Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-02-18
interest in the interests of our community, and that

interest in the interests of community and that is
wholesome restraint
A MEMBER. That clause will not be adopted.
Mr. SCOTT If understand the gentleman right it is
said and 1t Is the first time have heard an objection
to it. that the nativity clause will not be carried here
Why should it not be- 1t is based upon the principles
of patriotism and love of country orclby adverted
to my friend He who is native born has an affection
for the State pride Of his nativity addedto an identity
ofeeng and nteres. and sympathy with tho citizens Of
the State. But this is not the only Limitation proposed
in the report of the committee another is limitation
10 age viii the gentleman say that this is nfrng
ment upon popular rights Will he say that it is no
curtamcnt Of the rights Of the people! presume that
he would not fill the gubenatorial chair with minor.
But the result of his argument is that minors should
be eligible to the offices Of the Commonwealth and 10
the high exccuticc office Of this Commonwealth.
MIR. HOGE. That wa, not my position Ny position
was that minors inhabitants subjects, and not
citizens citizen in the Unitod States,
who can exercise political power. A. minor
becomes citizen that he exercise political pow
r. then would give him the right of selection and If
being elected.
Mr.. SCOTT. did not misunderstood the gentleman
and my alnson to the legitimate result oil his ar
gumen.. said that if it carried out to its full extent
it would inevitably lead to the very results to which
have referred But then this is proper limitation. Ii
isa necessary and wholesome limitation because at thai
age all the powers, the experience and the development
oil the mental power requisite qualify Tor office
are more likely to be exhibited at that period than at
any other 1t necessary, therefore that restraint
should be provided in order that such officers would
administer the Government efficiently should be brought
into power. have not yet heard that any gentleman
has thought proper give the Of the Governor
Unlimited continuance. And yet if the doctrine Of the
gentleman who addressed the Convention this morning be-
true that all power resides in the people: and that
they cannot surrender ii to any other depository OF pow
thnt-D ,s.l.,
him ont q" office and elect another The doctrine OF the
gentleman say, inevitably leads to that result. The
gentleman spoke of agencies and the transfer of power
That is enough. What is an agent l. lie is an iniivid
ua conferred with power which il delegated to him to
exercise under his own control according tho charter
the grant by which the power conferred An agent
presnpposcs some power who had deegatedt to him the
power Of his agency the Governor is elected by the
people and clothed with executive authority and power
from whom is that power derived i. it self-crentcd
selfa'snmed' orisi not apower delegated by the peo
pie to him, and to be excrci;ed within certain mctcs
andbounds. The very term, say of agency prcsuppo-
power which is to be exercised by the agent
While all admit that the people the safest depository
Of power Yet contend the fact of their possessing all
power enables them delegate portion of it their
agents, the ncunbents in office. Why if that doctrine
is trneacit per am tac per Sc, and when the people
choose to cosummate through their agents they
consumnae that act BY Themselves So that the very
use of the term agent allndcd to by my friend from
Montgomery (Mr. HoGE.) certainly presupposes the
fact that while the people the repositories of all
power, the very fact Of their possessing al power
abes them To delegated portion Of that power 10 whom
ever the necessity of the case may require
But it is proper that there should be n limitation NJ
tho term for which the Governor shall hold his office.
have heard various propositions offered here; ono l.
that he shall hold his power for two years: aud the 9th
that no should hold it for four ard another that there
should be an intermediate term and the right to be
Of all the motion of the gentleman from Henrco that
he shall be forever re-clgble And yet these Nil
Limitations and favored by the most radical gentlemen
in the Convention Will it not be limitation to confhc
the of service 10 two years. Will not this bo if the
gcnteman+ argument is correct, Limitation upon the
rights Of the peopcthc fixing the term at any period.
90 for limitation of the rights Of the people rather
than any unlimited system which should degenerate in
to the very worst of all govcrnments--ansrchy.
shall support the proposition Of the gentleman from
Pitt -ylvania and for these You elect Cover
nor for four and the people in the most enlarged
SENSE are become the electors of the Governor. Ii has
been denied in the argument day that Office power
had corrupt Influence, and yet the Other day the very
worthy gentlemen from Powha.an arranged the source
Of corruption into three classe- First love OF power,
second pride and ambition, and thru, passion OF
avarr.. | will let these two conference.-the gen
leman from Montgomery aud the gentleman from
Powhaian--reconce the difference between them.
That mower will begct power is axiom which all gov
.rrncnts have been created tn restrain III is an admit
ted truth and all governments have turned their nt
ton the object of restraining power II You elect
mali for four wears and elect him afterwards for the
same period pride Of Office is likely to beset him. and
no sooner is man clothed with the robeso office. tina
he feels by the very elevation which enables him 10 &C
cupv that office that he sto extent ralse above
Ms fellows and that the 81 community have yielded
some .. cent his superiority The effect Of the prin
chile of inelgihy would he to check this spirit, and
IN bring him own from his elevation In mix again with
the people Then il he had administered the govern
ment satisfactorily IL the people, he would after he had
again mngle with them. and had an opportunity IT,
learn their interests and their wants he again elected If
the p.ople thought proper to elect him with one
voice to The Office which he had before occupied And
then when he had served out eight out Of twelve years
wears would bring him back again to the people and
let him again become one Of them And this principle
has been carried out in this state ! know OF an midi
v;Jual who never made mn enemy lost Il
friend, after being clothed with all the honors which
his State could confer on him. both OF executive
md legislative departments Of the government to
retire 10 the private sadss OF life aud accept 1.-THE o
fee Of simple u.tice Of the Peace know another
who after receiving every honor ut the hands OF his
,nrymcn which was possible for them to confer rs,
sumed the responsible trust. ANA TINS VIII he
The case with all who clothed with the robes OF
office ant, power they will come back again to the peo
ple and become Identified with them in interest and ieo
ing: in fact becoming of the people themselves i'
i'll argued, AMI III was most ligeHlously anu Piueioy
argued by nv friend from Powhatan the other day that
the objection not to the election but to Limitation
was that corruption would steal itself into the executive
chair and whilst it would not be cxerted for the benefit
Of the incumbent himself it might be exerted I" ''t
most alarming extent for the benefit of politicians ana
other designing men and that while you render nm
ineligible, you give him tho power Of securing the clec
ton Of some other individual and that in the end 1t
would result in corrupt exercise of power. We'll
that struck mo AS very singular argument II ms pow
er of corruption exists. that it can sscure the
elevation Of political friends, ask when you come
TO employ that power in mid Of the individuals
own personal elevation. how much more dangerous
and destructive would it DO to popular rights I
And when YOU come to add to these powerful motives
the passion of avarcc which the gentleman says one
Of lie strongest that governs mans action; when you
come to add the influence ofhs passion with
tves would it not result in making the Governor more
niant md more aca in the exercise OF corrupt poweri
Unto then these two influences, the power OF ambition
and the love Of Office and put corrupt man in the exec
utiye chair and while there danger to be apPrehended
according to the gentleman from Powhatan from the
exercise Of these powers in bringing into office point
ical friend how much dangerous the combination
Of ali these influences, when they permit him to exert
his power to subservc his own selfish purposes If
tho arounent is good when applied to coaterals how