Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-03-17
VIRGINIA EEe.lSI.NTUKE
HOUSE OF DELEG ATES.
Thursday, March 3.
ELECTION OF \ SENATOR.

wi hives aNlnG bctn nominated by MIR. Gar
land OF Meekcnburr.
Mr.. Gregory asked the gentleman WHO nomi
mated MI RiNcs, Ifhc had any information whc,h
er II MI. X. was elected, he would obey the in.
Slrucilons 10 eNpunge the Senate's resolution
Mr.. Garland of NJ. said, that in placing Mr.
k''es IN nomination, he had no reference to an,
particular measure which that gentleman was sup.
posed willing to support he had nominated him
as an individual at hrh character, of long expert
ehor IN public life, and OF eminent ability. II he
accepted The othc" In would do 80 with tho in
>trnoiion> Of the Legislature before hlm
MI ofeaorN had another question TO ask. lie
once voted ot Nh. R,es and he did So with plea
sure, because he then thought HIM man of sound
political principles; hut he asked non whr,hc,
Mr.. X. affirmed o. denied the right OF instruction.
Mr.. &. wished to hnow The TACT, as the records of
tins House showed that Nh Ri>cs once denied tina,
right.
MI. Garland sand lie would not multiply word,
upon tins suAjrct. Ii WIS a sufficient reply (,
tive question al TIE gentleman from james Guy, to
refer linn Ia the pubic eonp>c Of Mr.. Rl,r. II,
had given the very best proof of his rerald 10 til,
rglh Of instruction. lie WIS instructed Two wear,
ago, by the Legislature, Ia pursue u course IN til,
nIcd States Senate which he could not conSc
cutloGsly pursue, and he carried ont The principle
bN rc>ieolne hlS scat, and allowing anothc, TO be
elected IN mS place. From Mr. G.'s know
ledge al tie e"utIcnan's political course, he ven
turrd 10 say, that il Mr.. K. accepted the office he
would eanN out tie instructions OF the Lceisla-
turr.
MI GREGORY said that lln ecnlcn an from Meek
hEhulg aud Mr.. RNcs were at ISSUE. He saws
that Nj. RlVcN was instructed to p, rorm an act u
gallr>I his conscience, aud therefore he resigned
But Nj RScS said in his letter of resignation
that II tlc Legislature had instructed Inn TO do a
specific ldne, although orpos, d to his own OPT
Mons he would have oheNcd but that as lhcv did
not instruct hlm, he bad 10 alternative but to
trNign
Mr.. Watkins said he was absent in the Senate
chamber or few moments and understood upon
hlN return dat some one IN his absence had put
him in nomination for The United States senate
lie took tbs opportunity 10 say, that he did not
desire, nor would lac ever accept any public office
beyond ,hat which hls constituents required him
tn hIl. lis ambition went further than 10 srrv.
the comfy Of Goochland, < he ucvcrwonld desert
II "hl'c lice was Nlia IN ii, or While IT'S cili-
zrns required hi, services. 50 much upon that
subject He understood from the gentleman from
James tifA, that he MS under the impression that
Mr.. RrNe, had ON this floor given . vote against
the rlab 81 Instruction. He presumed thar the
gcnlemaa referred 10 the proceedings Of 1870, up.
on the nssoulI question. \ motion MIS- made by
Mr. Darlington, tor which MI Il. voted and
from Iii, remarks ON that occasion had
been widely circulated; by which II was made
to appear, fhat he bad opposed tie right o insruc-
ton. B0t n, constituent, ,allcd upon hin TO cx-
plain those proceedings III lS22, and me did 80 10
their ontae satisfaction. II appeared that he had
objected 10 thc phraseoIops ot tie resolution III
structing The Senators, hcoausc he believed that it
involved an absolute and unconditional dccara-
non that HEY must obey E; Whereas he believed IN
the alternative and modified principles, that they
must either obey or re>len. As 10 li> opinion up
IN thai fiebi, rs now understood and Ifaclisrd up
m, he had shcwn his accordance with Rcpub-
lean principles, 10y his act in rcsirninp his sea,
when Instructions were iiyen him wlicI, he could
Iot obey.
Mr.. Price sad Tia, as tie gentleman from,
.'oocIIand had returned 10 the HOUSES his sup
position Is 10 the gcntleman's anticipation of be-
ny nominated, had not proved correct !; and as the
Gentleman nov says he will not accept the office of
senator, he would withdraw the nomination. Mr..
7. thought that the gentleman from Goochland
would have been avery proper candidate, rs there
Vas no doubt that Inc would have obryed the IN
rucllons Of the Legislature aud cNpunped the Sc
mates resolution with tine utmost good will.
Nh. teher asked the gentleman from Gooch-
and whether 1t wa, not recorded in The journal OF
500 that MI K. voted na small minority against
he riehr= ot Instruction.
Nj. Watkins sad he had not seen the Jour
pal sace about that period, therefore he could not
rpIv.
Mr. Nncbor. Docs he mol know that although
\lr. RivcS has said over aud over again that he is
II favor Of the rnht OF instruction, he did 50 vote
Ipou tllt occasion
Mr. Watkins. | will tell the gentleman what
Iid see When Mr. Rlycs was candidate for
congress IN 1922, and came to the county OF
ioochlaud, which was then in his District, put
lac question 10 him in relation to the vote in this
louise, and h then explained it to my satisfaction.
t appeared tina, Inc considered the word ir,struc-
rom Inc Senator the alternative rieh to obey or
'c,ign We have seen enough during the pre-
cent Session Of the differences to be drawn from
ournals, 70 know that HEY do not always repre-
eut a man tairy; and lfihc gentleman would look
It Mr.. Eivc>'s speech published in the Enquirer
lr would find that Mr. Rivcs objected To the re-
nIution, because he WAS called to yo1e for in
truclon, which left the Senator without discre-
ION.
Mr.. Wi'chcr said thai his recollection of the pro-
'ccdinps was very different from that oi the gen
Icman from Goochland. He believed that Mr.
tlvcs WIS against the resolution to instruct the Sc
latOr> because II contained a command, and IN
hat SENSE lie could not vote for it. Mr.. W. be-
irrcd that the gentleman from Goochand was the
irSt individual who ever introduced into a resou
non the declaration flat Senators, when instruct
ID, shall obey or resign. Does the gentleman
intend TO assert that Mr. Rives is such quib-