Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-12-04
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF vIRGINIi.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
4 IN

Tnesday, Dec. l. lci0s
Mr.. MAY Of Petersburg, called The House 10 o'"ei
and nominated for the Office oil eerk o, c .me
GEORGE Wylhe Munford, who, he SAID had filled Inc o.
6re for Is years. with ability and tdcii'y, ana 70 '
.,;sr,ct;on of the Legislature, and every lnaSuuai
men,bcr of it. lie hoped there would not be dissent
inc voice to his reelection - -. d.
No other person being nominated, Mr. May put ',i'
,as,;on mon the nomination of Mr.. Muntord, ana ne
.,s unanimously chosen. He was then conducted 10
the table, by Messrs. Goode and Robertson.
Mr. Corr rose and having passed hi2h eulos,u'h
nnon Valentine w Southa Esq, not only rs a point
ho tre Jefersonian school, but also as gem
tlem,n of unbemshed private character, ana one wen
calculated TO discharge with ability and zeal the dntes
IF anv office to which he might be elected, prUPoseu
tb,, Gentleman for the Office of Speaker OF TINS iiouse.
NJ CuApMAS said, there was time when ms par
=, had bpen abused for caucus dctation Whether Tue
ohr n,ry had thought proper to take up the example
h could not fully say-But such might be the case
in the present instance, 1t might he unnecessary iol MS
nol,t;cal friends to make any nomination. irt; az
i,hh this Election may have already been made by
WI ooucrs he would AT all events put IN nomination
a9sd;Jo,e for the Republican Party to which ne be-
longed more able, upright or honorable man couid
mn, he found than the gentleman whom he should no.
mn,oh he had from his birth to the present hour been
,a dsciple of the Jeffersonian School, not he must
to observe as such principles were held and
sJ out by his opponents but IN the sense enter
,d nv the great party with which he had the honor
of ba;nu connected. He had the greatest pleasure IN
nominating Wi!lam W. oooue, isq' " i ''s o'''ee "
! Sne,ker of this House.
III. Clerk of the House Observed that before pro-
cednu TO take the votes of members il was proper Tor
him 10 state that he found two returns from the coun-
tes Of Fairfax and Frederick of each OF those re
,,ns heinz mace by the high Sherf-the other by the
under Sheriff With the full concurrence Of both par
toe ne should omit 10 call their names, and TO insert
their names in the roll until the House decides which
of the contending parties entitled to their seats
Mr.. BAyiv SAID Before the vote taken he de-
Iciro IN kp n
been said, that the office OF Speaker of Legislative
body political one, and ought to be filled with
an eye single to political considerations This doc.
trine was derived from the practice of the British Par
lament which has been followed by the Congress of
the u S., and, when properly understood, is founded
in reason 1t is supposed that the party which has
the Speaker of Legislative body, has advantage
over its antagonist In the organization Of the Com
mittees he to some extent, controls the action Of the
house: und to say nothing about the party advantage
which this coners, il is thought right that the majority
which is responsible for the measures of the BODY
should have control Of every thing which materially
affects them But, TO preserve any show Of in
the doctrine it is necessary that the party considera-
TONS with reference 10 which the Speaker is elected
SHOULD originate in subjects connected with the egiti-
mate business of the body over which he presdes:
and as thus modified Mr. B. said, he cordially sub
scribed to it, But, if il insisted that the election
Of Speaker ought to turn upon party, formed upon
questions with which the body which lie presided
had nothing to do then Mr. Bayly said he wholly dis
sented from such an application Of the doctrine.
