Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-13


the motion to take up. lIe hoped the resolution
now proposed to he taken up, would sleep the sleeJ
ofdoath upon tho table. lie apprehcn that its
thor feared lest should not he taken up and therefore
| uvaed himself OF an opportunity to enter into mcr
its Ia Their than was ustifabe. Ills friend from Spot
sylvans, he thought had fallen into the error
| and he should cndoavor not to follow the exampl,
which had been set him. He did not desire To dis
cuss the Bankrupt Law or the Distribution law; fol
il would I've useless tor him To do SO, unless his con-
stituents should have tho misfortune send him I,
| Congress, where it would bc his duty TO discus
matters with which no had nobu sincss here.
| The SrEAKEN said thut the motion TO take up, in
cidcnally involved the merits of the resolution IL
| self lie had therefore INDUCED the gentleman from
| Preston. he had the gentleman from Spottsylva-
| MIA who had preceded him, in remarks on the ma
! turc ofthc Bankrupt law itself. The motion to to X
| up might be made n test question; and on such I
| motion the argument might be used that the law W.,
dangerous and unconstitutional, or that it was wis,
and polite. On the hand, that the good of III,
country required prompt and immediate action l.,
this body to procure its repeal or. on the other, tina
| all action was ineXpedient and unnecessary. Sucl
was the opinion of the Chair, rs TO the scope an,
| extent which the discussion the motion mic HI
take. IL the House differed from the Chair it wa.
competent ut any moment TO correct his decision
aud narrow the limits of the debate.
| MIR HUNTER neither asked indulgence from III,
| House or the Chair; he did not wish to discuss IN,
merits of the resolution. With due Difference To Tho
| Speakers decision, he begged to differ in opinion
and TO express II as his belief, that the gentlemen
fro Spottsy vnnia and Preston had trims dressed
the rules. MIR H. only desired TO express his oppo.
ston to the course of the gentleman and his sense
OF the general mpIoprcty, tho incxpe1cncy, ard
the bad taste Of thus entering into this subject and
entertaining the House with debates Of FcdcrAi Ike.
latons at the expense OF the People. He invoked
the House to consider whether the play was worth
| the candlc-whether any good would result-and.
II any, In what extent, and what influence il would
have on the action of our Senators-whejhcr we
should be compensated for the time, moacy. and
laoor, which must necessarily I've spent. MIR H.
would say To the gentleman from Louisa and
Accomac, that they might expect TO meet with
the same opposition from him that he had made
TO the gentleman from Preston Whenever !,
was proposed to take up their several rcsolutinrs
lie should oppose all such, unless the Ilouec
should declare that il could not be better ,n
ployed than discussing Federal Relations ShonLi
the House satisfy him that they intended To dgso,e
the whole winter part of il to this 5uhiert-riv
ing gentlemen full scope for their speeches-tbov
might go on, and he (Mr H. should no, in,e,r,,c.
tie, howeve', trusted that an example would be set
to-day for future legislators to follow by ctetni-
nation on the part of the House attend the busi-
ness OF Virginia and let the General Government mt
attend TO lis own. Mr. IL. was aware of the CHARGES
which had been made asans, himselfand his friends
on account OF their course IN this matter. He knew
they were charged with the desire To keen dark on
these sublects-to hide their light under n bushel-
To bo influenced by strict party drill.-No;y If
he thought that the people could be cnlishtcned-f
his own humble efforts could do any scrvice-hc
would most nssurcdly consent that the subject be
discussed; Tor, he was willing 10 "let the light
shine" lie could not, however, imagine that In.
people wouiu be whit the wiser after gentlemen
had closed their speeches. lie did not doub, but
that there were many, very many grave and wise
men sitting here IN the Legislature Of virginia: vet
he must say, he thought there others still wiser
at Washington. IL was high time that Virginia
should renounce her habit Of arrogant dictation TO
her sister States, and devote herself and all her en-
ergies TO the Improvement OF her degraded condition.
In relation to that condition, MIR II. declared,
"FtlT qui potHu rerH'I cosHoscere camsaslr
And if the proposition were true. and the con .
verse also true then most OF the Virginia politicians
were the most unhappy men under the sun, for they
were the wors, hands at guessing at the causes of
fhingS.-Hc then proceeded TO investigate the cause
of the fallen condition Of Virginia, ana attributed il
manly TO want OF energy and decision of chnrac.
