONS SPEECH.

MIR. PATRONS SPEECH.
In the House of Representatives, on Monday,
Mr. GORDON presented the resolutions Of the
Legislature of Virginia, requesting the Repre-
sentatives, and instructng the Senators, from
that State, to exert their efforts to procure the
restoration Of the deposites &C.
MIR. PATTON rose and called for the reading
of the following letter, which was sent by the
Governor ofVirgnia with the resolutions, to the
Representatives in Congress from Virginia:
VIRGINIA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
February Is, 1884.
SIR: In compliance with the request Of the
General Assembly of the Commonwealth, it
accompanying resolutions adopted by that bo-
dy disapproving of the recent act of the Pres-
dent in wthdra wing and Withholding the pub
lie deposites from the bank where they had been
placed by law.
This dangerous and alarming assumption of
power has already inflicted deep and lasting in
Jury upon the citizens of this Commonwealth,
which your efforts and exertons in the Con-
gress of the United States, it is hoped will aid in
alternating, as far as practicable, and restrain
ing the disposition which the President has ma
infested to extend his official authority beyond
its just and proper limits, which he has so clear
ly manifested in his recent interference with the
Treasury Department Of the Federal Govern
ment
am sir with respectful consideration, your
obedient servant JOHN FLOYD.
MIR. P. rose to perform the unpleasant and I'M
gracious task of showing that the Governor of
Virginia in thus sending his missive to the Re-
representatives. Of that State in Congress, had ma
infested a disposition to extend his authority be-
yond its proper and defined limits. And he de-
sired to know by what right the Executive was
authorized to do more than to transmit the reso-
lutons? But when he did thus denounce the
acts of the President in Withdrawing the depo-
sites, as a dangerous and alarming assumption
of power, which he felt pleasure in doing, he
ought to have given a better and more accurate
description than he had chosen to do, of the
state of public opinion, and have added, that
Virginia had not deserted the opinions which
she had always entertained in opposition to the
Pank-that Virginia still held to the opinions
which she promulgated in 1898. and which she
reiterated in 1911, that the power to establish
such an institution by Congress was dangerous
violation of the Constitution, and a dangerous
encroachment upon the sovereignty of each Of
the United States. The Governor had been
pleased Also to express his hopes that the efforts
of the Representatives Of Virginia here would
be used in restraining the disposition manifested
by the President, in extending his authority.
But, whilst he would acknowledge with graft
tude any opinions with which he might be ia
vored, to instruct him as to the path he should
pursue, and give such instruction the consdera-
ton it would merit, he could not recognise
the Governors right to do so, under the Off
cial garb of his authority, addressed by let
tiers missive, more in the style Of great poten-
tate, to an ambassador selected by him to do his
bidding, than in any thing else. No person had
more loudly joined in the universal burst of in
dignaton with which the Presidents proclama-
tons had been received in Virginia, than the
present Governor ofVrginia. And he had upon
all occasions joined in denouncing the President
for having assumed what he considered to be
an authority which did not belong to him; and
should, or ought, the representatives, the free
representatives of Virginia, submit with COM
placence to him, in what was as great an as
sumption, and look on, or listen with compla-
cence to the anathemas he dealt forth at his
pleasure against the President? He felt that it
became them to treat the Executive authority,
at all times with becoming respect; and when
the Governor proceeded in this style, he was re-
minded of the anecdote told ofthe honest Dutch
man, Henry Snyder, who, passing judgment up
on himself, was forced to acknowledge that in
taking too much toll-but which he gave to the
poor" he might go along vid the sheep. but it
was TANNED tight squeeze" There was but
Governor and that by the President. He would
regret his missive, the Presidents proclamation
and the manifesto read by the President TO his
Cabinet as of one and the same class, par no.
bile fratrun, and all as being eff1orescense from
the soil of Executive pruriency. In noticing
the resolutions Of the Legislature, he would do
so with all the respect to which they were emit
tied. His own opinions the subject matter
were well known to be at variance with them
he had given the subject every consideration.
and he saw no reason to change the opinion he
had entertained. Although he might best con-
suit his own interest by doing SO, and joining in
the cry that was endeavored to be raised of ty-
ranny and despotism, he would not until he was
directed to do so by that authority which only
ne could recognise-that of the people whom
ne represented. He would not float into the
stream, which must finally lead to the gulf of
despotlc consolidation, into which the country
was rapidly falling. He remembered WE'LL and
the time was not long gone by, when Virginia
stood alone in resisting the encroachments of