Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-12-23

therefore
to him this much, however d. know ,hat If tbs de-
nounced system, mode of instruction was borrowed
from New York, we indebted for the importation 10
the party with which the gentleman acts and who
now dsown their bantng. 1t is only necessary
t' refer 70 the history of this Commonwealth for the last
four or five years. prove this fact Thousands of the
very party with whom the ocncman ,o,r acfs (these
modest guardians of the Consultation aud the Lars in
the Norfolk, Albcmarie, Bedford and Pittsylvaia dis.
rcts rcsortcd to this very mode Of instruction. They
circulated great many letters of instructions (Which
frequently did notcven einanac from public ncctngD
procured AN immense number of signatures to them and
forwarded them to their Delegates in tie Convention
structng them to vote for mixed basis of representa-
on after that very subject had been fully discussed
the before the election And let me remind the
gentleman that with zeal and activity excr-
ciscd Then, this very denounced mode of aon
than did hundreds and perhaps thousands of the gentle
man own constituents and that portion of them too
which now act with him, and now denouncc the very
mode which they then exercised, WHY is tl;s sir is
not what was right in lc29, right in 1854 Dut sir, how
were those instructions then treated Did any one hear
the delegates OF the people, the public journals then
denouncing the mode which the people thought proper TO
select for the purpose ofnstruchng their public agents
Not an objection heard then sir and
It has been reserved for the purely dntocStcd pa
T,otic guardians of the Constitution and La,s the pre-
sent day TO object TO and denouncc this of nsuc-
tons The much lamencd patriotic, and clivalrous
Judge Taylor, instructed of his seat-and all the
rest who received written Instructions from majority Of
their constituents instructed in their scats-iut
sir, furnish still more recent Examples who WAS
IT. sir atresortcd this mode constructions in the midst
oi the storm and panic of the last winter spring The
very party SIR who have the denouncct
|
procured to the distress and panic memorials which were
sent from this State to Wasin gton CITY durnr the last
winter ana SPRING to con,roul the votes of Repre-
sentatives IN Congress? BY circulating them most in
austrously among the people, and perhaps Gas it is fair
to suppose that the gentlemen Judge others by them
sevcs) by taking the people behind and bu shea
and isrepescnng TO them the letter of instructions
we have an example, sir exactly in point in this potri-
otto Uhig CITY During The last Winier while, tbr / -
gisature was in session. letter of instructions was got
ten up by the gcat Simon Puros without any public
meeting public discussion, and circulated among the
lalr I,,st..
me- and I'M few hours without giving the people time
TO reflect understand the subject the signatures of
majority OF them were procured to letter instucting
eir late very worthy representative 10 give particular
vote on subject then before the Legislature. What did
their Representative do sir Did he find fault with the
mooe oil Instructions and decline obedience them
No, sir, he obcyed them Can any candid man doubt
but That this very party who denouncing this
mode of Instructions were the first to resort To il i'm Ills
State, and is il the highest degree of assurance t,
alter having been defeated with their weapons and
IN their own mode of warfare, they should abuse
instructions objected because they have been Sc
crety procured SccrcG SIR. If this be true the late
pa ne must nave produced revolution in the meaning
Oh !ie pianest words IN our language, well i'll the
politics OF some gentlemen: Why, sir, suppose that
saw and read nearly every letter of instruction
long before to this city What sir is the his
tory OF these instructions They have generally emuna
ted from public meeting of the people where they
have been considered and adopted by the meeting and
then put in the hands of large committee of the most
respectable gentlemen Of the party wlo after having
circulated them freely for months among the people for
the purpose of procuring their signatures them have
again assembled in public meeting and in cases in
company with the Clerk Sheriff and Commissioners
OF the Revenue, have carefully examined the lists of SIR
natures to the letters of instructions and stricken from
lhein the names of all such they considered even
doubtful voters They have then ascertained the num-
Der OF qualified voters in the county, and thereby deter
mined whether majority of them had signed letters
OF Instructions; and having copy of the letter
OF instructions with all the signatures thereto made ont
they have presented it the Delegate and reserved
the original papers in the hands of the Chairman of
IA tbn al
may wish to see them. The proceedings of all these
public meetings have been uniformly published in
the newspapers which have the extensive circu
ia,on IN the counties where they took place, and in
some instances aidayits made by the persons who
oo'aneu inc signatures that no unfair means were used
IN obtaining them; which, together with the of
yet sir we told Gfs a eas DI IN rr And
was there ever such crontery such gross pcrverson
OF terms; will not say, sir that there has been no
nosc OF inns mode of procuring instructions; (for the
pest syseiS are liable to abuse, and il would be surprs
ing II TINS had not been abused) but will say sir that
mas peen on the present occasion little abused and
tho instructions have been procured with as much fr
moss, and really express the wishes and sentiments az 10
signers as perfectly any instructions ever did But
SIR ue gentleman from Prince Edward (Mr. Watkins !
has informed that he is opposed to this mode of IN;
sructons because it is against the spirit of the Consti
tuition and laws, they having thrown around the cleo
uVc franchise all the Safeguards of rira rOco votes to-
Ken by sworn officers, which the best instructions
To the representatives, of the will of their constituents;
ana should not be reversed except by instructions OF
cqua uighy Did not the gentleman that his arOu-
ments proved too much9 thought that the ecntlenan
was not only about to deny the right of instructions but
10 prove It's absnrdty and should still have been of that
opinion, II he had not afterwards expressly admitted
the right, and contencd himself with obiectino only to
the present mode and recommending public meef;ng a
preferable 90
1t is true, sir, that the right of instruction il M,
pressly recognized by Constitutions because sir il il
one OF those natural and inherent rights of which cc
men cannot diycst themselves by constitutional com
pacts IT is paramount to the Constitution and lies nj
the ioundaon OF al our political Institutions If YOU
destroy ~ you undermine and overthrow our beautiful
nf ihart,,
iore there rs no constitutional legal provision for Ink
ing the sense of the People subject of instructions
anu the sworn officers who required by law 70 sner
intend the exercise Of the elective franchise and
inc votes OF the People oird are not required To
these woes 6tcd eOce any other way on the subject
OF instructions, 1T is reasonable presume that they nc,
yer Will exercise this duty Hence agrecably 10 the first
Prived OF the power of giving instructions by mode
equai IN dignity to the mode of exercising the elective
franchise at the polls, would be wholly pre- ven led from
exercising the right of instruction altopccr But thc
gentleman himself afterwards comedies this right in the
most uhualhcd terms and prefers the system of public
meetings. have no objection to this mode and would
prefer II IT IT were practcabe for wish every thin TO
be done In the most public and open manners but sir
hold that no right of any value unless the exercise of
IL DC available; and have lived long enough 10 know
that 1t - wholly imprnccable procure
rom majority OF the voters in any county in this
way nave attended good many Of these public conn
/ ~ Iheeuhgs, ana have never, such IN occasion
known one third of the qualified voters of a county
10 DC taken believe, sir, that the only efficient
lode OF instruction by which the will of majority of
the qualied voters be asccrtancd and xprcscd ia
mat denounced mode which the people of this State
no" exercising, and the argument that is liable TO abuse
Il seems 10 me, IS entitled TO weight because it APP
Ian aasNL II