Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-02-11
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA.
DEFERRED DEBATE.
VIRGINIA. RANK

thing he could say was calculated 10 tne
opinion Of one member of the House; and he was
sure that the very able and eloquent discussion which
had taken place both sides of the question, had lett
him but little to say could he hope III that way to
bring any credit to himself But III" unfortunate po-
ston which it became his lot to occupy, occasion of
the temporary absence of the Chairman Of the Com
mittee Banks, had made it, in the estimation of
number of gentlemen, duty to himself and to the
House to state his views in relation to some OF the
topics under discussion, and without further preface
flor brevty the best Apology he would proceed
to of these topics. In the first place, he must
acknowledge that he could not take to himself any
share, the least particle of that lofty elevation
that refined sensblity, that noble magnanmity, which
required him, as the representative OF the people, to
tolerate, to sanction ofong continued, ruin
neglect by which the interests OF his constituents
and of the whole people of Virginia were materially n
feced. He could not participate in those feelings He
not superior to humanity he were, he should not
have been there. He sent there to legisate
for they werc because he partook Of the ordi
nary fai!ties and feelings of humanity; because it
expected that he not elevated above, but like
other men, and therefore that he could duly and fairly
represent their Interests and feelings lie could not
say that he thanked God he not other
The gentleman who had just taken his seat, (Nlr.
Goode) pleased to say that the Committee had
sought TO attach ntamy to the of John Broken
brough, and that charge had been repeated than
once. He had further SAID that the committee sought
his blood for the offence; and yet the lips from
which this language came, had but few minutes be-
fore, stated that the committee had carefully, cautious
ly and truly exculpa,ed John Brockenbrough from
every guilty design, and accused him only Of neg
gence and inatention. Which Of the two charges
we'll founded: Both could not be correct and he would
repel the by the other. He had not sought his
Blood he had not sought 10 fix nfamy upon his name;
he not his oppressor, nor had he any vndictve or
even unknd feelings against the gentleman in ques-
ton He however, stood there to do his duty, and in
the performance of that duty, hard nanes opprobrons
epthets unjust mpu:atons had no terrors for HIM.
They had been told that they to restore John
Brockenbrough to his wife, his friends, to this
stitution, TO his country with his honor unimpeached
and unimpaired He should like TO know who had i'm
pcached his honor An address had been made to them
if the gentleman from Meckienburg was defending
q murderer who already in jail. lie had taken the
line of argument which he would adopt If such mur-
derer before the jury, and he imploring them
not to send him TO the pententiary, to expiate his
offences with the less of his life. Did gentlemen
really think the removal Of public officer was
equivalent TO murder: Was the deprivation of Of.
fee dishonor discrace Was office like reputation or
like the hearts blood that you could not deprive
Of it without bringing dshonor upon him, and doing
what was equivalent 10 taking life: He knew that
Office had become exceedingly desirable; that it was
sought with avldity, and cuDg to with tenacty but
how long had IL been considered that removal from
Office impeached and impaired mans honor and de-
prved him of all that was desirable III life: They re-
moved from Office for mere difference Of politI
cal opinion Small differences at times two
of the many political questions atloat, deemed suf
ficeni grounds for their removal lie well recoeced
the case Of gentleman no long while ago, who was
without any mputatlon, turned out of his station at the
Executive Council, and he did not know TINT any
one considered then that he committing murder in
turning him out; he did not know that his honor was
impeached that they taking his hearts blood:
and that those who did it either his murderers
persecutors-The concluding remarks of the gentle
man from Mecklenburg had impelled him TO take this
notice of their import. He would now proceed with
the subject Immediately before them. They
were met in the outset of their investigation with the
declaration that they had power whatever to act
upon the subject matter Of the various resolutions and
that the cause Of the motion for indefinite post
ponemcnt. If they had no power, they ought at
TO stop any further discussion or action, aud he pro-
posed to inve sgate this question: and ascertain whe
Their they had or had not this power.
The Common wealth of Virginia owns of stock in the
various banking institutions of the State the sum Of
81 202 900-or estimating 1t at par, the money OF the
people to this had been invested in the stock
of the various banks. OF that amount, ST ,373,600
were invested in the stock of the Bank OF Virginia;
rather more than third Of the capital Of the Virgil
mia Bank belonged to the people. Now, before he
could bring himself TO say that the people had lost all
power, all control through their representatives. over
this vast amount Of their property, their money that,
to express an opinion III relation TO the negligent,
or on the inud,cous or corrupt management Of
this fund, was usurpation and persecution, he must
hear some further and stronger arguments than had
been addressed to his ears in the progress of that
debate II they had no power in this subject, what
power had they in any other? They had millions in
vested in the James River Company, and in other
works of internal improvements; they had thousands
of dollars in the Literary Fund, and they increased
their stake otherwise they passed resolutions they
legslaed upon; they spoke freely and fully their
timen,s NJ will, in relation to all these subjects, and
nobody had discovered until that they had no
power them Oh no, never until they proposed
10 touch a salarlcd officer, wac such a discovery
made. They might change the administration Of t!Ie
Bank, but they must not change salaried otcert-
In tie Government was the appointing power OF Off
10 rule that institution, and they not inter-
estcd in and could not interfere WITH such appoint
ments If they had not sought 10 touch salared
officer the asiuteness which had made that discovery
would have slept heretofore. ii they wanted TO
der the people more Disguised with the banking in
stutons of the country, with all their public works
and with all the efforts that making to render
them productive and useful, they would adopt the
now sought to be pursued, and postpone nde-
fni,eiv any attempt 10 control the ruinous admins
tration of their large institutions on the ground that
they had power TO interfere in their management.
He thought they should be told different tale by the
people whose interests were thus tramped under foot
he thought 1t would not do 10 tell them, that they
had no control over those bv whose negligence their
funds wasted and their interests trodden in the
dust Ii this doctrine were true, they had better wind
mp their affairs, take out what money they had in
them, or as much as they could get, to relieve the
people from the taxes required to meet the interest Of
the debt. Really, to who had been ut all at
tenve the business opuhlc life for the last 30 years
who knew any thing of The history of the land
the objection of legislators that they the representa-
tves of the people, had power to express opinion
respecting President of one Of their Banks say that
such an officer ought TO be removed, something
new under the They did not hesitate to pass
solution touching the President of the u S. members
of Congress- and Senators whom they could instruct at
any time, in Office out of office, although they held
their Office for six years;o all these matters there
no opposition; action in all these cases was perfectly IL
climate, necessarily resulting from State Sovereignty
and obedience TO the will of the people The House had
not always had these scrupes about cvcnthe removal