Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1843-01-30
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.

l nave ever Witnessed III The \ irglnia Iegislature-and
some persons. who have had an Opportunity of making
the comparison, express the opinion that even in the
popular branch OF Congress. noted as ii is occasionally
far lis turbulence, the scene OF confusion and excitement,
has rarely, II ever. been surpassed. Ii VAS accustomed
by the introduction Of a series o. res 4lutions. by Mr.
Randolph, Of Albelnarle, as the uruan. II Is said. of the
last Loc0i"co Cineos,-and which have reference 10
ilose eternal ihcraes. the ri,ht of Instruction. the Bank
the Iar1i and Distributions in relation 10 which ii was
deemed necessary that The Virginia Legislature should A
gain send forth It's annual thunder. Mr.. Randolph.
first proposition WAS that they should be LAID On the Ia
BILE and printed, and be made the special order for some
future day. But, unfortunately Tor the harmony Of the
House, as 1t afterwards turned out, Mr.. Smith of llarri-
sun moved their indefinite postponement. on the ground
that Their consideration would be a waste of time and
money, which. IN the existing stat; Of the public fnau-
eeS. could not "ellbe spared to the discussion of extra
legislative topics. This motion was, without debate,
neaauVed, by a street., party vote. Seemingly mincd
by the motion OF Mr.. Smith, MIR. Randolph then with
drew his proposition 10 lay the resolutions ON the table
and under the gag Of the prcvions question. (repealed
sone dozen times during the day } the House was requi-
red 10 v"tc immediately upon the important principles
which they ~cmbodicd, -Yrecluding not only discussion
but even examination and amendment This course, as
llllbefal 10 the minority as il was t%espotic and unprccc-
dentei in itself. was attempted to be justified, on the pit
i'al aud iegncd preteNt, that those members who had vo-
led ior lndt finite posiponemcnt, had, by that vote, indi
Gated their preparation to pass upon the merits of the
resolutions lhcuIselyes-ti,e character of the pretext il
self SATISFYING. them them that the original motion to lay
III the table was a sham. which, il it had not been with
drawn, would have been voted downby the party of which
lIo u,av.r v,,e tIu4 ,r,,,. l,o,,.a
knows, a vote for the indefinite postponement Of prupo-
si''o' a""s net, as they ailcge, show the readiness Of
those WHO 81 vote 10 act upon the I:srosition itsef-in-
asnahl' as snrl, a vote might be, and was in this very
case. given from a belief illal it was improper 10 consider
the ~sntject at all; while, lthc House should refuse. as it
did, 10 prsipone, and thereby determine 10 consider it,
those vino voted for indefinite poslpcncment might and
did desire 10 have the opportunity Of examining and OF
amending the proposition itself. But all appeals to the
liberality, the courtesy and justice If the majority, were
nnavalllng; and they determine TO assert their po,rer.
their nlkcd, brute ~powcr,-wi1lont regard To the
rights If the minority, and of the numerous constituent
body whom they represent. And these, be ii rccollect-
cd. too, are the men Who complain fthe ONE HOUR
Rule IN Congress. aud who have discussed 50 eo
quently upon tha, ''o3ioy Wing gag upon the freedom
%otsPeech! That Rule, he it remembered docs not pre-
vent disclSsior. much less examination. of any measure
introduced INTO Coneress--No; ii opens vide the door of
debate To all, restricting II only 50 far as 10 limit the
speech OF each nicinhef " ho may think proper to address
the House to otc hour. Yet we are told that that Rule is
odlonsly tyrannlca! Yes: the very party, who are thus
denonncing aud stgmalizlng that Rule, not only them
selves cut off all debate, but intrIdict the slightest
examination OF their own conirsscdIy grave and import
ani propos:tions.-]Ety do not say that a and b and
I, aud So on through the alphabet, shall mol speak more
hdi one tom. but they declare that neither Of them
shall speak at all,-and mot only shall they not speak.
but they shall not serulinize the propositions on which
They are 10 soie,-shall offer no amendmcnis-suggos
no al;eiailors-make no additions or subtractions-hu
shall swallow the dose, precisely as 1t was prepared by
The I.ocoioco caucus. without dottine an i, or crossing a T.
W hat could the GeSIuts. who thus, IN the arrogance of
power. Of which, by this tyrannical act. they have shown
tat they are The unworthy depositories- what, ask,
could they expect, but that they would be met BY angry
resistance! Did they suppose that the Wings, minority
though they be-, were therefore 50 chicken hearted as to
bend thelr nccks submissiyely to the yoke2 Did they
suppose that we were ignorant Of our rights, as the rep
resentatives Of irceinen, 10 whom the liberty Of speech has
been guaranteed by the constitution, and to whom our
constituents have entrusted the guardianship of their
rights and the defence oftheir opinions-or that, know
ing those rights, we dared not maintain them. at every
hazard, compatible with self Prospect and with the propri-
cites Of our position : II they 50 deluded themselves,
they were soon undec,ived. Many of the Wing mem
bers, finding themselves thus gagged by the call Of the
previous question which by au0rei decision of he Speaker
wasnot itself dcbaica5le, Though a'cays debated at length.
MT erly IN Congress, but in the Virginia House Of Del
esates until the present Speaker was called to the chair
asked to be excused from voting,-whic, the House
declining To do, they excused themselves by refusing 10
rotc at at What MIR. Gallaher so warmly said. was
responded 10 by many Of his associates: .Sir, will not,
When gagged, vote even my own crcedl' To this cx-
lraordinary species Of petty dcspoiism, by which the
rights Of the minority We're renorselcssly %trampled under
foot by an memorable majorlty-tle worst OF all lyrants,
because from lis want OF unity. the most Irresponsible
is It be attributed the large majority by wllicl, the resolu-
lions were adopted. But must do some OF The L.ocofoco
members the justice 10 say that, however odiuus their &C
tion may have been, they hokcd as if hey were asha-
med not only Of their part, but o(lhemselves that they
had not firmness to resist lis influence. They seemed
and 1t Is something that a man assume a virtue if he have
it motto feel the self dcgradation of obeying. against
their feelings and their judgments, the crack ofthe party
whip. which nevertheless ihcy had not nerve enough to
resist
a word as to the resolutions themselves. The first
is drawn mp, as you will perceive, in a most insidlous
form-and. doubt not, ~purposely SO. 1t aflirms the gen