Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-01-31
Richmond, Saturday, Jan. 81.
TIE FIETM AcT or THE DRAM

ELECTION OF SENATOR
The die is cast-and Mr. BENJAMIN. w J.eiuh 10 70
elected Senator of the H. S. by the mcaprc majority of
t'eo, out of the total members of the Legislature lie
has beat hr Rves four But, il two of these
votes had been given to Mr. r. there would have been
u tie. and election,
The II. of Delegates consists of 1871 members and the
Senate of 32nalng, in ALL LOO Half of THESE - ~,
a bare majority, is, Of course, 81 Every member of
both Branches in his scat at this election MIR
Leigh received in the IL. Of d., 73and Mr.. r.. CT; and
IN the Senate, IL to Mr.. L., aud 90 TO MI r. Mr. LIS
whole vote was 50, and Mr. RS 81.
such IS the brilliant victory which the Opposition have
obtained! In February last, MIR. Leigh beat Mr. Bar
bour 10 yoesthe former receiving ST. aud the latter a.
and scattering votes Mr. L. had tke7, n majority OF
t'rctce OF all the votes that given ia-and no.c he
mas bare majority Mr. Rvcs, of four only If This
be any evidence of the proposition stated on Thursday
by the Senator from Albemarle. that the Whir cans,
nad gained and was gaining in Virginia, he is welcome
TO al The benefits OF the argument But, moreover it
well known that the last Spring Election was held under
the most discouraging circumstanccs-undcr Fictitious
dtScSS, which was the occasion of the exrayaoant
panic The voters told, that the State Banks would
be compelled TO stop specie payments that the wheat
ana tobacco OF their farms would be sacrificed at the low
est prices The effect in the results of the cleo
ton Many of the friends of the Administration were do.
icaed and though we gained strength compared
witfthc state of the last Legislature yet we did hot rain
enough to give us the majority. But in the course of
the year. the eyes of the People became more and more
opened; The panic was disspacd; and c.action com
nenced Then 1T was, that the People conimenc cd the
task OF instructng their members and if those instruc.
ions had been fairly obeycd, the election of Senator
would have certainly resulted in favor of Mr. Pivcs =
Where IN all this has been the gain of the Wing party
what cU be its gain, when at the next April election
we shall turn the tables upon them when no panic will
assist hen and when they will be compelled to answer Ia
their constituents for this attempt to force Mr. ciyh
upon them contrary to their wishes and contrary to their
Instructions
Really this is a mighty triumph which the Wlgs have
obtained They nave carried their Senator by the ncagrc
majority OF teo votes out of the aggregate number of the
Legislature. What falling off is this One of their
organs proclaimed at the commencement of the session
That they had proud majority of II least But in
tins election, it is frittcred down only over Mr.
m tho HAZE ,.,D
Mr. H. could not have been elected Mt all
=, nc question which now arises all hands is Uil
uccept e@ ne Gcetm under such embarrassing
circumstances He has been the avowcd champion of
Tue great right OF instruction lie the author of the
report OF leiE In the very face of that Report can
nc accept OF the seat, which is thus conferred upon
MN lie knows, that if but two of the instructed
men mad obcycd their instructions, there would have
been tic, and he could not have boon elected =
Does he not then the predcament in which he sands
Can he entertain moments doubt that the will of the
ieople has been condemned! The Vest of the Noun
tins alone would have been sufficient TO reverse the
decision. For example Does any man doubt that Mr.