Ter on The part OF her citizens, and their eternal
wrangng about distractions. MIR II. thea refer.
red to what he considered tho Continual SONG of
politicians, that Virginia, with all her natural adyon.
tnges, was dependent IN great measure on the
North. He spoke of her commercial relations with
mat section at the Union, and OF the Tariff and
some of its effects
Az this stage oi his remarks he was called TO or.
der by MIR Crutchheld, who contendcd that he was
trinscend'ns the limits permitted on motion to
take up.
Mr. Scot; desired the point OF order reduced to
writing.
Nj Ctutchheid again stated his poin, of order.
he Speaker remarked, that the motion 10 take
up involved, Incidentally, to some extent, the merits
OF the resolution
MIR Hunter expressed his surprise that the gem
tleman from Spottsylvana should have called him
t. order He was merely endeavoring TO show low
Nngnh had been injured by discussi * rrso ut ons
OF this sort. MIR Hunter proceeded with his re-
marks, and proposing to examine into the character
Ola certain class Of potic MS rs well ms into The
question OF Commerce, the Speaker intctposcd. and
admonlsbed him that such course would not be in
order; whereupon, MIR Hunter took his seat
MIR ChPERTON rose for the purpose of co.
operating with those gentlemen who were endea
vourlns TO mail the resolution to the table He
u ought few hours might be well spent in ebatc
II such result could be attained, and n precedent
'e' Tor the future: lie was opposed to discussions
IN the subject federal eaiIons and he express
% It as his belief. that the dignity and the in crests
u the state oil Virginia could be best maintained by
elraining from such discussions and conininr tho
Intention OF Inc House 10 such subjects as were re-
ltcd to the internal condition of the State He /
lad long hoped that some gentleman Womb have
made 1t an issue before the people, ms issues nre
made at the State elections whether they y,ro I
prepared TO sanction the abuse and consumption of
''ne "h'eh has annually taken place Tor the las, 10
'r 10 years. lie should make the issue before his
when he returned amongst them
Mr. Z. said his curiosity had induced him To look
nto the journals OF the House aud see from them
low much ofthe time Of the House had been wasted
W." "'u'" VI VIC peoples money expended
iebhtcs on the everlasting subject Of Federal Rea.
IONS lie dd not profess To he very accurate IN his
"A EQUATIONS yet lac could give some idea ofthe cost.
commencing with the session of lS32-'33 he found /
nat thirty days of that session were consumed
nu, estimating the expense at 3 900 per diem the
hpcnse OF Federal Relations to the State of Vr- |
Ini' that year was $4,000. At the cnruing ses. !
ION, the subject OF debate the Removal Of the
)epostes, aud an almost equal amount of time was
'umcd. At the ion of 81 49, the resolutions
u Mr. Watkins occupied considerable space in the |
of the House. Ia 'J5 sc, the EIpun,
ng Resolutions came up upon tho tapis md twcn- |
y seven or tweniy'cight days were consumed IN |
heir consideration. Here was s27 900 Of the peo
res money gone. MIR &. said lie was not, he was
ware, very accurate in the statement he had mnde
To- however, intended, at this leisure, to make a /
llculaIon OF the actual cost OF these discussions
nd present II to the people. lie had not consider. |
10 the expense oil printing tho numerous resolutions
ma documents, nor the incurred in many 9th
q ways. Neither mad he compared the loss md !
lie sacrifice which the State had TO undergo by tho
EXCLUSION OF other subjects of vital interest TO her
"eliie. was II not time, asked Mr. c.. that VIC |
were taking decided stand on this sublect3 Was
not ilmc TO act when gentleman had introduced
resolution upon subject upon which he h,s no |
oison to npprehcnd any evil consequence from the |
want OF action, and when il was Introduced too. as
lie commencement Of serics2 We have ali imoor |
ant questions upon which we must nct-nurs.ions !
affecting the feelings and dear TO the inter- STA of the
mover OF tbs resolution. Would that gentleman be |
Tiing to orego the consideration of these questions
or the purpose OF considering the resolutions on the
Bankrupt lawl