Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-04-08

which they stand illustrate so nrciby The sh SUPER
vsory and controlling power OF parliamentary po"tS
over their journals that will take tile liberty OF ne'ah
inu the Senate few moments win ther ftcai. III
1IiS skinner an English merchant, presented pftil"n
IN The kim complaining Of various wrongs and nutraSrs
he had sustained from the East India Company The mat
fer was considered cognznble by The Ordinary sriDu
n,l and was referred by the King to the House OF Lnrds
S,rn,,, ri,c,ions were urged he jurisdiction OF the
H,u,s of Lords but they nevertheless t"ok cogTzancc
of The affair uud finally entered Judgment IN favor oil
Skinner aaairist the East India Company, for IS G0 d.
n,,p.: This proceeding immediately and earnestly
resisted hy The House CT Commons contrary to The law
Of The land aG an invasion Of the tights ot the people,
vci: and proracled controversy ensucd brlwctn the
two Houses: and The Lords being compelled Il. last, a.
ter struggle o: eighteen months, ana repeated proro
u,Iions of bot. lInnsts yield their claim Ut lur!sdlc
un they c1pan,cd iom their journals the judgment
tiry lad entered in favor of Skinner against The East
India Company, and the whole Of their proceedings c"I-
nrcpd with il whertnpon the Commons, IN like man
ner cfpWnGtG from their Journals The various resolutions
and proceedings ,:ry had adopted. In This instance we
see 4 proceeding even Of Judicial character, undr:
Which private rights might be claimed, exl'"ngea, III
virtue Of tEe high discretionary authority vi pa:ia""at-
AIRY bodies their journals; and III Sucd case per-
aps the eypuncun admissible, mainly on Tic ground
tia, the obnoxious ruccc ding took place in the exercise
of an literal jurisdiction AT last admitted 20 ne SUCH and
intended a. be renowned, in fact it finally aEai'-
don,I, by the act Vi ctpn"si"y the Judsnlen Which
lis iruit.
the prccrrGinrs on the recognition bill IN 1870 A
clause was introduced into tlat bill, on The motion Of
the Wing party of that day. and The friends OF the Kew
luton declaring that the acts OF the convention Para-
ment thou h assembled without the iurnaty "t royal
summons were good aud valid. This was strongly OBJ
cc;cd 10 by the Tory lords, number OF whom; by The
leave Of tic House entered their protest against II on
the ournaI-Thr Senate well know, that Is d'nc-
tive and Fundamental principle in the constitution OF The
House Of l.nrds that member or number OF inril-
lur IIss nj
BODY have the r with the leave ct Lie House to en-
Ter formal protest asunst it ON the Journal In this
case the ldve OF the House was granted he rght I'll
the protesting lords became thereby vested ana co.i
pllc and vet il appearinr OH subsequent cSa'nima.
lion 81 The protest. that the grounds OF objection taken III
it, assard and were subversye of the principles u' the
Reroalion and settlement Of the Government just uc'
conplished the House ordered it 10 be cTpunecG from
their journal which order carried into rarcut!on,
and gave rise 10 another protest lor eXPuhSs lc 10Y
protest.
But the prcccdcnts Of parliamentary cxPurging are
by no means confined to tine land Of our ancestors, ir'l
which we derive the model Of parliamentary ins!I-
tutions and proceedings. Similar instances nave &C.
Cured in country both before ana since our ite'
voulun subsequent rs well As previous, To the ad"i-
ton of cur present Federal Constitution, both ~ Tie
State and in the National Legislatures Their" Is case
in the history Of my State which: as !lc appears
10 have been singular misconceptions abGut H. The a-
male will excuse Inc for mentioning somewhat N detail
refer {" the expunglng OF resolution oi AT Henry,
ria in 7i"5 This transaction has been referred to as
an odrus and abortive attempt at cXPnnGrng made
by the kinsS party in the House OF BurgcsSrs,
which was defeated by the energy and talents ol Mr.
