Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-01-31

ILtipt ~ " sS''i'' "f"''E W.
ccIluin objects Of internal improvement, and 10 coHhn'
: the sale OF the public lands 10 actual settlers and IN lin
tied quantities.; which was referred 10 the Committee oi
Public Lands.
Mr.. Grundy submitted the following re-! luton, which
lies on the table enc day:
R~eSOfr'd, That 1 committee be appointed, to JIr
stlcn committee us may be appointed ~ the H"nse "
Rrp,csrn.aly Yes, To ascertain ana report mode o! ex
aiming The votes for President! and Vice President "
the Unilrd SUITES, and Of notifying the persons rlrcss.
OF their clr ciion.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
HOLLAND TRADE.
Mr.. Howard, from Tie Committee on Foreign Ati'irs
r.purlrd Il bill respecting discriminating duties np"t
Du'cil and Esig All vessels and tlIeIF carg"eS; which WIS
read twice.
A!r. Ii. III 1vpd tia, il he ordered {" BE- cngrossed for
t!nli reading; which after Il brief explanation Of lis pro-
visions AID he Necessity oI lis passage by That gentle
mn, and Il lew words from Mr.. Parker, was agreed Il"
anl the bill was ordered TO be read ! tiiird time lo'llior'
row.
FREEDOM OF ELECTIONS.
Tie llnuse thea resumed thu consideration OF tie I'M
finished business. being The nui!nn OF "r Dell !"r leave
Ia introduce "a bill IL secure the freedom OF rlectIpnS
hr Bell said thai at lie time The House went tn The
ord; IS ri t:e day yesterday, he was making such 4 STATE
mrnt ~ relation u the charges contained IN the prraMl
b> III The bill, Us he thought was sufficient To slow thai
th"y were not introduced merely Upon report without
anY insl l1uuLali.:. lie Thought he had said enough
10 satisfy the House Ihat these charges were Ii"'
brought forward upon mere vague and Idle ruai'!s -
Then, Sir, considering lta, they must be taken /" the
well %i"nnd'd, h" made al appr~! at once /" The homo
Fable mrihbcgs "i That House 10 say WHETHER l!r chir'
yes were not Of sufficient Importance: whether The sub
lrct was not Of L nltur" to demand the most S"rIUiS
Consideration oi the Congress Of the United States -
aud whcth: tbs SESSION should be permitted TO pass
over !!ii,u s1inr determination being manifested Ia re-
ht!'n ~ this %u5jrct. lie knew al III" same time he
assumed this tone OF confidence. that there were gentle
men Oh TINT tln1r y no would undertake. II justify some
Of the proceedings lie bad alluded 10, upon Il principle
which lie mad thought proper 10 arraign. Us an ADJUST bat
h. had the satisfaction Ut knowing tlat there were 4
very respectable portion Of gentlemen here connrcled
w!.i! Those IN power, who dl not approve Of certain
principles which some Of the political leaders of that
party attempted 10 defend and justify; and Under these
cIrcu. instances, in the cuurSn Of the rr:,ai Ks he should
submit, he expected and hoped To have The patient al
t"nlion and favorable ear, even ol L large potion OF
those gentlemen who ranked themselves auIun. the sup.
P"r;rrs OF tic party IN power.
Mr.. b.. wished, IN advance, To answer an objection
which he anticipated would arise Us To time. He knew
that The session mast be brought To L close in about thirty
days, aud iTany iunprab!r gentlemen would uhj":l To
this inraSuIe b.Ing brought forward ut this time, whrn
there was SD iauch other important business to he acted
uH: and when there was uu entire Presidential lrrLI IL
expire bciJ;c the recurrence Of another e!rc;Iu:; but MIR.
u. would lnioIm gentlemen lhl; Ii" regarded this as the
Ua!y period v irn It was possible that Il suhj- Jet Of this
Inscription could receive an Impartial Investigation ant
decision. IL was his conviction, from the experience
winch be had had IN the House, that This was tie time
when lie Ii Jusr could pass lis IMPARTIAL Iu!gIicnt Oh as
measure, AID he had brought II t. Tic notice ut The
House Ht a. earl Il day as tie rules and orders OF The
House would permit him. Beside this, there Vas 4 rea
s1m IN addition to Tie Importance Of the s"tlrti .:st! i,
why il should be acted Oh at present. We must rccoi
irct that all election IS just passed, IN which all the abu.
scs and irregularities cUnpiai. cd of have been practiccd
III Il very Considerable degree; li:aL these occurrences
are yet lIrsI IL the rrcolirCliOaS OF the people, and the
Constitution where It had been violated WAS yet b!rcd.
