The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-12-04
GREAT EXCITEMENT AND DISORDER.

+ w McCoMAs for Lieut. Governor,
w p. BococK for Attorney General.
GREAT EXCITEMENT AND DISORDER.
The Staunton Democratic Convention CLOG
al its proceedings on Saturday night, after q
stormy session of three days. The days sit
ting Of Saturday was prolonged to somewhat
heyond the hour Of le o'clock. We have
mol room this morning for very full report
# the proceedings. The Convention was in.
3eed so constantly in session-beginning at
N clock A. NJ, and not adjourning until a
is,e hour each night-that there was little
| ,;ne 10 write out any account of its doings.
The report we have alreadypublished, gave
the proceedings of the first day-Thursday.
Ftiday snoraiag the vote upon the reso-
luton providing that majority OF the Con-
| vention should be necessary to make nomi-
,et;ons, was announced. The vote was, ayes
gS44e. noes 90, le4-msiority In favor of the
resolution, a,255. This, as the reader gath
cred from the report of Thursdays proceed
;nes. was very distasteful to the opponents of
,he nomination of Mr.. Wise-they having
moved that majority Of the whole Demo.
cratic vote of the State-that uurepresented
ss we'll as that represented-should be ne
cessary to effect the nominations. 1t was
believed or known that Mr.. Wise could com.
mand majority of the vote represented and
the proposition to increase tbs cote necessary
n an election, was the only one by which It
was supposed he could be defeated; but the
same 1naiority present, which could effect
his nomination, of course rejected the motion
70 so increase the required majority as to
take the nomination out of their hands.
The vote being announced, Mr.. Irving, of Lynch.
burg led of with speech complaining of circum-
stances and treatment of the day before, which he
concluded were unfair to the minority and tended
IA stise their voice in the Convention The pre-
yious question called upon the resolution Thursday
night he especially complained of. To these were
added objections to the manner OF calling the Con-
yentiop sud arguments based on the facts that some
tkirty counties were not represented in the conyen
ton and tUenty fre were represented by proxies
held chiefly by a few individuals. He implored
gentlemen to pause and not make an improper use
OF their power. In the course Of this speech he
was often cheered, and the minority. somewhat de.
pressed by their defeat, seemed gather confidence
aud spirit.
NIP H. Aylett followed Mr. Irving on the same
SIDE offering arguments similar to those of Mr. Ir.
wing TO show that the majority ought not to WELD
their power without proper care and deliberation.
He commended that the Democratic party never
stood so much In need of its entire strength
He contended that nomination bya majority of
the whole Democratic vote OF the State or of two
thirds would send forth the nominees with the im-
primater of the party and their election would be
certain. He implored the maj ority to reconsider
the resolution just passed and adopt the twothirds
rule in its place
Mr. Spindle of Rockingham, moved to reconsid.
er the resolution, and after q debate in which q
number of gentlemen participated, the vote
adopting the resolution was unanimously reconsid.
cred a, the suggestion of MIR Garrett "a friend of
Mr.. WISE and the Convention proceeded to vote
again on the resolution q. e.. the resolution which
provided that maj ori,y of the vote represented in
Convention should make nonlinations) The vote
was taken and in order TO give time to the Secreta.
ries 10 ascertain the result the Convention took
recess until o'clock, p M, at which hour Ii again
assembled and the vote was announced as follows:
For the resolution ---------.----- 1908
IL.
Majority 1884
So the resolution being again adopted, the Con.
vention went into the nomination for Governor.
Mr.. Douglass of New Kent nominated HENRY A.
WISE, of Aecomac, sustained by Messrs. Brown of
kanawha, Kenna of Kanawha, R. X. Meade and
Skinner of Augusta.
Mr. Claiborne of Franklin nominated SHELTON
F. LEAKE of Madison, sustained by Messrs. Berry
of Alexandria, Brown of Stafford and Fauntleroy of
Frederick.
DR.. Gooch of Richmond nominated ALEXANDER
r HOLIDAY of Henrico, sustained by Mr.. Wexford
of Fredericksburg.
The debate was one of very exciting and-some
portions of livery bitter character. There
great deal OF feeling and occasionally passion with
occasional outbreaks of q character disorderly be.
yond any thing of the kind we ever witnessed. The
uproar was sometimes deafening. The history of
Mr.. Wises political career was reviewed and many
"reminiscences of his association it'll the whg par.
ty revived.
At a late hour-nearly IL oclock-the roll was
called, and the Convention adj ourned till 10 o'clock
Saturday morning. That the reader may under
standwhy 1t was that the vote was not announced inn
medately il must be stated that each county repre-
sented cast the number of democratic votes it gave
and in the delegates from the county voted for
different persons then each delegate gave his share
of the number the county was entitled to-dividing
the vote by the number of delegates OF course this
calculation required time-some OF the ballots
indeed required hours
Saturday morning, the two parties re-
newed their strife upon motion that the al
ternate of Wood county-Mr. Pryor, of the
Enquirer-should be allowed to cast the vote
OF that county, before the result of last
nights ballot was announced 1t had been
ascertained, privately, that Mr.. Wise wanted
229 votes, to get the nomination.; and as Mr.
Pryor was his supporter, the vote of Wood
would fix the election.
neutrality-suspicious. was offered, the Leake
party were at once thrown into great excite
ment Points of order were raised, and
threats of secession were made, amidst out
bursts of disorder. The Chair stated that,
by mistake of the Secretary, Wood county
was not called, and that therefore her repre-
sentative had a right to vote.
The minority announced their determine
tion to secede if the right to vote was press
ed; and a scene, perfectly frantic, ensued,
which did not subside until Mr. Pryor ap-
peared and declared, that although he be-
HeyeG MS rlSnt TO vote perfectly clear, ne
would not insist upon it, but waive it, for the
sake Of harmony.
Further delay was oeeasioned by the ap-
pointment of committee to examine the
credentials of alternates and proxies, and
this resulted in approving all the proxies and
alternates that had been presented.
Jus. about this time rumor came from below
that the floor of the church in which the Conven-
ton sat- was settling down and that 1t was not safe
to remain longer 10 it,. The fact was soon brought
To the notice of the Convention by Mr.. kenna OF
kanawhs, and such a stampede az ensued we
never have witnessed and never expect to behold
again People were frantic with fear. Some jun.
ped out of the windows and others tumbled out oil
doors In the most rapid and in considerable manner
The Democracy up to that time "Hnterrifed," were
''unterrifed" no longer but got away from the
place of danger with all possible rapidity and with
no consideration whatever for the consequences oil
the dreadful pressure which they were subjected to
in crowding out. They console themselves with
the assertion that the Wigs In the galleries were
no less alarmed than they.
The Methodist Congregation had complained
much of the excited and disorderly scenes In their
place of worship, and were possibly not sorry for
the alarm which drove the Convention from it-es-
peeialy az the sunken sleeper which occasioned II
was afterwards understood to have been In that ex