Chap. 6. 



LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS. 



91 



ADDRESS TO THE PRESIDENT. 



PETITIONS FOR BANKS. 



pointments to office from their own polit- 

 ical party. But this was not the case. 

 Three new judges were appointed for the 

 eupreme court ; but they were not select- 

 ed on account of their political opinions, 

 but on account of their supposed qualifi- 

 cations for the office. In the other ap- 

 pointments, they followed the customary 

 method of regarding the county nomina- 

 tions, and looked rather to the qualifica- 

 tions of the candidate than to his political 

 opinions. Tlie customary business of 

 legislation was pursued with diligence, 

 calmness and impartiality. 



In 1798, the federalists had introduced 

 the custom of addressing the President of 

 tlie United States, and the republican 

 party, liaving now gained the ascendancy, 

 thought it necessary to imitate the exam- 

 ple, by a respectful address to Mr. Jeffi;r- 

 son. A committee was appointed, and an 

 address reported, expressive of strong at- 

 tachment to the constitution, and to the 

 person and political opinions of the Presi- 

 dent, but containing no reflections upon 

 tlie former administration. When this 

 address was brought before the house for 

 their adoption, the federalists proposed a 

 trifling alteration in some of the expres- 

 sions, which the opposite party supposed 

 was designed to prevent any address be- 

 ing made. A debate now arose about 

 words and phrases, which gradually in- 

 creased in power and violence, till the 

 spirit of party was wrought almost to 

 phrenzy and madness. This debate was 

 continued on three successive da3's, and 

 ten times were votes taken upon it by 

 yeas and nays. At length, after some 

 sligiit alterations, tlie address was finally 

 adopted by a vote of 86 yeas to 59 nays.* 



In October, 18U'2, the legislature met at 

 Burlington, and Mr. Tichenor was found 

 to be re-elected governor by a respectable 

 Diajority. In his speech, he adverted to 

 the alarming progress of party spirit, and 

 to the dangers to be apprehended from it 

 to our political institutions. The house, 

 as usual, ajjpointed a committee who re- 

 ported an answer to the speech. This 

 answer was intended not only as an an- 

 swer to the governor-, but a declaration of 

 the sentiments of the house with regard 

 to tlie present and preceding administra- 

 tions of tlie general government. It was 

 written in a peculiar style, abounding in 

 sly insinuations, fulsome adulation, and 

 ambiguous paragraphs. The debate upon 

 tills answer was warm and sj/irited, but 

 it was finally adopted, without alteration, 

 by a vote of 93 to 8.5. Tlie minority en- 

 tered u])on the journals of the house a 



* See Juurnal ot' llie General Assembly i'ut ISOJi 

 piigo 215. 



protest against this answer, signed by 59 

 members. 



After this business was disposed of, and 

 to prevent similar occasions of excite- 

 ment, one of the members gravely intro- 

 duced a motion to recommend that the 

 governor should not hereafter make a for- 

 mal speech. This motion was, however, 

 decided in the negative, and happily no 

 other business was brought forward which 

 was calculated to arouse the prejudices or 

 inflame the minds of the members. The 

 republican majority was evidently less 

 than it was the preceding year, and did 

 not venture to hazard the adoption of vio- 

 lent or prescriptive measures. The ap- 

 pointments were mostly made from the 

 republican party, but the business of the 

 session was generally managed with pru- 

 dence and moderation. 



In 1803, the legislature met at West- 

 minster. Every part of the country was 

 now agitated by political intrigues and 

 debates. The governor opened the ses- 

 sion, as usual, with a speech ; but he 

 carefully avoided political questions, and 

 called the attention of the legislature im- 

 mediately to the business of the state. 

 A committee was appointed, who reported 

 an answer to his excellency's speech, 

 which was adopted without debate, and 

 nothing occurred to call up the feelings 

 of party, till the appointment of civil offi- 

 cers came on. The republicans had a 

 small majority in the house, and they now 

 resolved to employ it in weakening their 

 opponents. Several of the judges were 

 displaced, and men of more approved re- 

 publican principles appointed in their 

 places, and the work of proscription, on 

 account of political opinions, was now 

 carried farther than it was by the federal- 

 ists in 1798. 



The subject of banks first came before 

 the legislature at this session. Petitions 

 were received from Windsor and Burlino-- 

 ton to be allowed to establish banks in 

 those towns ; and bills passed the house 

 of representatives granting the privileges 

 prayed for, but they were returned by the 

 governor and council non-concurred in, 

 accompanied by eight reasons against 

 banking, which were entered on the jour- 

 nal.* The matter was then referred to 

 the next session of the legislature. It 

 was expected that proposals would be re- 

 ceived from Congress, during this session, 

 to amend the constitution of the United 

 States, so as to oldige the electors to dis- 

 tinguish, on the votes given in, the person 

 intended for president from the one in- 

 tended for vice president. As it was sup- 



* See Journal of General Assembly, 1803, p. 235. 

 Also article on Banks, Cliap. VH. 



