Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-01-15

bound TO tell you that the Clerk did tmy request cx-
PLAIN to the Committee the Reasons why could
tend them So that, in common Justice, il could be
inferred, from my absence that meant treat them
with neglect disrespect He bound TO inquire,
oy All means IN ms power and to hnoc the truth ofevcry
9ct he undertook to give TO the public and 10 state 1t
to precision and accuracy Had he done this he would
have learnt that neither the Clerk Commissioner of
the hovenue attended the Committee my agent--that
the presence Of the Clerk probably owing TO the cir
cunst1nce OF the Committee having held their
his oflcethl the Commissioner OF the Revenue attend
ell upon the suggestion of the Clerk made by him for
reason stated in his letter before these
" Upon being informed of the intended meeting com
mu;iicaied II 10 MIR James Foster, the commissioner
OF the revenue and requested that he would bring his
books, which had been taken from the Office as they
would probably be wanting - perfectly aware
that the statement made by Fair Play relative to This
meeting, IS obviously ridiculous and frivolous as n
ground for charging me with pursuing equivoca
ara shuiiing course, that some of you will probably
think ought not to have noticed it, have done So to
shew how careless and negligent he be- in his
ment of facts that you may be the better able TO deter
mine how lar iiis statements entitled to credit.
Fair Play, after stating, that had directed the
Clerk to send list of the nonresident landholdcrs
OF the county, says OF me: Being informed by the
mitec that there were some thirty not yet hand
" ed IN, ne that his ron-rcsidcnts in dam
ger OF being ou-numbered and accordingly, he draws
oil list OF all the 37 names from the original letters
which had been furnished him, aud foricdrdcd one
81 Mc old and hnotcing shcrtS, to II he couid mel
pick as some of the names srhick his co FIRST
agents. TIC Ctrk and The Commissioner, lad bcca laJie
" to detect This is not true. | have not forwarded
such list to any Sheriff for the purpose stated for
w.
his proper affixed that this true. If he should
say, what hardly think he will ves..ure to saw that he
shed 1T, the answer is obvious. No honorable Just
man. who properly estimates the value of character or
respects his own, viii say that any report Justify pub
fishing as true, any thing calculated designed in
Jure the character of another
"Fair Play charges with having .attempted to
drag into my estimate of the voters of Prince Edward
"lUO nonresident landhoders, who for the part
may be either dead, living in other States" and to
offset them against the eemen who live Sin the county
upon their own property do not claim the right to
count the nonresident landhoders (vhcn know them
to be non-resdents voters of the county except so
lar as they have actually signed the Letters of Insuc
uon IND surely, If they counted signers the
instructions they ought to be counted voters for
Is only by virtue of their right to vote that they have
the right to sign. When in November last requested
the Clerk to furnish me with list of the voters he
asked me, whether he should "cO,fnc his estimate
" to NE resident rioters Of Me county" l answered him
. strength Of The county" This is the statement of
his letter, now before had expectation that
the nonresident would be called TO sign the in
structons The letters OF instruction, fifty in number,
handed me about dark, the evening before left
home for the scat of Government and it
sary should set out the next morning, had little OPP
portunity of examining them. Finding, upon n very
slight examination, that there these papers the
names of several persons who did esde the coun
ty and having of ascertaining how many there
were my first Impression was that such persons were
counted on side, it fair them on the
other L accordingly wrote TO the Clerk, to send me-
with the list of resident voters which had then re-
ceved, list of nonresident voters stating to him. be-
eNe, impression reason Tor making this
quest. l had not, however, made up any determined
opinion ON the subject After l had received from the
Clerk the list of on-resident voters and it became
cessary that should seriously consider whether they
should be taken into the estimate of the number of
qualified voters of the county, / determined to count
only such non-resdcnts had actually signed the
instructions and this determination, expressed when
ever spoke of the subject. 1t was communicated TO
the member of the Committee of Correspondence who
handed me the Instructions and whose is first sub
scribed to the letter which accompanied tcm eari
NE lon 2f Decem0cr. ! cannot say that Fair Play
knew of this determination, the time Of forwarding
his address for publication, that address without
date think 1t probable he did not But if il should
hereafter appear that he did knOo early the
ing of the 10th of December and before he forwarded
his address for publication, that had determined to
count, voters only such nonresident landhodes
had actually signed the Letters of Instruction how will
he be able to answer for his attempt deceive YOU
and injurc me, by his statement this subject Ii
is possible that "Fair Play may have heard of my
writing TO the Clerk, to send the list of nom
resident landholders and from that circumstance infer
red, that intended ~ count Lem Ill voters
however, he is one of my constituents has heretofore
been on terms OF intimacy with me, and proicssed
igitt H'"''ngs towards me, it would have been
indeed IL were not his duty. to have