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

repre- sentative to obey the instructions Of his con.
s,,tnen,s or resign the trust with which Mcy have
ciotned nim IN order that il may be transferred into the
hands o those who will csrry into execution the Wishes
and INST uctions of the Constituent body
o., D. hesoired, That the Governor of the Common
wealth. De requested 10 ransmttLc foregoing resolutions
20 each o: The Senators from Virginia, in The Congress
% e onlted Staes, with request that they lay the
After an ardent debate these resolutions were carried
IN oo'h branches Of the Legislature In their PROGRESS
80 oy our political opponents, with every
species oil warfare that could be evelled AGAINST them
IRON That OF grave Argument down to the lowest bilncs
gaze abuse, which the humbcs follower in their ranks
cou'u emp oy They were declared not only 10 be un-
necessary, but unconstitutional and revolutionary in
i enarae'er' Such, again sensible will be
approaching canvass. We have therefore. deemed !,
our uuy TO lay them at length before YOU that you may
see ana Judge ~ yourselves On part we believed
mem demanded by an indignant people, as just rebukc
20 Those who in our own State, had openly violated the
popular WI, by imposing upon Senator in the Con.
gross OF the United States against the cxoresse will of
the people We believed them called for too as the best
means oil vindicating the violated Constitution of the
country ana aihxing an indeble mark of reprobation
upon tne unjust and unconstitutional resolution he
fore referred 10. We believed them called for also.
as an act OF justice TO venerable Chief Magistrate
neither we have misiudged upon this subject or
determine. Whether they are in violation of The Fe
c constitution or not, we feel that we might
ieier tnat question also to your unbiased Judgment
uhaided by any argument of ours i'm this address -
pu. IL may not be amiss TO take very short view
OF 'hls objection Ii is alleged, that The Constitu-
ton of the United States requires that each House
sum Keep journal OF its proceedings and from time to
u,,e PUBLISH the same To plain mind the question
arises, what was the political object of the Con
su,uton IN requiring that Congress should keep Jour
nan IL Is obvious that this clause of the Constitution
i'sei gives the answer IL was, that the same should be
published from time TO time for the information of The
people, to enable them approve or condemn
Is OF tnrir public servants When Congress there
ore mas kept and published To the world Journal the
Poc" end and object ofthis provision of the Constitution
is complied with The keeping of the original manuscript
cory could OF itself add but little the information of the
public without the publications and were it, after lis pub
hcaion even destroyed by accident rr otherwise In,
public would be in the possession of numerous COMES
ana TIE great political object of the Constitution would
nave been attained. The word keep" as here used
can mean nothing more than to mike Journal and is
nseu IN INC same same sense, when in common
cum. Nobody would suppose that these terms meant
@ we were 10 preserve through all time the accounts
or tne memorandum, but only until the object of keep
ing them was fully accomplished But Notwithstanding
Tue trends OF hs measure generally in his view
OF inc SUBJECT yet they thought il best frame the res
luton To expungc, oblitcrate The ORIGINAL re
solution on the journal but leave il sn legibe.
hence the resolution adopted BY the General Assn,L
Prescbes The mode in which the expunginp is 10 be per
iorfned and directs that black line should be dawn
around e resolution on the journal and tie words "Ex
plunged by order of the Senate of the United States
written across it, In this way an indelible mark Of
nations dsapprobation will be fixed upon this mcst oh
act without The violation of any private right,
VI ponuco principle Whatever But if opponents are
rgh, m their constitutional objections it il most re-
aikaoe act that The Legislatures of twelve States viz:
ma'ne, New Hampshire, Connecticut New York New
Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama Missouri illinois
ONO and Virginia, should all have fallen into the s,me
error Tor these States have all seyenlly adonird reso
ions instructng their Senators TO expunoe this ohnoy
- 'o .unn. ne state OF Pennsylvania being the
only one that has adopted the word rescind Sc
We cannot dismiss this subject withou, Ses,oxv;no
some iurher notice ON the Senate of the United States
mat hody elected for the period of years and has
All unes been regarded as the Arisincratic feature
IA our government IL is well known that the ccic
6rated Alexander Hamilton, and other hinh toned
reueas'S, copying too closely after the British Co
ycEnmeht proposed IN the Convention that framed the
Federal Constitution that the Senators should hold their
seats Tor HE This proposition was overlooked and
Tue term OF SIX years adopted in place And since
Tie Government has been in operation we hnyc
seen many instances of discomfort on the part of
the politicians of the country Mt the III
character OF mat body. Hence was that the Iepis
iature OF Virginia, in the year 1908 adop b
which IT was Resoiced, That the Senators in the Con
gress OF the United States be instructed and onr Re-
personalities requested TO obtain the following amend
ment To the Constitution of the United States 10 wit
& Tue senators IN The Congress of the United States
may % removed from Office by the vote Of majority of
te whole number Of the members of the respective STATE
hcgslutufes by winch Tie said Senators have been or
may De appointed Among those who voted for this
resolution, are the names of Governor 'raz.weu oy
Governor Barbour, Judges Tucker and Brockenbrongh
Sempie, Dade, Parker, EstiIl Summers Sc re- ~ -,
long as The Constitution remains unaltercd in this re-
sect the only control which be exercised over our
senators IN Nongrcss is through The sautary influence
of Instructions apd while would not uYon I,rJ,t or
ordinary occasions, resort TO the exercise of this right
yet there are certain great occasions in the history OF
our country, when omit its exercise would no Ia oop
don the right altogether.
The Federal Senate, for the last four OF five years is
known To nave been the very Of the opposition To The
Administrations and to have been chiefly guided in its
course by two dlstingusbcd individuals ho had becn
disappointed in their aspirations the Presidency Aud
~ TIE late panic IT did scrupe To place scf in
close alliance with the Bank of the United States TO in
ct te heaviest distress the country for the double
purpose OF forcing renewal of the bank charter and of
breaking down the venerable patriot the head of the
government Nor is this all Awaiting itself of its con-
shtutonal power the nominations of the President
has IN The most wanion and vindctive manner rejected
inc nominations TO Office Of of the most distin-
guIshed citizens OF the country.
Bot the opposition 20 the cxpuneing resolutions of the
General Assembly not confined TO the W hg partv
IN The Legislature only. One Of the resolutions con.
tanned request 4" that the Governor Of the Common.
wealth be requested 10 transmit the FOREGOING resolutions
OF the United States, with request that they Law the
same before the Senate" This solemn request Of tho
General Assembly, declared in the form Of Joint eso
luton OF both houses il has pleased the Governor of
this commonwealth to refuse TO obey. This dsobedi-
ence on the part OF the Governor IL il had been made
known m The form OF a simple refusal 20 obey would
nave entitled BIN at least 90 claims c0ndor tho
II might not for discretion. But, uvaling himself OF
miserable sops, he has sought excuse this cxtraor
binary conduct his part, by alleging that according
TO transmit but 10 request the Senators TO Law The rsoIu
tons before the Senate And this he says he could not
do without mourning guilt, he believed the reso.
luton to be unconstitutional. How far in competent
for the Chief Magistrate Of the State TO refuse 10 exc.
cute the laws or the joint resolutions Of General
Assembly (Which we regard the thing because
he may happen To ihink them unconstitutional we fYr-
bear at THIS uino 70 express opinion, but must
surely occur matter Of surprise all that the simple
ministerial act Of transmitting these resolutions 10 our
could have been construed to involve him i'm the guilt Of
violating the Constitution, even VI the resolutions lad
been unconstitutional The act Transmitting them il
seems e would not have objected 10, bot objected TO the