Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-19

C mr free institutions and that is the duty Of the
representative to obey the Instructions % ,'s WI
sli,uens, or resign the trust with wihcH eHey "a
clothed him. in order that il may be transferred 'h'o m
hands of those who will carry into execution t'e "'S"e
and instructions of the constituent BODY: ,
| "3. Rrsoired. That the Governor OF Tie common
wealth be requested 10 transmit the foregoing RESOLUTIONS
to each Of the Senators from Virginia, VII me congress
of the United States with request that tsey lay the
same before the Senate ,
After an ardent debate these resolutions were carried
in both branches of the Legislature. IN tn'N Ptosrss,
they were assard by our political opponents, with every
specirs of warfare that could be kVeled against leh
from that Of grave argument down to the igwesi o''s
gate abuse, which the lumblest follower IN their ranks
could employ. They were declared not only 10 DC u,
necessary but unconstitutional and revolutionary IN
their character Sucl again, we are sensible, VIII oe
tho in which they will be spoken of TO you IN me
approaching canvass. We have. therefore, deemed II
our duty lay them al length before you, that you may
see aud Judge for yourselves On part, we believed
them demanded by ind gnant people, as Just rrDnhe
to those who, in State, had openly violated Inc
popular WILL by imposing upon MS Senator IN tie Soh
ui the tniird States. against the expressed VII! Oh
the people We believed them called for too Al the best
| means Of vindcating the violated Constitution OF Inc
country, ana aixing an inteffe mark or reProDaIi"h
upon The un just and unconstitutional resolution ne
! fore referred TO- We believed them called tor also
as an act of Justice venerable Chief Magistrate
" neither have mis- ludgnd upon tins SUBJECT, OF
only carried into execution your Will. we leave you 10
determine. Whether they are IN violation CT the re-
drral Constitution moi, we feel that We might
refer that question also 10 your unbiased Judgment,
unaidrd by any argument OF Ours in tbs aduTess-
But 1t may not be amiSs 10 take very short we"
Of this "tjrcIion 1t is alirg"d, that the Conslu'
ton "f the United States requires That each House
snail keep ,nrna! of lis proceedings, and from time to
li:lc publish the samr In plain mind the question
naturally arises, what the IIc6i NJ IRE "i lie Con
su"n III requiring that ongTrSS should Keep JOUR-
na ii is Obvious, that this clause of til" Constitution
itself vcs the 1T that tie same: should he
rubiislYd from time Time. for the information OF The
American pOp., IT, enable them 10 approve or condemn
Tie acts Of their public servants. When Congress, there
Fore has kept and published To thu world lis 'ui, The
pOiir0! md ana OCci Of this provision OF the Constitution
complied with The keeping Of the original mGRaStrtW
cnpy could Of iis, add but little 10 TIM information OF the
public wlthuu; the ub!icatIon and were IT, alter It's pun
icatiun DESTROYED by accident or otherwise: The
public would be in :. possession IT numerous cop"S.
and the great political o!rct Of the Constitution would
have been attained. Tie word keep, as here used
nothing than 10 ianEc journal, and Is
used in the sense, when we say IN common
language 10 keep accounts. or to krcpa mcinoran'
dum Nobody would suppose that these terms meant
that 10 preserve through al time Use accounts
or he icmuranuum, but o:ly until the ",icrt o Keep
inu them was fully accomplished But notwithstanding
the friends OF Tins general concur in :hIs view
Of the subject yet they thought best t" frame Tue resp
uton to rXpumr. not {" obcrntc HE ori9iha re-
solution !ir journal. but to leave IT. sun H9ior'
hence the resolution adopted By the Genera Assembly.
p!cscr h,s The mode in wic tn" cXpunging is to be per
,;rnrG and directs that black line should be drawn
around the resolution the journal and ilr words, En-
! uuur.d by order ui the Senate of the United Sales
written across it, In this way iud"l.be mark OF
ton sapprubGUn will be fixed upon this most o.
noxinus act, without the violation OF any private r@h
political prnc pie whatever. But ouropponcnts are
rrilt in their constitutional objections, II Is most re-
liaabr FACT that The Legislatures Of twelve States, VIZ
ila;uc New l.ampsh;rr, Connecticut, New York. New
Jersey. North carVlina, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois,
Chic a nd |rginia should all have fallen into tic same
error. u these States have all sevcray adopted rcso!u.
lions insructing their Senators TO cXpungc Inns obn"X'
p,s resolution. The State Of Pennsylvania being the
only that has aLr"!~I thc word rcscind, &c.
