Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-16
COMMUNICATED.
TIE MARSHALL FL rCTfO\


TO notice the very rode stack made several mem.
bers of the Democratic party, IN an editorial Of the
daily Richmond Wing OF this da'e, did not the cause
of TRUTH in the opinion of the writer, require it, 1t
the design OF the writer TO express, what in truth
be does feel any dsrespec for any decision of the
House of Delegates to violate the feelings of the
most sensitive member of that House, in briefly giving
the public his views Of the decisions which led to
the result which has taken place in the contested cleo
ton for the county Of Marshall. The House Of Dele
gates is by the Constitution, the appropriate tribunal
to decide the right Of membership, and when the
decson Of this body has been had in any case, every
member of respectfully in that decision;
but it is altogether doctrine that previous this
decision the minority in the House should be regarded
having committed outrage upon the majority, by
making such motions were, in the Judgment of any
of that minority, deemed BEST to test the conssen
cy correctness o! the decisions Of the Honse: pro-
vided parliamentary rule is violated This contest
ed election was Cor days before the House On al
most every contested question the number Of members
constituting the House, varied. The Christmas recess,
with the following very bad weather, had caused the
House to be thin during most Of the contest The de-
csions on many votes had been ridculously nconsis
tent; so much so, that several members determined TO
take a review of the whole record, and vote. on the
final resolution it should then appear be proper to
vote 1t can be easily seen that result, which would
appear to follow as matter of course from the incor.
rect decisions Of thin House, might be reversed o6
the final vote when the House was full
II vas in this state Of things that Mr. Eenable chose
to offer his substitute, and the honorable speaker, be-
inu the Speaker of the House, and not OF party chose
TO entertain It. And this is the monstrous proceeding
which this notable Wing Editor declares be beyond
any thing he had or heard of 1t is not
strange that this gentleman should be Ignorant OF
some things. He may yet have something to learn,
icing Young man; the writer will not however, enter
into paper war with the owner of the ypes-So much
has been said in defence of the minority against
yvarrantabe attack in widely circulated public print
and in doing this, the writer has been compelled to
mention the inconsistent decision of the House of De-
lcratcs which under other circumstances would have
been permitted sleep undsturbed the journals
The motion reconsider the decision the 20th rcSo
luton of the Report of the Cc",ttce OF Privileges
and Elections, made after e House had establish
cd the principle, which, if carried out would reverse
the decision the goth resolution. The decision OF
the House on the 54h resolution of the committee
of character require, if justice done TO the sit
ting member that the reconsideration asked for should
BIZ granted by the maorty yet, the reconsideration was
refused although the ma ory was III the House
which had established the principle alluded to- The
vote embraced in the twentieth resolution on Scott
poll The votes embraced in the 54h resolution were
on Caldwells poll-yet the respectable member from
Monroe the novcr,of the reconsideration, IS denounc-
ed in the orpan Of the majority for making this motion.
The case above stated is not the only in which,
in the opinion of the writer, pnclpe guided the
decisions one POLL and another the decisions on the
other Whether this happened from inaitention, the
very great variety of views held by members on inc
by party power the writer docs not pretend to decide
More than fifty members voted IN the negative on the
final resolution which declared Caldwell duty elected
the presumption of these more than nifty members IN
voting on a question propounded BY the speaker, as
they thought right and proper, is the outrage which mas
been charged upon them The substitute OF Slr fena
BILE involved the same question in substance that was
voted on in deciding on the final resolution OF the com
mittee. The summary Of evidence on which the 2Oth
resolution is founded is unnexed-also the summary OF
evidence on the 5ith resolution.
ONE OF THE MINORITY
..n relation to the vote Of the said Andrew Montgom
ery it appears by his own deposition that ne was c
zen Of Marshall county more than one year before the
last election That he voted on title PONG LOT one
hundred acres of land lying in said county, OF which ne
had enjoyed peaceabe possession Uore tnan one year
before voting, and had improved portion OF It on
which he now resides. lie ''hao pau uP"u'u' VI oe
hundred dollars on it."
s20 Resored, That the vote of the SAID Andrew
Montgomery is illegal
SIN relation to the votes Of the SAID Da'ia aJots
and John Majors it appears by the dePosuoh SosepM
Majors that the said David and John are ootn over
twenty-one years Of age that they votea al tne
election on one hundred and sixty or one huhofea a
seventy acres Of land which is assessed m the nae
Elias Majors; that the said land was purchased oy .ne
said John and David, together with ther orotaets
Elias, Daniel, George and Joseph, about twelve years
ago from Elias Majors, since deceased "l .s"n
aS,eeueu. between the said John, David and otnets
and the said Elias, the latter bound h,msei eno hs
hess to maze deed to them when az sae a'"ey wa