Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-02-11

ii tney were SdtlSneO Unit ne was competent TO TIL
discharge of its duties. The farce written by Mr.
Heath, to which alluson had been made was a ri
diculous piece of nonsense, entirely harmless, be
cause it had a tendency rather to ridicule the au
thor than any one else. He certainly did not in
tend voting against Mr.. Heath because he hat
written 1t; his objections to re-electing him were o
another and weghtier kind He did not think tina
any man had right to hold public Office all hi
! lde Mr.. Heath had been in Office thirty years
period quite long enough, he presumed, to canoe
MS claims upon the state. 1t had been urged, tina
! nf Heaths services, as member of the Board o
| Pubhc works. were invaluable. Now he (Mr F..
| DID not regard him as the Ajax of that Board
| moreover, he wanted some new men in that
Board 1t was the intention of the Democratic
| party to remove only two of the present incurn-
bens, unless they should be forced to do otherwise
by the course of the Wings
Mr.. BURwELL said he would not have taken part
IN the discussion then progressing but for the threat
just thrown out by the member from Logan He
said he disked political excitement was not par
tzan, and scrupulOusly avoided the discussion of
Federal topics. The proposition assumed, that a
party on that floor intended to exercise power
because they possessed the ability to do SO, was
worthy OF opposition. He had not risen to pro-
long the agonies of dramatic damnation--had not
read the farce which had been spoken of; if it re-
Elected on any person, it deserved to be despised.
He referred, in this connexion, to the election of
Public Printer whose avocaon, as the conductor
of party press, compelled him daily to ndte vio-
lent party paragraphs thought this officer might
be regarded as equally obnoxious to the charge of
rldicullng political opponents. But he said he went
for the impunity of the press in speaking of mea-
sures of Government; it should, however, be held
responsible for its animadversons upon individuals
He objected to the principle sought to be now es-
abllshed that because an individual did not agree
in political sentiment with the majority, he should
be held unworthy of publ est Such princi-
pie ought not to influence man, certainly not a
freeman. The only objection alleged against Mr.
Heath, appeared to be that he was Wing. Has
it come to this, said Mr. B., that no man, however
competent he may be, is to hold office unless he
agrees with the dominant party in political sent-
ment? We are fit to be taxed to bear arms &c
but not esteemed worthy to hold any office, how.
ever humble! If this detestable principle should
be carried out, our Judges will have to enquire into
the political opinions of jurors, in order to shape
their decisions as to suit the political complexion
of the major party. Mr.. B. very happily illustrated
the absurdity of the test sought to be established;
he said the people did not require such tests thew
had not spoken on the subject If the people had
condemned Mr. Heath, he should not raise his voice
in behalf of that gentleman; but they had not; no
mpntatlon rested on him. no objection existed
other than that he had written play True, Mr.
Heath possessed no right to the office. " Prove
him incompetent to discharge the duties of the of.
fce,' said Mr. B., 'and will vote against him ~
He protested against the establishment of the pro-
scrptve system i'll Virginia; denounced it as anti
republican and unworthy of the State; and refer
red to poor, down-trodden Ireland, where he said
the people had been striving to rid themselves of
the odous principle proposed to be carried out that
day i'll the Virginia Legislature. He had nothing
to say relative to the merits dement's of Mr.. Geo
w. Thompson-it did not become him to animad-
vert upon the character of that gentleman. He
knew nothing of him. Mr.. Heath was an old man
had grown grey in the service of the State-was
universally acknowledged to be able and compe-
tent-why, then, ostracise him to make room for an
untred officer He certainly did not believe Mr..
Heath to be the only man in the State who could
discharge the duties of this office-did he so be-
lieve, he should despair of the Republc-but he
had been found able and faithful, and he depreca-
ted his dismissal from Office on the sole ground of
difference in political sentiment with the dominant
party in that House.
Mr.. Cook of Roanoke rose for the purpose of
seconding the nomination of Mr. Geo. w. Thomp-
SON. He said he imagined that speeches would
not avail to prevent the Democratic party from
concentrating its purpose. He should not have
said a word on the subject now under discussion
if the gentleman from Greenbrier had not pro-
pounded the question, "Who is Geo. w. Thomp-
SOM" He would tell that gentleman who George
w. Thompson was.
Mr. PRICE remarked that he had only asked the
question for the purpose of answering it himself,
intending thereby to show that Col. Thompson did
not come here endorsed by his Democratic friends
Mr.. Cook asked if that was to have any weight,
he would desire to know if John s. Galaher had
not been appointed to Office by General Taylor
Was not John Jones, who ran against and was
defeated by, General Bayly, rewarded by General |
Taylor Did the gentleman from Greenbrier
sanction the appointment of those gentlemen by
Gen Taylor He would also ask that gentleman
if he knew Maj Edmund Christian and Mr.. Tho
mas Nelsonl Did he approve the ostracism of
these officers?
Mr. YERRY said he had Just reached the hall
had that morning witnessed elsewhere an interest |
ing surgical operation, VIZ the amputation of
limb, and had come into the House for the purpose
of witnessing the decapitation which was about to
take place there He said he protested, in the
name of the Democratic portion of his constituents,
against the removal of the present officers An
analogy had been sought to be established between
the action of Gen. Taylor, and that proposed to be
pursued by the house that day. No such analogy
could be drawn. If Gen. Taylor had committed
4 wrong in turning out Democratic ofice-holders
would the ostracism of the Wing officers of this
State right that wrong
Mr.. CLAIBORNE asked the gentleman from North
ampton if he did not, in the session of 19445, vote
against John Rutherford and for Travis Daniel?
Mr.. VERIFY said that he did, and that he had re-
gretted it ever since.
Mr. SHEPARD would ask the gentleman if he re-
sretted it, why he did not rectify the error when
he had the opportunity to do so. II
Mr. YERBY. Because two wrongs never make
right. LII you TURN out uese oIuCeFs tO-udy, Sdlu
Mr. " you set horrible precedent in Virginia
The Wings would be compelled to retaliate when
hey found themselves in the majority. Are we
o have political Board of Public Works too t
lave not Democrats received Office at the hands
If the present Board? He said he had in his pos
esson document from which he learned that a
majority of the appointments made by the Board
lad been given to Democrats. Suppose the plan {
low proposed to be established should be carried
O what would it lead We should have Demo-
ratio Judiciary, Democratic Sheritfs, Commits {
ioners, &c. Are the Wings of the State to be re-
,arded as unworthy of taking lot or part in the
lffars of the Slater For one, he did not justify {
General Taylor's proscriptive policy but he had
urned out very few Ofice-holders in Virginia He
that there were some ten lucrative
offices now held by Democrats in Virginia, and
ome thirty Virginians who were Democrats, hold
ng office in Washington. Do not wreak your
vengeance upon such valuable officers, but if you
nust retaliate do it ON some who could be more
easily spared by the State. He said he believed
he policy now about to be established to be con-
rarv even to the wishes of the Democracy of the
state Mr.. Heath had held the post of Auditor for