Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-01-28
VIRGINIA Lea sAAEGEE.
DEB3IE.
HOUSE OF Misunderstanding, Jcn %.
ELECTION OF NON.-l CvLt.aneGl

HOUSE OF UELEGATES-fildcy Jc" ~
ELECTION OF GOVERNOR ColtnHedl
Mr. HOOP said ; [ am very ,teElc-scareeiy able to
sustain myself upon my feet; but, feeble as | am, Sir, !
cannot abstain from asking tie House 1t 1t Is not time
full time, to arrest the absolute party control which mas
pervaded this body from The Erst moment OF cur meet
ing until this day. ,
MIR. Speaker: / have rises: under tie influence Of feel
ings, which, if praclised uEon-it allowed lEeir jus. in.
Huence, cannot fail TO produce much public tranquility
IND consequently much general good have risen 10
asA, SIR, "a the dominant party in this House I" stay The
action OF caucus dicta;ion-lo tear themselves away
from this degrading aud odioGs system OF party drill.
Is 1t not time that they should be tired end "earied by
the exercise of this uucomprnnising spirit OF proscrip-
s 9 e NJ: SSAR9Gg 4Ny They sll0nld he egGLse.e1-bY-ua sl
kept up here during this session, cannot falI 10 produce
reaction in the great budy Of People. Uhbccnn:inS!y or
pid US they seem TO be, they VIII De arCusee ey t's u
haIIowed spirit of party dictatlon, and display HAT pow
er of redemption which they passcs:, and wh'ch 1 nave
never ceased to have confidence iE. it cannot be dis
puised that every Legislative action now, Is hrSt passed
upon by some svw, who set themselves up 10 D t Tue
leaders, and, vassul like, the other members OIL the party
urc expected 10 ubry tie mandate; and l am sorry 10 say
that this expectation has be,n too muct! realized. ~
establish this position, it is only necessary 10 state, that
some Thirty or forty individual members have settled IN
caucus who is to he the next ChieI Magistrate OF this
Commonwealth, and the balance of the party are con-
sidered bound 10 accept this nomination, aud fear, from
the signs / see around me, that tiieresuit oil THIS election
will prove the recognition of this obligation. However.
! will indulge the hope, that this is The lnonent-that
this is the occasion, (frr it is surely a iii one) upon
which gentlemen will commence the reformation Of lheil
heretofore %unsparing Intolerance and to afford them an
opportunity OF so doing without concert with any hn-
man being, | take the responsibility upon ioyseli Of pia.
cling before the House as l candidate for this appoint.
ment, w. Fl. Roane.
Mr.. Scorr said: 1t really seems to zee that the whole
of this debate is entirely Ou, IF order. Why, Sir, What
are gentlemen talking aboui: They seem - tsink we
have come here for the purpose OF nominating differ
ent individuals rs candidates TO fill the ONCE VI To-
vernor Of this Cum:uonw eulth-of canvassing their re-
-, and ~ ,bip,r ~ nlorlIn,, tvinp
in truth VIZ have cone here Tor no such purpose:
when in truth the Governor was elected last Tues
day night. Yea, Sir, on that night, a smull maio.
rity Of the members Of this House, composed Of that
portion who call themselves Denuccatic Republicans,
seeded from their brclhien-belook themselves, (not 10
this Hall but 10 the Senate Chamber, und there, with
closed doors, they carried eli their midnight rnsci:;na-
tions. There different individuals were put IN nonlna-
ton for the office Of G"veIn0c-ihrre their Respective
merits canvassed-ther the vote WIS iaken-aud there
the Governor was elected. Sir, the proceedings Of that
caucus have accidentally come TO light: Three persons
were put in nomination, viz: VIM. IL. Rounc, ot ilano.
yer; Judge William Daniel, of ~ ~nchburg; end General
David ii. Campbell, Of Washington county. Several
ballottings took place before a CHOICE WAS uIade; anu
Judge Daniel beat both his competitors i'll every one ex-
cepl the last, when Il majority Of the friends Of Rnanr
uniting with those Of Campbell, gave the ntter n small
majority over the friends CT Judge Daniel; go that &c
neral Campbell, though he was not the choice even Of
majority OF that caucus, was duly elected.
Will any one pretend ROW. Mr.. Speaker, that there
was not a SECRET pledge given by those who attended that
caucus, that the minority were 10 abide by the ultimate
vote of the majority !: Ii | reCcliect rightly, Sir, when
At the commencement VI inns se:sluiI, Juuge raIKer was
put in nomination as = candidate for the Office o: United
States Senator from Virginia, it was charged by some,
that there was a pledge CT Understanding lhut Tie nino-
rty who attended the caucus which caused that gentle
man 8 nomination., were TO support lis decision IN this
House, though contrary 10 their !ldividuul opinions and
some gentleman OF The dominant party. denied that any
such pledge was given, or that any such understanding
existed. Sir, the events of this day will prove whether
fhpSe n1oln.S ,varn uirp nj t1nan Nnt,c prns NJ nmf 7 4
shall find those who voted Tor Roane in the caucus sus.
tanning his claims here IL. 6ay, ! shall not believe tie
charge, aud from my knowledge Of The sentiments of
The members OF this House, | have no hesitation in say
ing, that lie can, in that event, be elected. But if, on
Inc contrary, | st!sli find those wiio voted for Roane over |
Campbell in the Caucus, voting 70, Campbell over Rcane |
IN the House-and such will be the CASE shall be
compelled to believe that ls bar gain, intrigue, aud un. |
detstanding, to which l have Jus! alluded, actually did
take place.
Sir, if the people suffer these things to continue.
what will be the consequence: WAY, lint the MINOR.
ty shall rule the majority. The procct linss Of III, c,u-
Gus prove this fact: | take it for granted That tho 49,
bers of the Legislature who attended il, rxp,cssr,j ~.
wishes of the people of the counties they resprcItv,I,
That being the case, as not more Than linz.
" members proved BY their votes in caucus, that ,Ley
preferred General Campbell to Judge Daniel and Vim
h. Roane, there is no evidence to show, that more than
thirty counties in this whole Commonwealth prefer him
10 those two gentlemen. AS a proof that he is not a
choice of a majority Of the members Of the General As.
and by consequence is not the choice Of a MAORI
" Of the people of the State, l dare gentlemen to vote
N this House, in the sane way they voted in caucus,
md he can be beaten by either Judge Daniel or Vim. II.
aoane. Yes. Sir, you may drop either of them you please,
he can be beaten by the other. Yet, notwithstand-
no. he ia the choice of but q small minority of the &c.
Assembly, and Of course, Of The people Of this