Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-02-11
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 7th, 1850
ELECTION OF STATE OFFICERS.


would proceed to the execution of the Joint order
of the day. being the election of an Auditor of
Public Accounts, Second Auditor, Treasurer Re-
gster of the Land Office, Secretary of the Com
monwealth and Librarian, Superintendent and
Storekeeper of the Penentiary for one year from
the expiration of the time for which those offices
are respectively filled.
Mr.. MAYO nominated for the office of First Au-
ditor, the present able and faithful incumbent,
JAMES +. HEATH, Esq, who had discharged the
duties OF the office for thirty years Mr.. M. said
he did not intend to submit any remarks ON the &C.
casion. The gentleman he had named in connec-
ton with the office was too we'll known, so far as
capacity, fidelity, DC. were concerned, to render
it necessary for him to do so. Mr.. Heath he said
was known to the people of the State, and was
gentleman worthy of all respect. In the discharge
of the duties of his office, he had no superior He
hoped it might be the pleasure of the House to re-
elect him.
Mr.. MARTz nominated GEORGE W. THOMPSON,
Esq. of Wheeling, for the Office. He pronounced
Mr.. T. to be one Of the most eminent LAWYERS and
jursts in Western Virginia, and gentleman every
way qualified to discharge the duties of the office
He concluded by expressing the hope that it might
be the pleasure of the Housexo elect him.
Mr. PRICE said the office of First Auditor was
very important one, and the present ver,Ampor
tant year, as the sales Of delinquent lands We're to
be made during the ensuing Summer. This was
an intricate and complicated matter but the pre-
sent incumbent of the Office perfectly familiar
with the subject Should it be the pleasure of the
House to appoint Mr.. Thompson Auditor, he
would enter upon the discharge of his duties to-
tally unacquanted with this important branch of
public service. Mr.. Heath's familiarity with the
land laws and internal Improvements of the State
rendered him eminently fitted for the post. He
member of the Board of Public Works. and
was, in that capacity, Invaluable to the common
wealth; he had grown up with the commencement
Of that Board, and was conversan with all its rami-
ficatons.
In addition to the fact that Mr.. Heath was an ac-
complished gentleman, it should be borne in mind
that he had enjoyed an experience of thirty years
in the discharge of the duties of Auditor. He
challenged any member in the House to call in
question the ability or fidelity of Mr.. Heath If
then, he had for so many years discharged the du
ties of the Office faithfully and advantageousy for
the interests of the commonwealth, why turn him
out? But the guillotine had been erected-a VIC
tim must be sacrificed, and he supposed the blood of
this able courteous and faithful officer would be
made to flow He wanted to know the reason
why it was proposed to remove Mr.. Heath. If
there exist any cause, let us hear it,
Mr.. MARTZ said Mr.. Heath was violent parti-
zan, and had written burlesque upon the Demo
cratic party.
Mr.. PRIcE asked why, if this constituted good
ground for his removal, the Democratic party had
not hurled Mr. Heath from Office years ago. As
to Col. Geo. w. Thompson, Mr.. p. said he would
ask, who knows Geo. w. Thompson?
Mr.. WELLS. do.
Mr.. PRICE asked if he was the same George w.
Thompson whom his Democratic friends in the
Wheeling District refused to endorse? For him
SELF personally, he had no complaint to make
against that gentleman, but he would again ask if
he came well endorsed? If he recollected Alright
Mr.. Thompson suffered defeat last Summer in
district which gave Gen. Cass 800 majority i'll the
Presidential election, How did this happen, if he
enjoyed good odour among the Democracy of that
n Away tO nlanf tho Eathf,I aatb bx
a man like this, who comes here repudated by his
own party
Mr. claiborne saw no reason why all this fuss
had been kicked up He did not know what right
the gentleman from Greenbrier had to ask why we
chose to turn out James E. Heath. Members
were responsible to their constituents alone for be-
slowing their votes upon George w. Thompson
For one, he declared he did not intend TO vote
against Mr.. Heath, because he had been gifted with
sufficient talent to write a burlesque. He voted
against him because he Wing, and should
support Thompson because he Democrat
These were his grounds. Mr.. Heath might be
and fathfu-he did not pretend to deny
that he was not. But the Wing party on that floor,
need not try to make capital out of the refusal of
he House to reelect Mr. Heath. TWAS too small
4 game, especially coming on the heel of Taylor's
Parties in his (Mr. C.s) county
were closely balanced-the county of Franklin had
given Gen. Taylor two majority in the Presidential
electon-suppose, then, when he returned home
next Spring, his people should refuse to re-elect
him, would he not be on an equal footing with Mr. |
Heath His office, like Mr.. Heath's, was an an
nual one. He should not complain if his people |
chose to supplant him. He declared himself to
be in favor of rotation III Object good Jetfer
sonian doctrine. Mr.. C. said he knew Col. Thomp-
to be gentleman of sterling character and fine
abilities He did not think it required an exraor-
binary amount of talent to discharge the duties of
First Auditor; but if so, Col. Thompson possessed |
that talent. He recolected that last year, when
Col Il. nominated as Governor, the Wing
delegate from the county of Ohio, who came to
hat house, backed by 500 Wing majority said more
in Col. Thompson's behalf in one hour than he
could in week. Something had been said rela-
tive to the defeat of Col Thompson in the Wheel
ing District. 1t was true he the best beaten
man in the Union," saving always Henry Clay.
But he could assure the Wings that Col. Thompson
would be elected Auditor. The die had been cast,
and Heath must go. We intend to do the thing,
right or wrong, The Democratic party, said Mr..
G, did not deny Heath's capacity to fill the office,
but they chose TO elect Thompson.
Mr.. FRRGusoN said, the causes which led to the
defeat Of Col. Thompson in the Wheeling district,
ought to be as well known to the member from
Greenbrer as to any one else. Those causes
were in operation before that gentleman entered
INTO the canvass. Col. It's defeat was entirely
owing to discussions in the Democratic ranks.
Even the lamented Newman who had never fall
tered before the people, ran narrow chance OF
Oemg defeated. I1du ule w huoWH tIat
Democratic party were divided among them s
Selves Mr. Russell would, in all probability, have
defeated Mr.. Newman. Butwas this the first time
hat Democrats had suffered defeat in Democratic
districts, or Wings suffered defeat in Wing dis
ricts9 Where was the " immortal Bolts Had
ne not suffered defeat in district which the
Wings claimed to be Wing in sentiment! Why,
hen, object to Col Thompson because he failed
% secure his electonl But he (Mr. CO. was
to show, that if all the polls in the
county of Wetzel had been opened Col, T. would
have defeated Raymond. The polls at two pre-
,incts in the county of Wetzel were not opened at
all; at each, large Democratic maorities would
have been given. As regarded abilities, no COM
parison could be instituted between Messrs Hay
mond and Thompson, Thompson was infinitely
Haymond's superior. He would ask his friend
from Greenbrier, why G, w. Thompson had been
turned out of the office of district Attorney Was
he incompetent
Mr.. Price said he knew nothing of the causes
which led to Mr. ThompsQp's removal
Mr.. FERGUSON Taylor had removed him
because he was democrat On this ground alone