Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-31

oftwo thousand miles may ne yer hear how their
have been given Mr.. b. said he had heard the
charges Of Executive corruption and Executive patron
are until it had s;ckcrrd and disguised every honest
The people understood the matter: and, nntwth-
standing the gentlemen who made these charges had
been asked again and again to put Their finger on
single of corruption, without being able to do 50,
the stale charge still repeated Every facility had
been offered 10 gentlemen bring the truth of Their
charges to light, if truth cy scd IN them; and yet they
unable To verify single charge. He had some re-
spect for the gentleman from Tennessee and therefore be
would not apply to him the language which his unonnd
ed charges and Institutions d"scrved but he would put
il to that gentleman whether il consisc nj with ms
high standing To repeat such charges as Executive cor
rupt;on and Executive influence, without having at
least foundation for them The people (said Mr.
b. want information not only OF the dongs of their
own immediate Representatives, but of this whole body
They the great Conservatives of the nation, though
the false reacherous Conservatives who have de-
serted from the Democratic party. lie could say and
he proud saying, that never the course of his
Legislative experience, often he had heard the charges
of Executive influence and Executive corruption rcitc
rated here and elsewhere, never had he or heard
the slightest proof offered To verify the charge What
proof there of Gentlemen had made these charges
here and had repeated them after they had gone hor
hut the proof was still as far of The argument
of the gentleman from Virginia, r Wise,) with regard
the superior honesty of the people, applied with great
force in favor Of the rira roce principle OF voting
The people admitted, (said Mr.. b. on all hands,
to be more honest than their Representatives; and,
therefore, there the stronger why they should
have an opportunity of knowing the they pursue.
1t all important that the people should know the
given b. their agents 1t important that they
should know not only their principles, but the manner
they carried them By their votes because in voting,
the principles of men shown In tly State H.
presented the people voted by ballot and II was right
and proper that they should do so in their primary
scmblics because they there acted principals; hut in
the of agent, us was Representative the
prime pie different his vote should be given openly,
order that those whose agent he might see that his
duty correctly performed There another rea-
in favor Of the rira method of voting; and that
was, the people much easier deceived than the Ex
ecutire. He s here at the seat of Government, and
can what the Representatives are doing; but the
people at distance :a3 only know of the votes of their
agents through the publications of the day. Gentle
mon (Alr. B. said) had quoted English rpes III IA
of abolshing the rira method of voting. Now,
he tired OF hearing English examples quoted in an
| American Congress. Were the members of the Con-
grcsc Of the United States set of subjects To whom
do we owe allegiance, but to the institutions of our
country; And why should we fear having our votes
proclaimed to the world: The man who was capable Of
such fear, disgrace to the seat he occupied. II
gentlemen would look round thcm they would STE that
nne-.enths of those who had changed their positions,
had been dcscrters hom the Of the people and
had moi changed their course in consequence OF Exc-
cutivc influence This, said MIR. b., is my opinion,
and am therefore clearly in favor of adopting such
system OF voting as VIII give the people an opportunity
of looking into the conduct OF their Representatives.
Mcssrs. REYNOLDS and PROFIT went at large
into the subcct-Mr. p, after saying that there were
number of the rules, which, in his opinion required
an amendment moved that the House do ad ourn,
The yeas and nays having hcrn called,
Mr. PROFIT sad, that 5 the yeas and nays had
been called he would withdraw his motion.
Mr. GRIFFIN then renewed the motion for adjourn
mrut and Il Hers being called for, Mcssrs J. Garland
and lie wis were appointed, who, taking the question,
rranrtcd-aves 1n3 noes II:
Tile House adjourned.