Henry Such, SIR, are not The fIcti as tais:''tro
to us by the most uGguc*lionabc contemporary les
timony. The attempt 10 eTP"hgc was not drlca!
ed. The proposition. the contrary, was carried II
was carried, no, hv od"ns hag Fafty, but Slh Inc
concurrence, as are authorized IT, believe from me
ONLY account cx.ant Of t!Ir transaction OF nirn WHO
were and who proved themselves to BE- ainui: the bright
est champions Of American freedom and Intcicnc-
cnce-srch men as Peynn Randolph, the President ri
tie frs, American Congress: George Wyt!r, Edmund
rrut,.,ou Richard Bland Richard Henry Lee, nj! OF
whom u.:rI wards ;u their hands TO the Declaration cl
American lHhepcnLcnc". or bore c"nSE'cu"us part
in the deliberations which led 10 and established H.
The circumstances were these: Mr. Henry moved ST.
rcs r. resolutions, five in aunhcr drclaratory Of tic
rights If lie coloniSiS The four first CT these Ie-
s!ulinuS merely re affirmed what had been earnestly
asserted only six months bcIc, by Tie House o! Bur.
rrssrS in three several documents OF the most so'eii
character: I'll address 10 the King, memorial 10 tt
House nG I.,s and reInnrstraMce to the ComIim"nS
The fifth rsolu,i"n, however, went somewhat further,
amd scrri 10 tender al Issue OF force with the
mother c.lnlfy. These resolutions were opposed by
MCssrs Randolph, Bland, Pcndlct0n, Wythe, and other
urmr.cn, devoted and firm friends Of the rights OF
i!cr.ca any Of The grt al Stat, and Patriots o.
lIa ty but wlo deemed Mr. Henry resolutions mex
pGrn at that moment lnaSnuch as lie sentiments and
prnrl,.s they contained had already and very recently
,rci; OK EXPRESSED in other proceedings 10 which the ex-
ucctct from the government in Eng land were
no, vi !lcc;Ycd. The filth resolution deemed es-
pcca!y H"ArGcnt in The then feeble and deirncelcSs
OF the Colony 1t might provoke conflict ut
force, for which tnr and lorccaste necessary 10
prepare. The resolutions, however, under powerful
d$Iay of Nr. licnrys eioqucucc, passed by one
only; but OH t!c following day: on motion
made Tor tia; purpose and Carried the ht resolution
vas ,xIin9cd l!om tic Jnurnal These are the facts
vouchrd hy he testimony ct Mr.. Jefferson, and
the cider lndgc tasrngi"n, Goth Witnesses OF Tie
trnSac"nl and rcc"Gcd by the eloquent LlpgapiCr
81 Mir. Henry himself There was then, "Ginus AID
ahorvr nnlL?p to expungc. made by Kings party, in
thc House Of Burgesars The attempt was not dtded
las been sa:d the contrary, the proposition to
punar carrcd--aEd carried authorized to
believe by the only authentic wEc! has reached
Us the transaction, by tie influence and with the
o" high scu!rd American patriots; OF Prytnn
Randolph. President Of the first Congress; Richard Bland
Ct the chosen delegates of Virginia, 10 lat glorious
assembly Edmund fcndetcn another delegate; and
George Wytlc, hose stands proudly 1t the head
of the Virginia signatures To the Declaration of indie
pendvnce. The two lust named gentlemen, Mr.. Pcnde
ton and Alr. Wythe, afterwards and for long period
respectively presided in and adorned the highest
o! law ard equity III the State; and il will be dspar-
a.riAcnt. umly conceive. 10 the pctcnsions OF the
highest here 10 say that they understood well, and
t!t reiiginusy, the sancy Of 7cc"rd. any gen.
tciaau this floor.
Examples vi the like character have occurred in the
ether States In The Senate of Massachusetts, is well
known, few years after the close of the late with
Grea! Britain RESOLUTION was r!umpaniy carried for
eGprnging from its JOURNAL the AntAerican sentiment
Which the ba!eu spirit Of party had recorded there in
the very DiSt of the conflict that it unbccOmIg
moral and religious people, to rcoicc in lIc
o. our AT more recent PERIOD some seven or
eight years ago. the Senate Of another highly respcca'
BILE Stat CFcnnrssec,) | learn lIom nnGnubcd AL.
thori;y directed iorna! and Important entry its
journal 10 be stricken mt which done in the very
proposed 10y the resolution your table, by
drawing black line around the condemned entry. But
without dwelling these instances. let descend to
cases which Immediately huTe TO ourselves.
The Case which occurred in this body in lSDG, and
which has been already noticed by the Senator from
Missouri, has been i'll vain attempted 10 be parted or
rra!cd In that case formal entry made tieJcur
nal in pursuance q the standing rules Of Inc Senate and