Ing; and II apathy was suffered 10 CONE over the public
mind, By the tine another yea: would roll around tnry
would hear no more If this IGest.on. The consequence
would be-, that The time for another election campaign
would arrive, and every evil cohp!aiurd Of would BE-
muit!p lied, and every abuse aggravated.
There WAS another reason why tile present wa3 the
IN ST prnpl;"uS time u consider this SibJnc:. There
was 4 new administration about 10 commence in The Gu-
yrInIn2nl, and that administrator was not COMMITTED
Us to the principles it WAS ab"ut TO Introduce; aud the
proposition HOW brought tor "arI could not he considered
: an attack npon that administration. II was not To be-
considered lis d charge and i fault upon the adinImIstra-
ton which had not yet commenced, in practice, III rrla.
ton 10 any Of these abuses, aud, lor one, it should b. his
study. Us al individual mrIn!mr Of The il Use aud citizen
OF Tie itrpubitc, 10 detect, us far as in his power, what
he considered all Irregular means of banging The new
administration into power, and 10 give 10 every portion
OF the people the rights and privileges guaranteed TO
them. He was disposed the Iuurc To do tins because lie
was satisfied that: until The elements Ul the opposition
were considerably changed, and III, time should arrive
when there should be L new OrglniZ ltlDn ul parties, that
any systematic opposition would prove interchangeable
thought II must have struck every iu.eiiI% 1T and Impair
tal ]ludlvidma! ~ the country, that, no matter what was
the c use. there was SUMO malignant dIslenrrr deeply
affecting our political sysirm. Under all former admin
isLrutluIIs ho knew there had been much party excite
ment, cha:grs OF gross abuses, InlrInTrments on the
Constitution, and violent invcGtivc against persons con
nec;ed with the administration yet he put 1t To gentle
men whether there was not now Il state q! things exist.
Ing throughout the country which was unknLwu al
any lorin"r tiGlc. He thou Ihl he was right in aiiirIn
iuI that 4 new character was forming and attaching
IT, tic political institutions Of tic country. The
Government MAS not now looked upon by iGdlvi.
duaiS uHcJIucclci with 1t Is u had been under for
ulcr administrations lie did no. {, sire to constitute
tic time "l the House by going ln,u details. and cxamin-
H.. the cluscs, which led lo the evils complained ur,
but 1t seemed TO him, ana he thought il must have at.
tractrl the attention uI every IiIi.aIt.. observer Of
events. that liz absolute prwrr VI The Cove. mt Wis
crh2eitraied ~ one head, or in one hand vi The 'trn-
l:tn'; nG was 1t any HE less Objectionable 10 him - II
that absolute power Was exercised undrr The garb "t be.
ing sanctioned by the people. lie cOntrndrd That: iur
all practical purposes, III" whole power Of the Govern
mrnt WAS concentrated in "nc department oF the Go
rrrnnirnt. He was not prepared nuw To say what pro.
gErss towards IL revolution in the Government had been
ri!2ctr-; but it was evident that Il revolution IN some
s2nSc had seen completed. He said hr Ind had the Io.
nor OF having u seat on that ilpDr long enough, and
had made annual visits ~ and from The scat vi Co.
vern:icnt often rIi"ugh, to have learned the great
changes which had taken place ia public sentiment on
tbs subject. When ynu hear strangers inqnuring what
will br the probable course Of policy OF the Government
in regard 10 any particular measure, do you hear them
inquire, Us tnrincrty, What will C0"srSS do in relation
10 this matter: or, how will The NOHSc n Representatives.
decide OH any question Of interest: IhcSt were formerly
tis inquiries which you inet with; aud members Of that
House could SIT tire, aud have opinions Of their own
upon ahi questions brought before them I"r decision. Now
MIR. b. would put II 10 any gentleman To answer, if these
were the inquiries met with at present. No, sir: The
inquiry is not what will the House Of Representatives,
o. what will the Senate 90: but what will the PrcSi-
dent do: what will the Erecmirc do: what will .3ndrep
.LcksOa do: He would proceed no further, except To
mike the rcmark, that II seemed 10 h!in that tkIs single
incident was sufficient To show that lirre had been Il
transition Of the Government from The hands of The re.
guary constituted authorities 10 that Of the President,
and fru!i being Il Government % The people 10 be- Il Go.
vcrnnent OF the Executive. The Government was no
longer L Government Of three Coordinate branches,
each acting as constitutional check upon the other; but
it was u Government III substance, in fact, and in truth,
concentrated in one department, in one head. and he re-
ArruIlrl IL u with i'm Inuch Iruili iLnl ihnl hn.I .rnu