Jones OF Pcndleon has grossly disobeycd lis consttu
enis lie has received letters of instruction. signed by
oOo oil ms constituents, out of pcrha1 a little more than
oOO Mr. Senator McComas has received some instruc-
TONS from his People; but docs any man pretend 10
doubt that he has gone haprantfy a,nst their
knowedgcd will Or that if every man IN his District
had instructed him to vote against Mr. Leigh he would
have oseyed them ?-The Wigs con;endcd last Sprin<T
that thouglfAlr Stevenson not formally instructed
IN this District, he ought to consider hms,
and that he ought either to obey or resign MIR Ste
yenson resigned-bu NrNIcGomas neither resigns nor
ooeys. Whntii IT his Wing friends think ofhtmss Or
can any one dot .exst about Mcssrs. Goa.ari 4snan
fnisrc esencd the wishes of their constituents
not TO sp"k OF hessrs Alayse of Bath and Lawson OF
When look farther into the estimates who isot as
.1nl5sa ~ TIE rssg Yeh they eshbt In Amelia,
co, King William, Fairfax Frederick Nelson Ytoygay
cendeton; Petersburg, Prince Edward, Rockbfge and
Surry, hteen counties and borough 79l votes
were given AT the last Spring election Thes hac sent
instruction papers signed by 64G6-and only GO these
signatures have been disputed. Who can bcliSe but
tat several of these Delegates have dsobeycd tlr
stituents, Notwithstanding every device which h., bcen
employed to swell the lists of voters TO ccIt an ~, an
sent as on the side of the Delenate to va,c tbro,es
OF The signcrs, and 10 prevail upon Others IN
telr names! Three Senators have yielded their rsc,
10 Tie instructions of their districts Mr. Atkinson vii,
resigned, and Messrs. Keller and Slaughter-and t,v,
Delegates IN the lower House, viz: NIcssrs Barton an,
Smith OF f. But the other 10 Delegates have stood on
gse is sails OF the lnstructionsts and of then
WIN nave TO settle fearful account with their eonsttu
ents, when they go back them They would not civ,
inc peneht of any doubts which must have been enter
famed IN several cases, TO the people themselves They
would not resign their Offices and take another anneo r.
their wishes They would not even vote for a PROPOSE
u9n winch was rendered to them in both Houses to put
OH the election till the session and 20 re- fer tc oey
uon once more 10 the polls Ftysix friends of The d.
minstr9on supported it in the House and it was there
Secaeu. Seventeen to fifteen, in the Senate, rendered
e same issue to the House, but it again rejected
ana tie Senate who had passed the resolution pon the
ground mat the popular branch would acccdc to il
ey would themselves recede conten ted themselves ,
declaring their sentiments upon the prouricty of
postponcment and then threw the resnonsb;It - a.
election upon the House. The Wings have rushed ON In
ther mad career, and now claim a triumph by so inca.
gre aalory and in defiance of such fearful objections
IL cannot come to good :"
What we say is that if the Peoplc do NOT hold ,bc,,
70 strict responsibility for this act one of the great
pillars OF our free Institutions is prostracd Our iIbcr
ueS are gone, II some examples made of tlosc
VINO have wifully disobcyed their constituents
Onaer these circumstances cannot but believe thai
WI So gh will himself pause, and hesitate. before he
Claims his seat. He viii take his own Reoorf and Ia.
must ask HIMSELF whether he has been elected bv the
VIII OF the people, and whether his acceptance will NOT
Cast cloud OF doubt the principles which lac ,cc
so trumphantiy advocated
But, II he does not decline. and excuses himself bv
saying, "ow can be certain that was elected aoan 81
e instructions OF the People " it becomes necessary
m an tle nStuctng counties TO Immediately II,
ue business They should appoint Committees forth
wtn 70 ascertain the facts TO estimate the eGeetre yo-
crs OF the county sill the signatures and satisCv NJ
Legh whether the vote he has received was properly
given. 80 f''P''J
But, the People must do 1t IL trsc tbs, NJ
eig IS elected but he is not in Office till no has ac
cePtcd and even after he has accepted we cannot b,
That he w resign, finding that the People arc against
Nun Inc question, them should be made at the I,olis
III inc feopc tail to vote in those servants who have
Voted Tor Mr. Leigh, he must consider this rejection n
vIuaiy suPcrscdiDg tho act Of their representatives.
nose VINO are not 10 be instructed in their seat ,,e
DC instructed o" OF IT. The People will by the same
convince MI H. that he has been elected in defiance
OF their instructions
he Opposition may be assured, that they have raned
te or nothing, by their victory Their boastcd ma
Jor,y mas pcfn FILTERED down 10 out Of the whole ~
gsature (hey have carried their over the PROSTATE
rights OF Tie People We will say as was said in tic
aayso i fyrrhus that Sueh another victory will undo them
ms single victory is suicicnt-for il Is victory over
Of Inc frtfrft -. Al