Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-04-01
VIRGINIA -LEGRsAATuRE.
DEFERRED DEBarE.lTCoSrlNurpl
HOUSE OF pELEGATEs-No,d, H.. o.


HOUSE OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. jan. o.
EXPUNGfNG RESOLUTIONS.
MIR. WILSON of Botetourt, said Consistency in poli.
tics, Mr.. Speaker, is considered a rare feature in the
characters of public men; and yet it seems TO be mocb
priced even by those who do not exhibit il i'm their oyyn
public conduct. Little as | look for the exhibition of
consistency IN Jealous partizans, anxious to carry some
object OF their own, or to defeat some measure proposed
by others, L confess | was surprised TO hear the gentle
man from Albemarle appeal to the journal of our pro.
ceeuihgs Two years ago, TO prove that those who now
advocate the resolutions under consideration. were in
that advocacy, guilty OF gross inconsistency. The ioun.
aauon'of my surprise being the declarations of the gen
tleman at the time alluded to, | trust in the course of
the brief defence which | deem it my duty to make of
my own course, | shall, without much dinicnltv he . ~
abled TO show that the charge of inconsistency lies n,
hs door, and not at mine. shall quote that gentIe.
mans own words, and if in doing so, Ito use an express
sion oil hisD " 4 should tread on his toes, " | hope he will
only " futter." Should ! show, as | think can. bv ono.
ther |" appeal to history that he has not read it fairly
aud fully, 4 ask him, as he asked myself and others on
Saturday, to comfort himself with the reflection lbat he
is only "wouHded by the truth
On the OCCASION TO which our attention has been call.
ca oack, the gentleman from Albemarle and myself were
both members of the Committee appointed on the sub.
Ject OF Federal Relations, of which MI. Barbour of chi.
pepper, was Chairman. The first subjects that occun;ad
THEN attention were the contracts Of the General Co.
vernment with the Virginia Banks, which, as stated nv,
the gentleman from Albemarle on Saturday, were re-
scinded before any action was had upon them. The
other branch OF the subject, Qhe conduct of the Presi.
den'O which l then thought, and now think. we had no.
thins To DO with, was subsequently taken up in the Com.
mlllee, and a preamble and resolutions were reported TO
the House. The gentlemaa from Albemarlc offered n
substitute TO The first resolution, and he anirms that Won
AIR. Speaker, and others now acting witt Won. inclnding
myself IN the number, concurred in the uensure Of Tie
PRESIDENT, by the votes which we gave upon the odon.
ton of his substitute. So far as this .dsrIara,;on ~
lates TO myself, / shall shew from the journal. that
voted for the genueman's substitute as a COMPETING nro.
positon, because i preferred it to the resolution propos.
Cd 10 be stricken out. Now, we all know, that There ia
nothing more common than for members TO vote for one
proposition in preference to another, and finally 10 voIe
against both. 1t would be impossible ever TO settle a
complex question:, were not such the practice. 1t has
always been considered n sound course TO choose he
tween two measures, although we consider bolb evil
when The question of preference between the two is pre.
scented land on this ground / gave nv vote in G,vor sc
the gentiemans substitute, both in the Committee and
the House: me ayes and noes were not taken on the
hnal question OF adopting the amendment rs amended
although l perceive that a division was called; and al.
though voted in the negative on that question. il does
nct, OF course, appear on the journal. But the two re-
solutions, when compared, will satisfactorily shew that
my object was tn mitigate the censure ia the vote which
l gave for the substitute.
