Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-31
VIRGINIA. LEGISLATURE.
DEFERRED DEB.lTE.-lCoSrlSvEp.]
Wcanesiay, December IL. VIVA,
~ AID ,yII NpR,S RESOLCTIG.

DEFERRED DEBlTE.-[CoSrISvEpJ
Weanessiay, December l6
DEBATE on MIR. GII.MERS RESoLtTlcH'
MIR. Gl1MzR offered the following resolution, WHICH
was. on motion of MT. Wiley laid on the table, J.,
.ResolrcG That the Governor OF TINS oihmohwealth
no rsoues.rd TO onen correspondence %:tf tie EHceu
tive Authorities Of those States, within wose urisaC
tions certain sccndary associations have oeen lo!meu
for the purpose of aboshng slavery IN inc Dst,ie
far as practicable, the disposition OF those otates 10 pro-
vide by adequate legal cnactmcns tor lie suppression OF
5uc, associations and for arreSting inc cSuIauoh u
,her DANGEROUS pubicationsAlso, with the Executives
of other States if he should deem it necessary, m order
to ascertain the which have been tEen or may
be contemplated to ccvnerSct the iatal ehac"0cS VI
these associations. ..;., -
Mr. GI1MEn shortly after moved to take up The rcso-
lution He said that he had not thought It necessary 70
onpose the motion lay it the table, showing Thai
It could at any time be called up nuI nc te osot;o
SOME misconception as to the nature OF the Fesouo
and he therefore asked that 1t might now DC takeh'cP
He believed it related to subject on %hch ali were
united end on which all would agree, at least III de-
sire 10 promote the public good. 1t was '=- The
committees p.poinnG this subject could not proceed
a;ii the necessary information should have heen oo
iained What objection was there, then, 10 aulhorLinS
the Executive open correspondence with the Exc
cutves of other States for the purpose Of obtaining inc
information which the committee and tie ionSe Ic9u
red There was reason WY Such corrcsPotcchce
IF il we're 10 take place at should take place at as ear
~ nerol as possibe-It was that Of the cglsla
lures of the Northern States now in session and
others soon would be. The benefits of that correspond
ence woald be greatly enhanced, if it took place while
the Legislatures were in session; rad there were
strong reasons for believing that the Proposed cores
pondence would elicit information of great Importance
and which would lie essential to the proceedings OF the
House on the general subject. They were adnonshed
to act promptly and no means ought to be overlooked
for obtaining such information as would enable them to
act wisely. While on this subject: lie would say, that
they ought 20 &c. anon il :-,,GaonslY AID with good
lie .ngs-and dispel, if possible, the gloom which
hangs over the country Let us act as body, and not
as party. In obtaining the information which this re-
solution contemplated promptess seemed necessary,
days delay mig hit make essential difference. If he
could for delay he would not press 1t; but
he hoped the resolution woudbe adopted and asked the
ayes and noes on the question OF taking it'up.
MIR. WIESSS Of H., would suggest to the gentleman
from Abemarc. perhaps had escaped him. that the
committee had already agreed to have the messages OF
each of tie Governors of the Northern States printed
He supposed thut all the information which the gentle
man desired would be obta ncd from tlose annra mes
sages, without the trouble Of i correspondence.
Mr. GiI.MER said he a-iEcmhcr Of the committee,
and was aware CT the to which the gentleman
from Doteourt alluded: But the information he desired
to obtain would not be found the messages OF the 60
He would suppose, for instance that The 10
vernon of New York, Connecticut, should give an as
surance TO our Governor that the Legislature Of their
State would pass sufficient laws for tie suppression Of
Abolition Societies and their rcehd airy publications.
would it not have important operation the action
of the LegS!atnsc:
Mir BookER said he wished the resni's ao. 70 IL" me
t,u,. mad deeper aOhorTencc uI LIE
who were endravorlng to rob us o. OUT property,
and no man was disposed to prevent inns SUBJECT
from assusng party character Tie thought tlS rcso
linton was out of the ordinary aud he WISHED 10
pause upon it, committee had been yapPciateej u'e
Govcrnurs message lad been referred to 1t; AMI the
whole subject was thus placed in fair train he 60
vernon who it seems, has been very active IN hls re-
searches has collrctcdtngcther large body OF iHo1na
.op which the co..lInlicc has been authorised to cX
anime There may he information in the Executive De-
oar,mcnt which may SHOW that IS needless to make
any further effort. lie wished to have access TO hcsc
documents first They had been called Tor, anu would
doubtless be Obtained as other business would
permit Why, then, when every thing was IN success
u progress was the ousc ca!!cd upon for this hasy
action, upon novel proposition; We are exhor'cd TO
be united | mean to regard the cxhortaton value
our Union highly to do any thing willingly to endan
ger it, wish this subject coolly acted on; and ask
DELAY of this resolution long enough to enable me TO OK
anime its Dealings and effects. Tic thought he was
not unreasonable in asking this delay considering the
circumstances under which the proposition came before
the House When the Committee has called Tor papers
collected BY the Governor aud before those papers have
been examined acted on, asked to embark the
Governor in n correspondence ASCERTAIN the DISPOSE
tons ufthc Northern Legislatures on the subject This
certainly seemed to Mr. b. extraordinary movement
and therefore, he wished to reflect upon It, MI g. ne
yer coatd consent that Northern. even Southern Ia
natics lor it not long since we had too many South
ern fanatics among us should invade the property OF
our ctzeas But gentlemen invoke TO be cool.
(sad Mr. g. ask them to be cool-and whenever see
a disposition evinccd 10 make this party question,
sh II be opposcd it, believe that those who blow the
loudeSl those who most disposed to connect
this subject with party camor belevc that much OF The
noise which had been heard had such origin and that
the oucry has been mach greater than the real danger
What proof have we IS yet that have been injured
what effect have the efforts of enemies had OH that
description property which is aimed at: Has 1t dinlin
ished in price: 1t is well known it has not MIR. B.
wished that they should ascertain by thorough cxam
nation, whether endangered, and to what
tent-and if necessary take active and efficient
for wardng oil the danger. lie hoped he should be al
lowed one night for the examination of this resolution
and fhe though it necessary be would then vote for it,
Mr. FoxrAINE said that when the resolution was first
introduced, and the motion carried 10 lay ii the table,
he had hoped that from courtesy II would be allow
ed 10 lie there until it could be examined. But when
he was told BY the gentleman from Buckingham, that
documents now in the Executive Department had been
called for by the committee and had not yet been ex-
amned he thought it acting precIptately 10 autorisc
the opening Of correspondence, without knowing what
information we had already Let first what the
tiover. has collected. We may find that all we want
is there Let US act coolly. No man @c
other States ought to prevent their citizens from inter-
fering with slaves But let not, by preclptancy,
excite state of things which all should dread.
wish that we should do nothing to endanger the Union
We ought upon this subject in the most guarded
manner and do nothing that should render accounta
bic 70. such catastrophe. In voting against taking up
this resolution he should do because he desired tina,
il might lie on the table, and be acted with due deli
beration
Mr. WATKINS hoped the resolution would not be taken
No. but that it would be permitted to lie the table
Re thought the whole correspondence proposed would
he futile He should like to know, if the Governor Of
New York should write to Governor and ask him
what we intended to do, what answer he could gIve-
And what answer could the Governor Of New York give
70 such an inquiry from the Governor Of Virginia? is
&C., be nS