Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-04-29

and ,ha - hnffceut interest of the State than
;la interest. If the property. IN its most confined
! sense. That is a branch Of the subject which |
wish to enlarge upon if ever once get the moor and
haze the opportuuitv Laughter lou may iauHh
i,u i..,,. MT begI, ak uiva TIM subject lt-.
,rks 49,, -, r,jy ,u:d tll.,r- before ,nLer !.:;;:i,-
/ AMENBEK. Will the gentleman give. to a mo-
/ Nv WiSE T IN, roin. to conclude soon am very
an, Ia talk Inv ts and starts the gentleman from Rich
moni L,s stirred m, III, and want to fight out this bat
Tie with him tell YOU. these lawyers-these mere
LAWYERS who have Lsen practising in the courts all their
lives are the worst statesmen on "od earth Laugh
Ter. ! Sav this more freely 10 my friend because he
La- heart ana mind enough 10 comprehend it, There
branches of bi. subject which discussing which
he doe. mo-, seen, Ia have studied at ALL he would not
have .,ven such honey Juggling definition of the sub
icc Laughter These lawyers study Blackstone,
Coke upon ittelon until they look through key-hoc
and take rifle shots ri every Object
! a MEMBER. ARE you not lawyer:
Mr. WISE No sir | am not LAWYER God forbid
that sbouId he a lawyer. Do not call me Il lawyer.
rcnounce The nane and do not even pretend TO be
one LAUGHTER although they sometimes tell me
get aon; very well without municipal law. di /
study some elementary works law long time since
but all the authority ofhe English books
on poilca! law anhere permit me to say that in my
opinion this mixed basis in effect aristucratc, alb
soue, monarchcal union, part French and part English
There Is not bit o -tnericanism in it-no particle
They talk abo4t proecion Now, lay down this prin-
cplc of American law, which is contradictory to nil
English law and that is that protection is never secured
by sra:,: power. ought be secured ov
grant Of power but it is always secured by prohbi-
ton os power Henry A. Wise, james Lyons A, B. C.
or D. in th. assembly out of it. is protected in his
person not only against king majority but against king
eyerybody in this state lie protected in life in limb
and in his pcrson ami how BY grant of powerl No;
b! by prohibition of power to everybody else. And
will You protect your property by other means than
those by which you protect your persona Will YOU nc
Knowledge that your person may be protected by a
prohibition of power but to protect your property YOU
must have grant uI power? My friend from Richmond
(Nlr LYoSs) has alluded to il. and the gentleman who
last addressed m also savsthat the minority
the majority that they will not rely upon these linita
tons-lhcy will not rely upon these guaranties-ani
that they will nor lave paper guarantees Let say
To those gentlemen if of the minority cannot relv
upon grant OF power :i.hou any limitation whatever!
How YOU ask that lie constitution shall put .mi-
tatinn nIluli IT, sovereign ority and whatever
upn the gov. tnnlenii' mnurity You do ask il On
the ground of The competency inconpetency of the
legislature goa do not ask 1t on the gronI OF the
potency ucomEecncy of the executive or of icil
power but ask that the governmental Dover ~ ihc
State shall be yielded up IL rou who the minor
ty without limitation. ask that that trust may bcr
posed i'll You which you cannot he repOsed i'll tie
orit~ You cunolnd the governmental majority. the
ortiz in the legislature and the sovereign orv at
tina, the gentleman irol 'auquier lr. Scorr most nsc
niou avoided all nice dis motions upon the subject He
talk about lmitaf upon the executive and lita-
tona upon the ulc;Ay and he seemed to regard the h
itatios upnthc Legislative powe synonymous rather
analogous TO those alpoed upon tie Glicar-. Viii the
executive have the power check the will of the major
liz of the pcor'2 the polls Will the judiciary have
the power to check the power of orty the polls
Is the executive man Of power except as agcn; OF
tie people, pose; under the constitution: know
I'll,
elr made independent of the people for the Irg!s-
a;urc creates rather elects both the executive and
Judiciary. Wide the lcyi-larc itself is elected by mi
nrrtv Of the people. ut tn, polls Do gentlemen in
their logic tell that the grant OF power the le,is-
Latte "a cheek the soycrc people the polls
he placed i'll the category with limitation Elic!
