Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-24
POLITICS,
TIE SECRET BALLOT ~ The HOUSE OF
RrppESEEu'

| u
| THE SECRET BALLOT IL TIE nOUsEU
REPRESENTATIVES,
Mr. BddIe, (he brother OF the Bank presidcnt) in bis
speech day before yesterday slIenuousy advocated the
secret ballot the mode OF voting in the House He
would have members relieved from the bias and control
which the open vote imposed, that the representative
might ndulC 90 his hidden predeclon-or, as he called
il, the prnInpngS OF his "O,cn conscience. fle SAID
that when the members Of Congress compelled to
vote with the open hand, il brVug ht 10 mind The slaves
employed To wash diamonds, who obliged TO
their naked hands their during The process,
show that they p!!rred none Of the jewels and here
! Mr. Bdde raised his naked hand to show how abject it
in members To deal openly IN the discharge oil their
| Legislative duties.
| We are glad to see the Federnlsts so emboldened,
to come with their real principles II but lit
lie bile since thar MIR. Sergeant, the attorney Of the
Bank preached this doctrine against the ura vote in
the election of Clerk the House II known, that
the grosspst frauds had been prnclsed under the ballot
system When the late Federal candidate for the clerk
shrp of The House had his quiet enjoyment Of the posi-
on first contested two more ballots found in the
box than there members in the House hen Gales
and Sra,cn elected printers the publishers Of
the Globe, years since, by sing vote, We pro-
duced The letters Of the members voting the last ballot
proving concluslvrly-ii the solemn statement of mem
beers made in writing, with their affixed 10
be brlieved-hal the majority was against Gales and
Seaion In the last election Of the presiding officer in
the Senate Of Georgia. two more ballots were voted
than there S. elected in the State; but this
sci aside and a election had The truth is, innu-
merabc ,ands concealed under the ballot system Of
voting; and il Is impossible 10 detect them, the lnno
cen, and the guilty alike involved in suspicion Be-
sides this, it tends 10 make men ypocritesespeciay
those who want the Of the secret bGlotfGr they
can only want such cover that they may have il in
their power that they voted way when they
voted another, Or least, TO conceal how they voted
and SO profit by the double differences which each
party or any individual concerned, may make in
gard In II.
Blu, all the abuses under the ballot system may be
Gurcd-ihc viaiion of elections, by frauds which IL is
impossible TO ferret out and the imposition and double
deanr-a the knavsh practices it encourages, by al
irtng mask 10 such voters are inclined 10 dsho
nesty--io make the people themselves free in giving
their votes They accountable only to God for the dis
position Of their suiftages; for the Constitution recng
niscs it to b. their sovereign rgh, to give them accord
ing their pleasure lts, however, very differ
ent Of the wi,h those who vote the repre-
sen'a,ves Of others They do not give their ooteS
hut they vote for others They the agents OF those
WHO appoint hrm and there is not vote given in Con
grrss which does not or less, affect the pecuniay
interests political rights of The people. Upon what
principle then, the Representative in Congress seek
to conceal FROM those fox whom he acts, and to whom
he is responsible, knowledge Of hOD he 0ctcd that he
may BE- held To his acknowledged responsibility?
Mr. Sergeant at the opening Of the session, (ns did
his 'HSPsSs NJ F5I rsR Sf 1S ono
| THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE" He said "h.
felt free when voting by ballot; he was not h,
should be SO free when voting rra In The latter
every man was and must be liable TO be assaet
by various eXlTaneUnS influences In voting by ballot
the looked only TO himself; he could look nei.he'
for reward punishment, for the vote be was Il
gvu-brcause The manner in which hr voted would
main secret known, If he so pleased, only TO himself
This vote by ballot Continued Mr. Scrgeant) was
small remnant Of freedom and such, he chung to il
and reluctant 10 give II mp And what was IT thai
MIR. S. chung TO this ''tnnantof }resd0m tenaciousy
as representative. TO enable him resist ITO RFsis1
ms he tells us in his spc. ch)
GATED WEALTH, OF WHICH HE GENTLEMAN FROM 5.
CAEoLINA (Mr. Pickens) HAS SPOKEN. Ola ANOTHER
FORCE, or WHICH THE GENTLEMAN DID soT SPEAK, But
WHICH he (Mr SergeaDD HOPED NOT FOR.
NEXT TIME-THE FORCE OF ASSOCIATED POVERTY
EVERY candidate al election (Nlr. Sergeant said in
concluson had relations and friends, and these
know how A and voted. This disturbed a man faui
Up TeationS and sea 10 6rcak many he SOcial ties OF
gOOd jteiing rhich ought not needessy to be hoktn.-
UhG ShOuid this be doniP Ehy r0tcr compclied 10
make enemies IF oil the connections Of tint against
ehom he had thought proper 10 rofe' There rasi
many other influences, eq"aHy danger0ns To ,chith this
mode IF proceeding wouid subject erery representative"
In this short speech Of Mr. Sergeant will be found
the heartfelt hostility Of the Federasls the only SC.
curly the people have for The fidelity of those represent
ing them whose voices dispose Of all that is dear
aud valuable TO us. The argument Of MIR. Sergeant,
which was sustained al The time by Messrs. Wise of
Virginia Briggs and Reed of Massachusetts, Tillnahas,
of Rhode Island and other Fedeals,s has been support
ed with enewcd ardor by the whole Federal party on
the proposition Of Mr. James Garland to have the appoint
nent of The committee 10 investigate the Swarlwout
defacaon made by secret boot. MIR Slany an ultra.
Federas from North Carolina, was, according TO the
In,egencers report, overoyed that he had been nsru
mental in bringing out such speech:
"Nlr S,anly Said he yielded the floor 10 the gentleman
from Pennsylvania and he had been richly repaid for dr.
ing so He had doubt the House couid thank him that
he did prceent them from listening to his eloquent and
forciLe remarks "
And then Mr.. Slanly, 10 cut off all reply 10 Mr.. Ser.
geanl nd defeat the proposition for the rira rocc with.
out further debate moeed 10 iayMe sujsa The table,
And whittier tends this notable doctrine of Mr. Ser
geant extoled by the Federaists in the House. and
in the National Bank Gazette of Philadelphia, on lis
republication In principle the whole argument is as
strong for thu freedom Of the Representative from The in
Huence of"GSsoriGs8 ueaiM Of "0Ssoc0ted porsiy"
by of secret vote upon every other question as
upon that which affects the organization Of The House
its committees, and, as consequence every species of
business prepared for it, If the whole preparation Of re-
ports, bills the taking evidence etc is TO he committed
by secret TO Federal hands, and receive political
complexion and bias from them in order that members
elected BY Democratic districts may be screened from The
equally proper that members should be relieved from rP
ponsibty other matters, by refusing the call for the
yeas and nays when members unwilling to encoun-
er the dispeasure Of that asSOciated pocertu which
,e yer felt the polls This doctrine Of the secret
,allot if INDUCED will gradually lead that con venient
node of legislang in Committee Of the Whole so much
favor with the Federal leaders, where all obnoxious