The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-10-27
TOPEKA RAILROAD CONVENTION.

ting, which attempted to organize the said
convention, at which the following proceed
ings were had:
On motion, C. B. Lines, of Waubonsee
county, was elected Chairman of the meet
ing.
On motion, Thomas Means, of Leaven-
worth, was elected Secretary; whereupon
j. r. Mel ure, of Davis county, moved that
a committee of FIVE be appointed by the
Chair, to prepare statement of the grounds
of our action and the reasons of the mem
bers of the meeting for their decision to
withhold themselves from any convention
with the meeting assembled in Music Hail.;
which said motion was carried unanimous
ly-whereupon the Chair appointed the COM
mittee, as follows:
J. r. Mcclure, of Dvais.
Thomas Means, of Leavenwor1h.
E. P Bancroft, of Breckenridge.
A. Gray. of Wyandot.
L. Allen, of Douglas.
Which said committee, having retired.
did, by their chairman, report as follows,
which said report was adopted, unanimously:
The committee appointed by the meeting
of delegates to the Topeka R. R. Conven-
ton assembled at the Chase House, respect
fully present the following statement of the
action of the members of said meeting, as
an address and protest suitable for their ap-
proval:
WHEREAS, a convention was called to as
semble at Topeka, on Wednesday, the 18th
day of October, A. D. 1860, which said
call is in the following words, viz: ''Rail-
road Conventional convention will be
held at Topeka, Kansas, on Wednesday, the
18th day of October, 1860, for the purpose
of devising a system of Railroad Land
Grants for the Territory, to be petitioned for
for at the next Congress. A full represen-
lation from all parts of the Territory is ear
nestly solcited''-and the same was signed
by sundry citizens Of Topeka and other
parts of the Territory, and extensively cir
culated; and whereas the counties of Jeffer-
son, Breckenridge, Atchison, Allen, Riley,
Jackson, Lykens, Leavepworth, Coffey,
Clay (by proxy. Shawnee, Usage, Morris
and Anderson-being 10 of the 80 coun-
ties of Kansas Territory. and comprising
10, 528 of an entire population of los, 4ol'
being about two-thirds according to the
census of 186O-sent delegates duly accred-
tied to said convention; and whereas, IN
pursuance of a resolution, there was duly
man of its temporary organization, com
mittee on credentials of delegates, for the
appointment of permanent officers, and for
the apportionment of representation, which
said committee was nominated by the Chair,
and consisted of B. F. Stringfellow, of Atch-
ison; G. E. Hillyer, of Jefferson; Amery
Hunting, of Riley; Joel Hunton, OF Shaw
nee; James McGrew, of Wyandot; w. f.
e
Means, of Leavenworth; which said COM
mittee reported list of Delegates and of
permanent officers, and resolution estab-
fishing rule of representation, from which
resolution Means, of Leavenworth, dissent
ed, aud made a minority report:
And whereas, also, on motion of Gen.
Wier, Wyandot, the majority report was
divided, and vote called for on that por-
ton not dissented from by the minority re-
port, and the same was adopted;
And whereas, motion being made to
adopt the minority report, a motion was
made to amend by inserting the resolution
offered by the majority of the committee,
which said amendment was declared, by the
Chair, adopted, upon which declaration by
the Chair, the members of this meeting
withdrew, and entered into the present or
gan!zation;
We, therefore, deem ii our duty to those
peka Railroad Convention, and to the peo-
statement of our proceedings.
which the Convention was assembled. By
its terms we supposed that the Convention
was to represent call parts of the Territory"
ALL IT. oh tof1
in any country absolutely free, was ever
known to be besed, j. e., that of population.
To that call the various counties composing,
by its representatives, this meeting, sent
delegates, duly accredited, to represent their
sentiments. We thought that, inasmuch as
all government was for the benefit of the
governed, and derlvsd its just power from
their consent, that this principle would be
We did not anticipate any
thing else, or we should have declined eli
Their to send or to be sent. Such body, as
will be seen in the sevuel, was not organic
ed in due form.
We will not complain, further than to
state the fact. that person who is in the
special interests of one of the so-called ri
val roads of the Territory, was selected at
an hour at least as early as that fixed for
the call; that a single committee, instead of
several, as is usual, was appointed. consist
ing of seven only, On Credentials, Perma-
nent Officers and Apportionment; and that,
in the adjustment of that committee, as near
one half as may be, being three. acre select
ed from citizens Of the same rood as that
represented by the Temporary
Chairman. These things may have result
ed from the Convention being so punctual-
ly summoned, and that it did not, at that
early hour, contain material enough for three
district committees; or it may have been
purely accidental.
Passing these things by, we proceed to
what we do consider q violation of the rights |
Of our people. SO far as they can be affect
ed By Convention assembled for such pur-
poses as this, and which, We think, justify |
Us in our independent action. In the earlier |
part of this address, we have stated that the
report of the majority was adopted. except |
ing that part relating to representation.
That action established the officers in the |
permanent organization, who were duly in
stalled, Gen. Stringfellow and Judge Means
4 yinor ham al 20 conduct (r-,y Roh-