Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-01-10
LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA.
SATURDAY, J,Sr.RY ;th. Is60.
syn Arl'

At L. NJ, Lieut. Goy. L. l.. M,a,aguc called the
Senate tuot!cr.
y communication VA, received fran tbs II ,usr
10y tlrr Clc,k, that thy had lassel ~ number #
Senate bills.
ELLIS EEroETtn
Nv Mr. Ip,an. from the committee on General
Lnw-, with amendments. the following House bills,
viz: Forming new county out II parts oi Mich.
oaS, Braxton and Randolph; incorporating the
the James River Insurance Company ut II wards
>illr. in the county Of Albcmarle r. change the
county line between the cuuutes of Warren and
Clarke.
GOVERNOR lETcuER's lNArarRAl nrss,Gg
The President presented the following message
from Governor Letchcr. which was read, anl. on
motion of Mr.. Thompson. was lai the table
and 900 extra copies ordered TO be printed:
Gentlemen ot the Stnot and Uouse IF Delegates !:
Icommcute my term Il, Chief Magistrate of tie
Commonwealth of Virginia at an important AMI
cventtul period in the history Of Il o State aud Of
the Union. No one Of my predecessors has ken
upon himself the duties and Representations of the
| Of the Office under the same circumstances. The
Legislature and the people expect from me, there
| fore, an expression OF my views upon the absorb
ing question OF the day, and some Suggestions look
! ing 10 the future.
The Constitution of the Quilted States, as or.
dained and established by our fathers, was design
ed "to form moro perfect union. establish Justice
insure domestic tranquility. promote the genera
welfare, aud secure the blessings of liberty to our
selves aud our postcrity." They construed il
with reference to these desirable objects, and a,
might have been expected, union. harmony ant
brotherhood existed between the different section,
law and order prevailcl-,iusre and right wer,
respcctcd-tne rights of persons and property wer,
fully recognized-and each State permitted t,
regulate its domestic institutions without inter
ference from citizens of the other States. Conf
dence and fra,ernal affection existed between tn
people of all the States in those earlier and bette
days OF the Republic.
This happy condition Of things, continued fo
many years, and was interrupted onv by the in
reference of citizens of the Northern States will
| the rights and institutions of the southern Blu
for the war which has been so pcrseveringly wage,
| against the institution of domestic slavery as
exists amongst u.s. an institution with which tho
have no right TO intermeddle wo would have con
tinued to live tremendously together, and the tie
of fraternal feeling and affection would be n
strong now rs ever before, in the history OF III
Coniederacy. This wanton interference thus CON
menced and so Extensively persisted in, has pro
duccd the present alarming crisis, and has broug
the Union of toe States to the verge of destruC
| ton.
The Northern people now insist that there mus
be no moac slave ,erritory, no more olave State,
and that the Fugitive Slave Law, must be repealed
or so essentially modified. as to render il vaueles
for the recovery Of slave property. In Msssachr
sets. Wisconsin, Vermont and perha pit other nor
slaveholding States, the Fugitive Slave Act ha
been practically and efectually null;fed and re,
dered imperative
n The Massachusetts, act declares that the writ G
habeas corpus may be issued by either of thei
Courts, and even by ANY justice of the peace,
in term Time or vacation, and upon the retnrn c