Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-26
Who Is rt'p0~sSis for IA. oSsirreiiO~ Of tAs public
bnsissss1

Who Is responsible for the obsirueii0m Of tAs public
bnsirs,s1
We heard MIR. Goode, Of Mecklenburg, a few
days since IN slang-wha nging speech, which will
| not, we think, increase his fame as a statesman
charge that the proacted session Of the
and the voluminous debates on tribes which daily
occur, are owing to the Wings. They Che said)
brought forward the exciting topics Of debate-sl-
uding to the resolutions for the election Of Senator,
and were therefore responsible for the CONSEQUENT
ces.
Mr.. Goode, with Difference, is mistaken. IL il,
true that the wings as was their duty, atsn car
ly day, submitted resolution for the election Of
Senator TO fill a vacancy, which has existed for
nearly two years. There was nothing in that cir.
cumstance 10 provoke discussion. The resolution
ought to have been adopted without delay and with
out debate. But such was not the case All the
windy orators Of the Federal side of the House op-
posed IL 1t was nevertheless adopted in the House
Ii went to tho Senate, and was there defeated by
the Locos. for better reason than that they were
not then ready to defeat Mr.. Rives. A few DAYS
afterwards, the 'eAsek mating" Department took
recess for three weeks having nothing to do ms thew
alleged having refused to do the only thing thew
were competent TO do. When they reassembled, a
month OF the session had passed; and all the busi-
ness, which devolved upon them in the beginning
still! remained upon their hands Another resolu-
ton for the election OF Senator was sent 10 Them bv
the House-aiter strenuous opposition from the Lo-
co orators. day, three weeks of, was desienat-
ed. The interval was consumed by the Loco, in
long-winded speeches, made TO order and of pur.
pose to defeat the action of the House upon any of
the contested elections before il. The windy ora
tor from Accomac and his compeer from Preston.
appeared to be set up to speak against time. They
succeeded in the game. The Senatorial election
came on, and the public business had made little or
no progress since the first week of the session. Not
single contested election had been acted upon
and whatever of legislation req uired by the people
| remained unfinished.
This contest, then, consumed about seven weeks.
Had this election and that for a second Senator
been gone into the first week in December. tlrey
both might have been despatched in two days
and the Legislature might at this day have been
ready to adjourn. As is the real business OF the
session IS in as great state of backwarduess now
as It was the first week Of the session. And we
maintain, that they who threw distractions in the
way, are the guilty parties, and answerable 10 the
| people for the consequences.
But the Locos having wasted seven weeks in
making up their minds TO take the Rives pill--a
Wing had the efron,ery, in pursuance OF what he
deemed his constitutional duty, TO submit resoIu.
tion for the election OF another Senator 10 supply
the vacancy which will occur by the expiration Of
Mr. Roane's term. This was the proposition which
excited Mr.. Goodies spleen, and drew from tia,
gentleman the charge that the Wings had wasted
he lna nf he I,,, IN
ting topics Of debate-and justifying him and his
brother orators IN consuming one whole day in un.
profitable debate. MIR. Goode, in his new born
zeal for his present allies iorge,s that proposition
similar to the one against which he thus inyeigh..
has, ever since the foundation Of our Government.
been submitted during the session preceding the e1 =
piration Of a Senatorial election. So long and uni
form has been the custom in this respect, and so
strong was the obligation supposed 10 res, upon the
Legislature that never, until these disJoinled times
did any man of any party dare raise his voice
against II. IL was deemed high duty enloined by
the Constitution, and wilful and deliberate refu.
sal to execute It, has never before occurred in the
party annals Of the State.
| Mr.. Goode end his new niles NAV. as one NJ
them said, "ende'row to try" TO relieve themselve,
both Of The responsibility OF leaving the State hut
half represented in the Senate, and of squanderinr
the time and money of the people in faetious ha-
rangues but all that we desire is that the country
may know the facts as they really exist, and as
we have reeited them. IL is our settled conviction.
from careful observation Of the occurrences Of the
session. that the fruitful Of all The delay wss
the refusal TO make an election at an enrIy day
and that the continued delay springs from the fac
tious refusal Of an expiring faction To observe
usage eo-eyal with the establishment Of the Com
monweaitb, and 10 execute a constitutional duty.