Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-05

&, be appointed commissioners, the Clerks
ONCE 81 Mn. William, not less than ten,
than twenty days after closing the polls and proceed
!" scrtnizr and correct the polls taken the subject
o. ~" removal 81. c seat of Justice and To decide
upon Inc legality 81 the given. Their report is TO
be Submitted 10 the county court summoned for that
furpos": and Il b found that at least four-scvenlhs
vi Ia" votes actually east, shall he for ''te removal
Ayctts the Court shall cause that fact be proclaim
cd al the door Of the Courthouse and entered their
rccords-anG Aylrts shall hcnceiorth be the perna-
nrnt place for holding thr courts the
sary buildings shall! be completed, &c. &c.Thc build.
'ngs to BE- commenced in eighteen months; and COM
Pctcd IN three years after said proclamation.
W hst lhe above amendments under conside-
ration.
Mr. FnSTAisE said, that he felt il due to himself 10
max" an explanation OF The vote that he would give.
Ills own opinion was, that according TO the institutions
OF our State, whenever majority TO govern a ALL
thai majority of ought 10 BIZ as binding one hu
arcd That was the Republican doctrine it was the
broad basis on which all Democratic institutions must
rest y majority of vote elected the President
The Chief Executive officer of this Commonwealth
and filled every elective office that existed State
and Federal Governments. A ma orrty of vote of
your Legislature had been sufficient TO the Ca
ptol TO TINS place. and would be sufficient to carry It
hence to any other place in the Commonwealth. A
majority OF vote would have been sufficient to have
accepted or rejected your amended Constitution: and
y
altered by majority of vote OF yonr people, lie did
not see why the minority should not remove
antquacd Courthouse. Sir, is Courthouse more sa-
cred Than this Capitol; Is it more sacred than our
Constitution Is it more hallowcd than our Liberty
itself: The Legislature never should submit anything
10 The arbtraon of the people, unless il was willing
that majority should decide it. We should never be
afraid to trust the people. After subject has been
freely canrasscd and debated was the in King
William, it impossible to get minority of the peo-
u!p to vote unless clearly rpht Then wny
should any be afraid TO trust this question to
jorIty OF the people of King William Are they not
as pure as correct moral vIruous as any other
portion of The people of Virginia. There scarcely
session Of the Legislature, but that question of this
kind was left TO the people Of more of the
counties III this State In every instance there was a
provision, that in Of tie the high sheriff should
decide It. But it If scvrnths of the votes
pocd must be in favor of Removal before the peo-
pie of King William could remove their Courthouse
Courthouse, which was built under the Colonial Go
vcrnmcnt With reference Gi0ne 10 the population IT
existed nearly lao years ago. and without any regard
to centrally of territory, what might be the popula
ton of future period for, at that lime, the county OF
King William extended for more than one hundred
miles above the Courthouse, and It is only eighteen
miles from that place to its eastern terminus nj West
FONT. Bet Inconveneni, IN the lapse OF time the
location of this Courthouse has become TO ory of
the people of that county, 1t If greater sale
guards are 10 he thrown around 1t than around every
bilcT III Ndpl-
tol, around our Constitution itself As the De-
lrgate FROM King William, cndeavorng TO represent
as nearly a. he could the opposing interests o all
his constituents, hc was willing TO fix upon ma
lority of ten per crntIIn. But even that prjn-
cipie he thought erroneous. As compromise, he
would have acrcdrd 10 ii. The requisite majority
he Thought too grcat-evcn as a comPr0miSc. 1t
was throwing 10" great obstacle III the way OF
those of his constituents, who felt that they were 1hor-
ing under grievance. But notwithstanding all this,
as he anxious that this question should be settled,
liz would not oppose the Scnatcs amendments, as at
this late day al the session. the hurry OF members to
get home 10 their dear wives, children and friends,
and their dtGr constituents too, hiss opposition might en-
danger the safety of the bill For already he began TO
fear lis being put death hy thai dreadful Legislative
2niotDe called indefinite posip ncmrni He there.
fore should oppose (a under different circumstances
he might in duty feel bound I" dog any of the amend
mcn;s Of the Senate. He had assisted III drafting most
of them, and the only objection he hld 10 any of thcm
was 10 this fourSfrrHb principle and that OF limiting
the complexion of the buildings To three years. lie
doubted not hu! his constituents WISHED and intended
tncrrct such public buildings, would be an ornament
to their county--and buildings Of that kind could not
be put up in day Besides, another section OF the
bill provided that until the completion of the build
ings, the OF Justice should remain here 1t was
He could not therefore. why the time allowed for
building should be limited 10 three ycars-whcn no
good could arise out of it, and possibly II by ac-
cident the buildings should not hr completed until few
DAYS acr the expiration of Inc thTee years. llis Wule
subject would again have TO be brought before this lc
gsaturc, and the excitement which RACES IN that
unhappy county, would BE- aroused from lis slnmbcr-
ings, and famed again into flames.
Mr. STEPnES>"x moved the printing Of 1000 copies
ofthc Second Auditors Report, upon the debts and
sources Of the Commonwealth. Mr.. MCoSNFLL pro-
posed the printing of 5000 copies THIS resolution
gave rise 10 some debate, in which Messrs NEN,ILF,
Robertson, SrEPHFN,oS, SMITH of |. Of w, BAiLY
and NJ CoSNELL participated.
MIR B,SLy would agree To the proposition unless
this document was accompanied with the Report and
counter Report made the last session Internal I'm
provcmcns, BY the delegates from Halifax and Camp
bell Mr.. VExAnLE moved The indefinite postpone
mcnt Of the resolution. Mr.. SMITH of J. of W. said,
he would have objection to the resolution, if the
House would agree 10 the following amendment:
That tie Second Auditor annex to the Report the
annual amount of derived for the last five years
from the stocks in the several works of internal i'm
prorement
Mr.. May called the previous question, which was
agreed to; and then the question of indefinite post
poncnent was lost by ayes and Ayes 30, noes
%
After some further discussion, Mr.. LEE moved to
Law the original resolution and Mr.. Bayy amendment
on the table, which rejected, by vote OF 40 ayes,
A. noes.
The question on Mr. BAYLys amendment then
taken and the amendment rejected without division.
MIR. Srlru of of w. then submitted his amend
mcn,, which accepted BY Mr. Stephenson.
Mr.. ROBERTSON proposed TO modify the amended
resolution 50 TO embrace IAN explanation OF The
condition and prospects of the several works.
Mr. POWELL moved to postpone the resolution and
amendments TO the 3lst March, which carried,
ayes 30, noes l..
Mr.. VExARLE submitted resolution, proposing to
take recess every day. from half after o'clock to
o'clock
Mr. Scurr proposed the recess from 10 clock,
but subsequently withdrew it.
Mr.. BYRD then moved TO amend the resolution, BY
fixing the recess from to half after oclock-which
was lost.
On Mr. MAYS suggestion, the resolution was so
amended as declare ssthat resolution or pc
tition shall be offered presented until after the re-
css'-and amended, the resolution was agreed to-
Mr. GREGORY moved 10 meet at o'clock every
morning-which motion was rejected.
On Mr. DoRNANs notion the bill 'approprat'ns the
public revenue with the report of the Committee Of
Finance upon the revenues and expenditures and debt
of the Commonwcath-and estimate of the Incrcas-
cd taxation, presented this morning by the Committee
If Finance were ordered TO be printed.