This election, continued MIR. b., is about TO turn
wholly upon Federal party politics. and against lis do.
ing So he made his protest. What connection has The
Speaker of the House Of Delegates with Federal
party politics How he exercise his Office leg
matev, in a manner TO Influence them; What qucs.
ton OF that sort will be influenced by any committee
which he will be called upon TO appoint; The only in
stance in which the House will have any thing to Dc
with these questions, will be in the election Of Sena
tors What influence can the Speaker, such, exert
in those elections No committee will take charge Of
any thing connected with them And so far from the
Sneaker having more influence in those elections than
other members, he will have less, he will be pre-
cluded from taking any part in debate
But, Mr. b. said, he did not see, admitting tha,
Federal politics ought be the test in what the two
gentlemen differed They both protested the same alb
s:ract prnciples-they both prolessed TO be States
Right men. tits true, that in the late contest one Of
them voted for Gent Harrison, and the other for Mr
Van Buren,. But that contest, said Mr. 3 is over or
ut least, he hoped il over, il certainly ought Ia
be- Except on that occasion, he knew no instance
when MIR Southa and Mr. Goode did not act together
And how could gentlemen of the Wing party insist
upon looking back TO that contest, when they had
lately insisted on memorable occasion, when it suited
them, that ought not to look back, but only look 10
the future: 1t would he proper TO go back 10 Tie
time when MIR. Souhall was the advocate Of Gen 1
Jackson, and of Mr.. Van Barren, too, Vice Presi.
dent as to 20 back MIR. Goodies support Of Mr. Van
Buren,. Both past, and the no more than the
| other.
Will be said that the election ought 10 be made
with reference to Federal party politics. in order that
il may be a sigma Geographic annuncation TO sran
gers of the political complexion OF the House, He
said Mr. b. in the first place. would say, that the
sderaon was beneath the occasion But it is net
CURED for that purpose What elections 10 take
place which such occurrence could influence: Be-
sides, we will shortly elect two Senators, which will
show that the Legislature is Wing, though the State
has jus, cast its vote for Van Buren,. Mr. b. said he
Ind shown that the fact that of these gentlemen
had voted for Gen. Harrison and the other for Mr..
B. ought not to be made the test in this election Party
considerations growing out of State policy which
! the Legislature would have control, and upon which
they would he called act would be proper in the
election But he yet to learn that Mr.. Sopihnli
and Mr. Goode differed in this respect; and, Mr.. B
said, he would seize upon this occasion, he had
always heretofore seized upon every proper occasion
to protest against making Federal politics the test
in Stale appointments. 1t was consolidating in IFS
tendencies and Anii-States Right in doctrine. To
make Federal politics the sole test in State elections
was treason to the Commonwealth. 1t had tendency
to withdraw public attention from State matters and
State policy and lead to nerminable arrangement nd
embarrassment in them. But he had pressed thus view
frequently before upon the house, and he would not
large upon it
/ Mr. PayIv said he should vote for Mr. Goode with
ont any reference the which he had lately given
! in the Presidential election On that occasion, MIR Il
had not acted with either of the nominees. Mr. Goodc
had voted for Mr.. Van Buren,; Mr. Sonthall had voted
4 for Gen. Harrison while he had voted for neither
But, continued Mr.. B., know both Of the gentlemen
in nomination WE'LL and withou, detracting from Mr..
Sonthal he did not fear to say, that in every quality
which fitted for the office of Speaker Mr.
Goode at least his equal. He knew MIR. Gcnde
well, and who knew him we'll would dis.
agree with Mr.. Bayly when he said that, man
of honor, he had no superior. He was man Of
talents, of character, and in every respect worthy
of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in fitness, he thought
for the Office for that he preferred him, and
should vote for him. Mr. b. concluded by saying,
that with the view Of preventing Misrepresentation as
his general course he would take the first occasion TO
say that he subscribed to the doctrine of instruction
the widest extent aud as his constituents had lately
given large Harrison majority he should, in the cleo
ton of Senators, and, other occasions, when he
thought rnrty politics ought to govern, vote with the
Wings But he did not think this of those ccca-
sions He had misreprcsented his constituents
as they had lately declared, in manner which could
not be misunderstood, and he would.
1 Al. III 4 n