Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-08

upon the amendment cu,.sI by tbs gentleman
from Halifax (Mr. FLoURSor) to the SUBSTITUTE,
. offered by the gentleman from Lonjsa. mfr
AAsLER,) for Mr.. SPEEDS, resolution. TIL,
amendment has been accepted by the gentle
maa from Louisa, and that now stands as tb,
competing proposition TO tina. offered hy tn
= gentleman from Lynchburs, iMr. SPEED 4
. motion has been made by the gentleman frou
Monroe lMr. CAPERroN,) TO lay the whole sub
IJect on the table, and that 10 The motion directly
before the House.
r Inc question having then been taken on .he
a motion 10 lay on the table, it was acciecd in he
affirmative.
Mr.. FlsuER.-I desire to Offer the following
Q resolution:
t Resolved, Thu: in all future appointments
, to the offices OF major, colonel, brigadier gene
: raj, or any other officers of cquivalen. or higher
grade, by the Executive. such appointments
: shall be confirmed by this Convention. or slal!
d. only be valid when made during TN. recess O,
r the Convention, during such recess"
desire to say, that | had no idea, until |
was informed Of the fact Oh yesterday, ,ha, this
Convention conferred upon any human being
the power without control! Of maxim. snpo;ut.
ments of Brigadier Generals, Inspector Gems.
rails, Colonies and Majors. This is = :4,,er
eyen greater than is possessed by the prosiIca,
Of the United STATES.
Mr.. EARLY.-We will hare tina: sobi-r n,
immediately, in tue form Of u r"o??t fyyu .r,
Committee on Military :ifl!cs.
Mr.. FisuL.".-l am very glad to hear from ,,,c
gentleman that TO- subject is taken IN charge
oy the Military Co,nm.,''ee. don't MAI, !. ;
cast any reflection upon the / ,-~-Hu.ivc il .E,"n
ing TINS resolution; tor if The Goro,o,* w..
my bosom friend I would not cons. =, ,h,
.nouio exercise such power withou, b.;rr.uL'
lset 10 the supervision Of this Convsr,i9S"T
supposed that the same p%rincinl. ],,'.,:oi I
70 these Offices referred 10 in lL. re Iy tIp"c-
~ tue ounce OF Major General. don, kno-s e
VIVA. committee brought in tho ordinsnc' J
,poh the subject Of The Governors no~
9lS respect-whether it was tho Oom-
anlIary Affairs Or no. l take
o"eVer, that the omission Of
supervisory power WI .er il
y resolution to seer. .ai,tee r,
on tbs for orsn,aI
otulLah" clause reScrriu,
,hkHeo "'c' IL ~ ,ae u'Jcc: @
-'o, was thc result Of II
part o! tdoS. VINO prepared
ulhance authorizing. tho appointment oi
9lacerS was, | believe. passed on ,ast
.uao""'H' a"", II ,u.stahc not. is further es..
~" 80 WAS ordered u bs suspended by IN.
"'oH; "het:;c" ihiS is so or NJ. nm
' Iosno" lullf aware; but /! want this body ~
aso"a:e tnat no sucn dic;aiu"ial power shall be
exercised ny the Executive Of ihic rn,n,,,D
wealth. I have no i,lc" 1i,a1 i, sb,I tto o"'i
power Of the Governor Of this w IL U,e
whoever he may he, to appcin, ;nainlr
'neSo high Offices in which the who'll. ra,mmos 20
wealth are deeply interested.
1 mold that these ~ctIic.s mI,h, - ho an,
VITA individuals who's. apo5;ntme,, m -aII
prove acceptable to The pr1pIe If ~. mh hnIu
STATE, and this object can bcs, be ,;,,inot hs
d supervisory action on The part Of mi, OK
Ventlon, whose members are best c,mna,ont :
Juuse OF the character OF the an,o;ntn. e6
ana taeir conformity to the scnti:aaa. NJ MS,
whom they represent. SHos:
1hoSe othceS are TOO important n
m.eaessso Oh 'he Commonwealth; IT, a., 80
"'Po.u,t % me SUCCESS Of or III Et,r "S '"o
slons 10 be biled by one indivif,n,i "P'Ts'
&c governed In his selections b. n,a ""o may
,'hslaeratons. ] do not ,S,r". :~t'S''al
lo''ve upon the Executive; bu, fbo n.y. S"c'
wi IS nos a Vloleni one; Tor ne js naS'o'f' ',
uu:"h nature, Ike men WHO have ht., ~ DIX y
= yleiu 70 such considerations II 49, clown :
important trusts. When ,keso o~Sa lclse
shais receive .no oonirma.i, "rPo'".- :"
.on, fepresc ming every port;no as ' th o
uiu eailn' It must be presr;ned H., eue
If I ,o,, sS'S.f4G!ion, and prove efacic.
-; ! eei5 You, NJ. President, if vo.
.u'.'S'Su'l, however elevated
seSsons 10 inpor.
larsS:sr. Of these re- ;
ntrOl the anno;- at
The .&u:horiz;
yer er- he may be. t.
AM otii ces OF the
-.eIrcd 20, without any
.itmcnts will not give salts
PRESIDENT OF the United States has
..crcised sucn power, and the Consliju-
.. never conferred it upon him. We are not
IN such q dilemma, rs yet, as 10 make it necessary
for US to appoint Il dictator; and, III using this
{ term, | beg again to say, that mean to cast
no reflection upon the Executive. But | say
@ that the concession OF this uncomfortable power
Of appointment, is comforting upon him n sort
es diotatorial power which am by no means
: willing to yield TO any human being.
shall ask for the adoption If the rrsoiu.
ton unless the Committee on Military Affairs.
/. submit a report on the subject. If tbs. repor;
, is not such as | l!kr, | shall offer this as Z sub
{ ssitute.
( Mr.. ScoTT, Of nowiat2n.-The gentleman
from Northampton CIR. FlSuEE) is mistaken in
[ SuppoSing that this has been the work Of the
, committee in any manner or form whatever.
The ordinance under which Generals arc ap,
6 pointed BY the Executive, was passed hGEare
the organization Of the military committee,
and they therefore can have no responsibility
in the matter. An ordinance Was adopted bv
=. this Convention declaring that the Executive
Of this commonwealth Should receive volunteer
companies by companies, and Should G~Icun;3c
!, them into regiments, ~trigrles and divisions
and appoin: the necessary officers to The prSi-
6 tons thus created.
Under that ordinance which vas passed br-
fore the committee vas appointed at all, The
Executive appointed one Mojor General,
t AMI has appointed, t" rny knowledge,
two Brigadier Generals Of Volunteers. sly
nothing in regard to the fitness of the geniic.
, men appointed 10 these Offices. Gen. Gwyn
was appointed Major General, and Gers. Cocke
and Ruggles Brigalier Generals.
Whether any more have been appointed I
cannot say. In regard TO these appointment. l
have nothing to say.
as to the Inspector General, know nothing
about it, nor am [ aware OF tn. authority IN.
der which the appointment was made.
Mr.. MORTON, Of Orange aad Grcen.-My
idea in relation to that matter is, that the re.
spousibility Of the Military Department is upon
Major General Lee, who is Commander in Chief,
and that these appointments, from Colonel rg,
ought to receive his sanction and approval.
Mr.. DoRNAN, Of Ro~ck6ridge.--i! seems to
me that this Convention has been going On in
a very slip-shod way. Ordinances are frc-
quently passed here which we do not hcar
read, aid the meaning Of which We frequently