Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-04-15
AN EXpUNGER.
COMMUNICATED.
MEETING IN MlDDLEsEA.

MEETING IN MlDDLESEX.
At meeting of the people Of Middesex, a, Jamaica,
the Cd pr 1896, Major r. NJ. Segar called to
the Chair and VIM Broaddus appointed Secretary The
SirS, oS ,c nee,np plained Inv the Chair
man, motion of Col VIM She pherd that commit
tee be appointed to draft preamble and resolutions
pessve of the sense of the meeting the following gen.
tlemen were named by the Char, viz: Col Shepherd
VIM. Broaddus, Vim. Jessee, Ro. McKan, L. b. Monta-
que, John Street, T. q. Keeningham: and motion of
Col. Shepherd, the Chairman added After retiring
for short time the committee reported the following
preamble and yesontions which adopted each
niE:5uSiy:
We, citizens of Middlesex, this day assembled FOR tbs
purpose OF expressing opinions the of Ben
anin W. Leigh, Esq, of the of Vir-
ginia in the Senate OF the u States in refusing obey
the instructions of the Legislature the legal and auto
lised organ through which wishes and requirements
are TO be made known 10 those agcntsdo after giving
to the letter of the said b. w Leigh, the attentive
aud candid considerations most solemnly declare,
OPINION that the said Senator has aimed mortal stab at
one oil the most vital principles of Republican nst-
tutoDstha he has abandoned the great and fnndamen-
tai Right of Instruction. thereby placing the of
the people above their masters the people themselves
hat without this right our republican institutions would
soon dwndle into insigncancy and into despotsm
iise-that rs The people, becomes US to scrutlnze
well every Infringement of the principle and whenever
discover the slightest departure from it, for
ward and express opinions firmly and orcbly-that
by this course the said B. w Leigh has departed from
his principles clearly and lucdy xprcssed in the pre-
alne and resolutions OF which he was the author in 1872
and by which Mr. Brent and Mr. Giles driven into
rerementte forever, and the other until his
repentance for, and acknowledgment of his errorthat
either to obey The instructions or to resign his agency
TO do either of which, the said w. Leigh has unequi
yocaIly declared, she cannot ought not, and oW not -
Therefore,
J. Resofred, as our op nion That the Right of In
strucon the broad basis Of the nature of repre-
sentatIon, and of the vital principles
institutions and that it is the duty of the representa-
tive obey the instructions of his constituents resign
the trust with which they have clothed him. in order that
il may be transferred the hands of those who will car
r into effect the wishes and instructions Of the constlu
ent body
81 ~ w Ii Al.
right OF the people and for doing deserves their
nal exceratOn The sophslry by which this breach Of
duty has been defended leads consolidation, the foot
stool of despoiism.
g. Rtsolred That the apparent contempt of B W.
Leigh expressed in his letter for the Legislature, is
dramatically at with his chart of the du
ties of representative, drawn in 1872, and places
him in light ridiculous il is anti republican.
On motion Of Col Shepherd,
Resotccd That the proceedings of this meeting be
signed by the Chairman and copy thereof be forward
ed to she Editors of the Enquirer with the request
RICHARD M SEGAR, Chairman.
Wm BRoADDUs, Secretary
When the question about 10 be taken on the Sc
conn resolution, Mr. C. c. Griswod moved that the word
" eternal be stricken ouf which motion he supported
IA speech Of some length, declaring that the
as II stood called Tor the eternal punishment of Mr. Leigh
IN another world, which penalty he believed people
were neither ready willing TO inflicted on him.
This motion opposed by Mr.. Broaddus on the
grounds that the Specification of the word eternal" as
used IA s resolution, strictly POLITICAL simply
conveyed The idea, that Mr. Leigh, and all other such
PuCie servants as himself should be execraed politi
canS by the people, long our free and happy Go.
vernment continued TO exist The question being taken
on the motion 10 strike out, decided in the negative
the ayes being only three and the resolution
stands was adopted uRdaimouSiy
After the third resolution, MI f. T. Montague moved
TO insert the following {" ReSOired That John TYLER
by promptly resigning his in the Senate of the IT,
States, when he could obey the instructions of his
constituency without violation of The Constitutions
thereby munesting his DEVOTION well the Consti-
tuon TO the great Right of Instruction. demands tho
appreciation ofevery Patriot of Virginia"
laIu rpSp
the meetings who considered that Mr. Tyler had not been
called to volse the Constitutions declared in the
resoiuiion but 10 mend breach in that insiru-
men which lie himself had aided to make that even if
he had been called palpabIy to violate the Consttu-
ion, he had done nothing more, in resignng his seat,
than his duty imperously demanded that he could not
have done ess without exposing himself the Just in.
dgDaton of every Republicans and that for such
act he could not deserve vote of thanks from the
fee people of Middlesex which the resolution Of Mr.
NJ plainly puiported to be. The vote bring taken OH
the resolution, it negatved-ayes only g.