! We cannot dismiss this subject without bcstowing
some further notice the Senate of The United States.
That body is elected for the period OF SIX years, and has
all times been regarded as the most AristcraiIc feature
| in our Government. 1t is well known, that tho ceIe
| bracd Alexander Hamilton, and other high toned
F.deras;s, copying too closely after the British CO.
vrrnnical proposed in the Convention that framed the
Federal Constitutions that the Senators should hold their
for life: This proposition was overlooked and
the term of six years adopted in its place And since
| the Government has been in operation we have
| seen many instances Of discomfort on the part ct
the politicians of the country at the Irresponsible
character Of that Lody Hence it was, That the Legs.
laure of Yiruina the wear 1905 adopted reso!utoney
which it was Hc$olrcd, That the Senators in The Con-
gross Of the United States be instructed and our lie
representatives. requested 10 obtain the following ainrlh
mcnt to the Constitution Of the United States, to wit
that the Senators in the Congress Of the United States
may be- removed from Office Gy The vote OF MaJ'rlty OF
the whole number IF the members of the re- prcl'vr State
Legislatures by which The said Senators have been or
mav be apppoinlcd." Among those who voted Tor this
resolution, are tie names Of Governor I"zrwcli, en-
Governor Barbour Judges Tucker und Brockrnhr"ogh
Scmplc Dadr, Parker, Es,ill, Summers, &c ljut rs
long the Constitution remains unallrrrd III ms re-
spcct the ONLY control which be exercised over our
Senators in Congress is hroug the saiutary influence
| uf instructions: and while we would not upon IISnt VI
ordinary OCCASIONS resort 20 the exercise &" THIS IiYh
set there certain great occasions III me history 4"
our country when to omit its exercise would be to aban
| don the right altogether.
The Federal Senate, for the last four or live years, Is
known to been the very seat OF the opposition 10 TIC
Administration, and to have been chiefly guided IN ITS
course by two distinguished individuals, who had been
disappointed in their aspirations TO the Presidency AnG
in the late '!panc it did not scrupe to place l's' III
close alliance with the Bank Of the United States To H.
ct the heaviest distress The country, for the double
purpose OF forcing renewal Of the bank charter, ard OF
brrakiur down the venerable patriot ut the head oi Inc
Government. Nor is this all: Awaiting Itself OF ITS cen
sill uona power the nominations o TIC lrcsiucit,
il has in tile wanlOn and vlndctIvc manner Tcctco
the nominations to Office OF some OF the most disl'-
cuishcd citizens OF the country. -
But the Uvposlor to the cxpungng resolutions OF The
| General Assembly not confined to the ing parry
| in the Legislature only. One of the resolutions con-
taincd request that the Governor OF the Common
wealth be requested to transmit the foregoing resolutions
to each of the Senators from Virginia IN the congress
Of! the United States, with request t.at ,ty ray ,he
same before the Senate" This solemn request oil lie
General Assembly declared in the form {" JOINT rso.
luton Of both houses, il has pleased Inc governor OF
this Conmonw callh TO refuse to obey ms uso"u''
rnce on the part of the Governor, it had been made
known in the form of simple refusal to obey wouiu
have entitled him least to some claims 10 candrr, ''
it might not for discretion. But aValih@ h's'i. Oh
miserable soph!sm he has sought rxcus" ;his c1lraor-
dnary con.uc, on his part, by alleging i!at according
TO The terms of the rrsoulinn he WAS not only required
TO trnnsn bu, request the Senators TO lay the S"iu-
lions before the Senate. And this he says nc could not
do without ncurring guilt, he be"rrd the resp
luton to be unconstitutional. How far ii is competent
for the Chief Magistrate of the State to refuse 10 exc.
cute the laws, the joint resolutions OF the General
Assembly, (Which regard as the same thing because
he NAV happen think them unconstitutional, we tor