Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-01-30

coNyUA7c1TrD
Tho Democratic Republican Party Of the county of
Mecklenburg, are requested 10 meet al t" court house
OF their c"l:y Tie third Munay III February next,
Ut being court ay in order to take such steps as may
be dremcI necessary by the meeting prepara!oryt to
mInang candidate tr represent this district in the next
Senate OF Vii g:nia-anL To nominate candidates TO re-
present Hue County in the n"St Legislature, II deemed ne
crSslIy 10 de- ~ Il, that time by the meeting.
MANY FHEElluLDEAS OF MECXLENhCRG COUNTY.
TO TIE EbIrURs OF TIE ENQUIRER.
see winter under The signature Of" Pcnd ei0n his
taken The lr!d upon tile Line OF Instruction. and
thrown an anchor to wIwurd for the Virginia Senators,
siiu'd t'r Legislature pass the Expunsng Res"lnnns
II" ucsTn OF Tins writr cannot be- Mistaken IL Is 10
SHOW That our Senators may properly refuse IL Ubry
St'"cito"s ami yet r:!" Mcr teiis in The Senate '=h
o"I tt"ns'"g he s"rra' HHrtrine rindc"rd LN Hr L.h
1" ms Export ~ rl2 The writer OF PrnG!rt,n las
takcn 'liis ground. doubt without The knowledge
sancsin q! The Virginia 5natnrs, and his may be
regarded Us expressing p:y the nd!s!Ie npn;na and
wi"!rs OF political :i nd who tr!ivrs hat lhry viii
nt Instructed: and wishes Them neither To Dhsg
Dnt bow v1n and impossible will tls he. i! Trssrs.
Le!!l and yrr mean 10 CARR out tn: prmc s OF Mr..
Leigh hrport, ana Iintain fairly the right "i lnSrc
lon! do not believe that either %! these nlIviaurls
ra rnsc 70 obey, AMI still co"iinn: To huid his sal IN
ne Samar When Senator from Virginia s!lal! q" this.
ahd iiacn hts dcirncc upon the grounds assumed by
" fe"thl"n, D. supported by the people of Virginia.
linen VIII death wound be g;"cn 10 ills great ri. and
"'l /. one OF Inc vital prnc pies OF republican govern
mcTt
1t Isl singular coincidence hat prndtion should
have taken lie grounds which Mr.. Giles did. against Mr.
Leigh Report. III vintcaLon ii his 5 Scna.
tor tro:A Virginia in ISL No man strongly dis
approved o MIR. Giles defence than MIR. cig AMI it
may be Important hereafter, To lay the wo! proceed.
nys bctJie . public, when the Legislature shall have
acted on :he subject, and the Senators taken their
At present. the following brief review is submitted far
the information oil those who take interest in the sub
Jrct:
In lol0 ur The Legislature instructed her Senators,
Mcsss Giles and Brent 10 Vote aguiSt the e-charcr Of
ihe old Elnk Of The United States Mr.. Brent disobrycd
the Instructions and Mr. Giles obpycd Ll he went into
examination Ui the effect Of nsuctinis a!! denied
that they obligatory the Senator. He admitted
the right i'll the State Legislature to instruct, hut
tendcd that the Senator mse ito judge of the
tent aud nature OF the obligation. Ia his srcch in the
Senate in ISL, lie said: " The influence Of the true obi
CATION OF INSTRUCTIONS therefore, arises from the express
of opinion by the Stale Legislatures; and the very
high respect which is al all times due from The Senator to
the expression Of such opinion by the Legislature Of the
State IN represents; a respect Which feel strongly
thai never would dissent from opinion thus xprrss
ed unless in clear and ndisputablr but the point
contend for IS, that this opinion is not Imperative
compulsory, mandLt"ry that il is not III the nature If
Command but addressed to The discretion If the Srna
tor instructed taking into due consideration all the cir
cunstanccs Of the case connected with that inslruc
tioa, Dc.
In the session Of 1872 Mr. Leigh offered his rcpor,
conemn;ng the conduct Of both Senator's and especial
~ Mr. Giles, for the opinion expressed in the above
tract. This report adopted by the Legislature and
the Right Of Instruction solrInnIy sanctioned Mr.
Giles, who felt srishly the proceeding of tho General
Assembly, before the Legislature in rl2-l3 with
riurcaton Of his course, aud in Mr. Lrgh's
report: III which, among othcr things he relied the
I'd resolution Of Mr. slghs (rltrrrd 10 by "Prndlc
ton, and maintained, that there difference in
the practical operation between The "cne Of that
luton aud his opinion lie decla'cd rt both admitted
the right Of the Leg sature TO instruct and that nbl
CATION imposed the Senators by the Instructions
hat bh uiIDDI NJ hIrI and
character ami ought not to be dsOhervd except in
tain cases. lie asked Who jnLrr upon these
mpuraLt points, whether the instructions required Tie
Senator TO commit violation OF The Constitution,
act Of moral la:p:,ude The State Legislatures could
not. from the very nature Of the casc having ulrea
dy decided in the act giving the instructions. ii is It's
Judgment and act which to be- indeed utad Of
lie Senator himself might Judge. 'ilrncc he argued,
it not positive comand. but addressed to his dis.
crctIun. &c. lie then gocS and rTdeavuTs point
out Inconsistency between the body Of the Report,
which declares the lndGbabie right o the State L"giS
atures to instruct their Senators all points.
Onat or joifc, and the prOTisV in the ID Resolution,
cmpting the Senators from obedience in where the
Constitution might be ro!ucd. act O! moral turpi
tudc co!nitlcd sc. lie maintains tia! the Senator is
to in both cases. whether tho instruction directs
him 10 violate the Constitution commit act Of mo-
raj turPtutr; and us the terG '.moral tmrpuLe
very vague and indefinite it ought to have been defined
He tuither declared, that to In required gre
which he conscie"tousy Jecrcd would be Injurious his
country, Nc, would be an act Of nicra! turpIude
Here Is the whole argument in the compass Of nut
shell. and one much stronger than that of "lendrton
But ad' lis truth, and What bcconcs of The RgAt IF
LnStr"rtiun either questions of c"nsliin,ioray or
policy: Would il not he impraccabic and useless;
But how d:i Mr Leigh receive this argument Of Mr..
Glirs' Was he not indignant and against
il: The history OF the l!:rs will! presume, sl,w
Pray, Mrssrs Editors ascertain and i the public know.
i you cannu!, perhaps others may Tie distinction al
tempted 10 kr taken between Trst!"s CT conSi:tDaaH
ty and pulley. is not well founded. !! the Legislature
instruct IL the one Case they in the other, and
the stronger in favor Of constitutional cues
,"as ;lan hose Of l1ry. The report expressly alirms
the right rs 10 btl. and the Senator either comply
rcSign H. need not violate either The Constitution
his conscience find hy reference TO he proceedings
that took place i'll the louise Of Delegates TIC rcSu
lions of iol2, approving ii The conduct "f The General
Government. &C. ana Tic RI Of The State Legislatures
instruct Mr.. &. T. Mercer in answer TO Mr.. Leigh,
admitted TIC right gJ The legislatures c"Nsrrrri">AL
QUESTIONS, but denied it on q; rUIrr,
&c. Thus we go! Here, at least "rrndlctnn' and |
MIR. Mercer Issue; and take occasion here
after 10 nnt up Mr. Merccrs speech and substitute and
rive it TO the public We shall! then have the argument
pro and MASON.
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