defines tie executive power and defines tie judicial
power -" il Is limitation, it is protection it i
positive GRANT Of power. fypr pass that mixed basis it
Will De grant Of power the minority. and prohi.
htion OF power to the man. 1t is limitation in any
s--c vhl.ever-lt Is no guarantee III any what
ever. Will the gentleman from the city of Richmond
with this aristocrc idea that majority OF the people
ut tn" polls not to Ic entrusted with the power of
projecting property especially that the universal
trcign rowrr 1T the pos-lhe majority Of the people
sha lave the power Of constituting the governmental
maimty--thc lc3isia,ure-l say, will the gentleman
tell this is done ii he has not made arsto
cratic instead Of democratic republic Yes sir it is
an a'isi,icrac; that he is establishing hope (ou will
forgive the gentleman for he knows not what lie does
bat II he does not know it, his doctrine leads to that
laughter. speak plainly. am not to be hood
winked by pretensios Of the conservatism of this mixed
basis.
BIT have been led into this discussion too far-much
farther than intended b. drawn by the speech Of
III" gentleman from Richmond. Lei ne tell HIM that
he must lot 90 before his constituents again. and pretend
that majority Of the people at the polls WELD
the power of tho State He distinctly too the ground
that h. would put the representative power in the css
i"ure il the minds OF the minority of the State, upon
Tie ground that the mixture OF property with popl-
iaon the only security for the protection Of prop
crr and that ority of the voters of the State
mo- bc trusted with the protection of property That
is VIVA; expected he would touch upon when he rose
H. evening. and whether had d-rust ed the people
about the judiciary; not whether there ought 10 BE-
pur" democracy here instead of representative denioc-
racr m:f whether h. could mair'an l.e doctrine that
h" held This morning. that the majority Of the qualified
voters Of the STATE n": to he trusted with the
protection OF property. If that ground is maintained
Rclno!d it is time had sent missionaries here to
preach them day and night. until the metropolis of
the State shall get rid OF that hcrcsr beg pardon for
having deaircdhc Convention so long and now move
that VIC adjourn.
= Mr.. SCOTT, OF Rio hmond ask the gentleman from
Acconac personal favor to withdraw tina. motion
for moment
Mr. WISE Certainly.
Mr.. SCOTT. of Richmond. do not intend to leain
The co:nittcc by entering into discussion which h:-
seemed to IN" to be very much ont of order We have
had before proposition in regard to the reporting
"f the Convention AMI the debate has wandered wide
from III" question. But bee Of vou and Of those who
surround mr, TO bear with lie for one single moment
while make reference 10 matter which understood
thar MY ncigbor and friend and colleague from the
the county ri Hcnrico Dir. BoTrs) has commented
during m. absence from this hall My colleage (Mr.
Lr"Ns hi, chosen announce, that which am Will
sooner later bt found tn he the truth. that there
five this floor least representing this district
and Representing. it truthfuy an, faithfully in regard to
this great Question and indication of that fact that
the people of the county of lenrco, had during the
present day held meeting at their courthouse in which
they had dcaounccl-ycs rcnhunccd-all measures "f
compromise between free white population aa1 taxa
ton a the bass o! repre-. antation. understand !
has hcrn said here that that meeting made mp i
five.
/. SIR. BOTTS. No. did not 50 co. sail nothing
like it.
~! Nr. SCOTT. That t,.rc were four votes.
Mr. BOLTS ! said was informed by Il gentleman
then on THU '-1r-in. 4 more respectable gentleman
does not live iii this c:ivand wllo present At the
Meeting ;llat .nrre were ;'rcr ard but rce, as
far lie coI ascerta.. for the resolutions ar! one
;anst The rest O" those present 5eeincd to take no
part il TIE meeting
j Mr. SCOTT. tell That Z rtlc.,an. on the iGfor-
nation of one but q: dozen that that meeting cs..r
together as the people from the county