MIR. WILSON here read the first resolution renorted hv
the committee, as follows:
"Resotced as tic sense Of this General .AssemJIy, That
the recent removal of the public monies of the ii Stetea
from the places where by law they were deposited, upon
the responsibility and by the order of the President of
the United States, as evidenced by a document read TO
ms cabinet on the 18th of September, 1888; by his subse.
quent dismIssion Of the late Secretary of the Treasure
tor the reasons assigned for said act, aud the appointment
., as successor, was an exercise OF power over the
Treasury OF the United States, not given to him by the
constitution and laws, and dangerous to the Liberties of
the people,"
Thisis the first resolution Of the coInmitee-tbe snr.
sutute ofered by Tue gentleman from a lbemarle " n 9
follows:
" Resoired, That the recent act ofthe President Of the
" states, exeTtng a control over the Federal revenue.
by causing the same to be removed, on his own resDon'
sibihty, from The u. States Bank, (shere il had been do.
posted under authority OF an act of Congress purporting
To charter SAID Bank0 IS, in the opinion of this Gener,
al Assembly, an unauthorized assumption and danoerons
exercise of Executive power"
Now, Mr.. Speaker, | ask attention 10 the difference
in the language of these two resolutions. The substitute
declares the conduct of the President San unauthorizcd
assumption and dangerous exercise of Executive pow.
err Savera non admit. 49, "a IL. -
original did, say that the removal Of the deposites was a
:" violation of the Constitution, and dangerous To- the
liberties OF the people. 1t seems to me that there can
De no difference OF opinion as to which of the two is
the most condemnatory of the President. 1 thouobi
then, nor IS my opinion changed now, that the su5sti.
tute essentially sOltened the expressioD of ,censure md
1 voted upon 1t, as i did upon many other emotions. undor
that impression The comparison of The resrintio,,
seems to me to afford sufficient evidence that / was d.
posed to choose that in which the censnre was the Iigbt.
est. But Il more proof is needed, / will produce il 1re.
senuy, ia the words of the gentleman from Abemarle
OBJECT to lessen the censurej and 1 voted against all on
the bnai questions put on them, with the exception of
the one introduced by the gentleman. from Spottsyiva-
no constitutional power TO charter a Bank Of tie United
States.
Mi. Speaker, you remember well The divisfon or 80,
ties here on that occasion. The House was divided rfnfo
three distinct secGons-tho Federal or National RennL,
lean party-the Republican pauy-and the Nuliifca-
ton party. IL was a triangular division, and the war.
l4[e was essentially a Triangular one, throughout the de-
c on the subject Of the deposites. The varVing na.
e Of the questions presented ~ the House. reocaic,dlv |
- nQed the array Of the parties.
s. whenever the question on the motion Of the member I
IN Spottsylvania vas presented, the Republican party
ed with The Nulliiers in its aVor-wbercas. when tEe |
Scmber from Berkeley (Mr. ColstonJ moved the iodeG.
hite posiponemeHt Of the whole subject, the RcDubficao
party and the Fcderahsts were found voting side BY side /
Tor that motion. Then came a motion To- re.coInnUt /
with the understood object Of Tcporiog a heavier cen.
upon The President, and Of getting rid Of the reso.
luton as to the constitutionality Of a Bank Of the f
states. The Republican party voted with the Nnll6ers
against this motion, upon the same principle on which /
had voted for the substitute Of iho gentlemen fror,
Albemare-thcy preferred the resolutions as they N4cn
stood before tue House, 20 the chance Of what uigbt
Tome from The Committee. IL was on my vote on fbis
question, to tc-commit, that The gentleman from Abe.
parle laid peculiaf stress, is his remarks on Saturday. /
u was on this vote Of mine, that he exclaimed with a.
one at triumph, " Is this the same member from Bofe.
curt n tell him II ~ The same member from Boto.
curt, who now advocates the removal Of an unjust cen.
ore Of the conduct Of the President and who then vot
d against re-comnitting, aud more, whose vote on fbat
notion. was shewn by The gentleman from Albemafe
imself to have been given for the purpose Of screen.
ng the President from unjust censuTe. The gentleman
7ll not, trust, deny ue evidence Of bis own recorded
Mr.. WILSON here read the following extract from the
ebatcs in the Enquirer Of January 20, 1871
GftSrN said There wasa party here who had