The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-02-04
THE DAILY DISPATCH
Southern and Southwestern Commercial
CONVENTION.
FOURTH DAY-SATURDAY.

President TILGHMaN called ,the Copv vention to
order at half.past IL o'clock.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and
approved.
sests-among them we noticed Gen A. L. JACK
son of Tennessee Gen. j. subsequently
elected Vice President, and placed upon the com
mittee on business, etc.
The President stated that when the Convention
adjourned on Friday, the following resolution of
fered by Mr.. VIM. II. Macfarland. q substitute
for the second resolution reported by Mr.. Floyd
from the committee on business, etc was under dis
cussion: ..tt
Resolved, That In the opinion of this Convention,
ANY such line of steamships between any port in the
Southern States and any port in Europe, should,
when established receive from the General Govern
ment equal employment and remuneration in the car
rying of nsils that which is received by any
line sailing from any other port of the United States
Mr. A w. Mcdonald of Hampshire CO., moved
to amend the substitute by striking out all after
the word Resolved" and inserting the following
That the Senators and representatives iii Congress
from the Southern and Southwestern States be- and
they hereby requested to vote for no law granting
appropriations to compensate ocean steam lines tor
carrying the mails, unless the steamers of such lines
required to and depart alternately TO and
from Northern and Southern ports" saasss
Mr.. MITCHELL, of Fredericksburg, opposed the
amendment.
Mr.. LYONS, Of Richmond, preferred the original
resolution but If he could not get that, preferred
the amendment offered by the gentleman from
| Hampshire to the substitute for the committees
report offered by Dir. Mactarand. He thought the
| South had q right to demand justice at the hands
| OF the general government. He did not consider
il logrolling 10 claim for the South that which Is
| accorded to the North.
| h1r. EUESTEN of Alexandria, opposed the first
resolution because it proposed an unconstitutional
act, aud the last one, an mpracticabe thing. Sup
pose an application be made for an appropriation
10 the Collins line, for carrying tie mail TO Europe
and that line were sufficient for all postal purposes
at this time and Southern Senator were to get
up aud claim an equal appropriation for South
ern line Of steamers yet in embryo would it not be
unconstitutional to make that appropriation And
if made, would it not be 10 build up q Southern
enterprise! Unquestiouably. But can it be ex-
pecied that Congress will appropriate 81 0O0,0O0
10 line in existence, and then lay aside an equal
amount until Southern enterprise shall put into
existence Southern line. Tie resolutions were
pressing question, which is looked upon by a
large majority of Congress as unconstitutional
II he had the power he would lash the South into
independent action, and drive them from the pub
lie crib He desired the South to look to its own
resources.
Mr.. z. Y. DANIEL Jr., opposed the original reso-
luton because it looked to bargain lie passed
by the constitutional power of establishing mail
lines across the ocean. If Congress believed It had
the power to establish one line, which was sufh-
cient for all purposes, the representatives therein
would be faithless to their trust if they voted
money TO get up Southern enterprise, which was
not necessary. The amendment offered by the
gentleman from Richmond was more plausible, BE-
cause it only asked the establishment of mail
line when the South really needed it. AS South
ern man, he should oppose the employment of a
Southern line at greater cost than a Northern
line. He therefore hoped the first amendment
would be adopted
Mr.. JNo. A LINTON from the District of Co
lumbia, favored the amendment offered by Mr.
Macfarland, as more dignified than either of the
others.
Mr.. NJ MYERS of Norfolk, stated the arrange
ment made by the general government with the
Collins line OF SteamerS--it was to carry the mail
twice per month fer eight months in the year, and
once per month for four months in the year, and
to receive appropriation OF 500 600 per steamer
Col. CHARLES S. MORGAN OF Richmond thought
the Convention had wandered far from its orgi
nal purpose He reviewed briefly the history of
the Collins line of steamers, which he stated were
built by money drawn from the public treasury.
the vessels to be taken possession and used by the
Government for naval purposes in time of war.--
He requested the Secretary to read resolutions
adopted by the Convention held at Old Point in
July 1850, relative to naiL steamers as also reso
Mtions adopted by the Convention in Richmond in
1850.
Mr. r. KIDDER MEADE of Petersburg, thought
that Congress was tired of making appropriations
to mail steamers, and had no doubt that notice
would be given OF their withdrawal, when the act
under which they were made expires. He then
gave history OF the Collins line. He voted for
an appropriation for the Collins fne because Con-
gress had right to establish navy, aud these
tendence of a naval officer, and to be appropriated
| to naval purposes whenever the General Govern
| meDt should see nit to take them. He would
not have voted for the bill if he had not be-
leyed that the vessels could be used for naval pur
poses III time OF war. 1t had now been aScertained
| that parties i'll New York were prepared to estab-
hsh an ocean steam line on individual capital, and
as it had been decided that Congress had the con-
stiutioDal power to establish mail route across
| the ocean, he should be in favor of Letting the
| mail carving" Eurnnp IN the AZ Ha
preferred the first amendment to the original reso-
luton on the last amendment but greatly preferred
| the adoption OF resolution requesting our Sena.
| tors and Representatives to vote against all such
| appropriations Whenever the South went with
| the North TO the Federal Treasury for the spos
the latter would be sure to get the lions share and
instanced the River and Harbor Bill by which Vir.
gina received $45QOO and New York S250,O0O-
| For every dollar received by the South in such a
| contest that suggested by the first resolution
| the North would be to get three. When bill
| came up for such an appropriation, and be found
! it would pass he would then endeavor to get a
share of the spoils, act of justice to the South
| If we are to be unconstitutionally robbed we
| might demand ofthe North the boon eraved by the
| the traveller of the higlIwayman-"a sufficiency
| to bear our expenses home"
Mr. JOSEPH r. ANDERSON, of Richmond, oppos.
ed the amendments and advocated the resolution
reported by the committee. No line OF steamers
| to Europe or the Isthmus had been established
| without the aid Of the General Government. He
| then adverted to the ard granted by Congress to
the mail lines in operation and to their effect upon
the enterprise of the North and hoped that South.
ern Representatives, one and all, would be in
structed to ask aid for similar enterprises to the
South.
Hon. JOHN B. FLOYD had reported the resolu.
ton under discussion as chairman of the commit
tee but at the same time protesting against its
scope and unconstitutionality He belonged to that
class of individuals who believed that Congress
had no right TO appropriate money for the estab-
lishment of line of steamers. If the North re-
ceyed money from the Federal Treasury by un-
constitutional means, was that reason why the
South should obtain it in the same wayf No. sir;
no, SIR Virginia will touch not, handle not the
unclean thing" At this time there were $4,000
lying in the treasury as yirginas portion OF the
distributed land fund.- which she would not touch,
because Congress had right TO give it TO her. -
He was strict construetionst of the Constitution
that instrument was his landmark, and he would
stand by il to the last Give Congress the right
of constrning the Constitution TO suit such pur-
poses, and eventually that grant wond subvert the
liberties Of our country He only arose to set him
self right upon the resolution reported by him as
chairman of the committee.
Col. MORGAN favored the original resolution.
and argued at length TO prove that Congress had
right 10 maintain q navy; and that justice TO the
South demanded that the resolution should be
passed
10 Epnxv hare