Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-05-14


be amended that the opinions Of any FREQ man ln
| tho United States can be expressed upon this floor,
| hy his immediate representatives upon this floor
Mr. Stevens of New York; move to amend the
resolution In regard to the manner OF voting so that
it shall read as follows:
Resolved That tho delegates In this Convention
shall each be entitled to ono vote"
That will give every man In the Conv milton right
10 his individual vote, as he thinks best.
Mr. johnson, OF Penn.-l move to am end by provid-
ing that the delegates from each district shall be en-
titled To one vote. -
Mr.. Stevens--l would say, least my amendment may
he msapprehended, that according to the other part
of the resolution ench State is entitled TO as many
votes ~ Is has Electoral votes
Mr.. Comcrys, of neaware--I would say to the gen-
'cman from Pennsylvania, that II We adopt his prop
osi,ion Delaware, which has but one Congressional
district, would be deprived of two votes
Mr. Sicvrns-How would you have III
Mr.. Comegys--I would have 1t that every man In
this Convention should have the right to vote for the
man Of his choice, Applause.
Mr. I'M, Of Ga-Ltrust tho Convention will not be
rrccpale in the adoption Of amendments, lest we
fall in error. was OF the committee which
adopted the resolution now under discussion. In
ssmc States my oWn tor instance, there arc two del
ccatcs from ench Congressional district. Suppose
after consultation those two delegates should disa-
gree ma to heperson for whom they should cast their
votes then there would be voice at all from that
district.
There nre other Statos, which have sont similar
double delegations In reference to my own del
egntion, tnkn this occasion to say that prior to
he meeting nf the Committee, TINT delegation had
determined M n matter of convenience, that our
chairman should express tho vote Of tho deega-
ton. 1t might be unanimous or nearly so but II
there were even ono district. the delegates from
which were not agreed. ho was also to speak for
them. | would sinte lhat tho resolution
adopted hv tho committee for tho sake of conve-
nencc. aud not for tho purpose of placing u
minority under the control of u ma jorty, but that
tho Chairman of each delegation might announce
the vote ot tho State according to tho manner
in which the delegates had agreed among them
/ selyca
takcit for granted thnt no such hard rule
will he laid down by any delegation as to iorco
'nny man to give vote which be does not wish
to give. do not think, and the committee did
not think that any such thing wonld be DONE
Though there is great unanimity among the dele
gates with whom | am associated, there is not tho
slightest desire to prevent any gentlemen who
desires to express different opinion. from express
sing it. Suppose tho vote from Georgia is unit,
why isit necessary to call upon every member Of
hat delegation to state here upon the floor how ho
will vote II will be n useless consumption Of
time. and it was partly too bviate that difficulty that
TINT the resolution was reported by the commit
tee. Some States have three delegates to each a:s
rict, and some more, apd tho idea of voting per
capita is not to bo entertained for oue moment
Georgia hns fourteen delegates, and she 10 entitled
To but ten votes, and think it best that we shoull
agree how and in what manner that vote shnll
bo announced, and pledge myself to that dele
cation that no I'M Justice shall DO done to any gen-
who forms part Of it. i think no evil
can grow out Of the adoption Of tho report Of the
committee, with tho Interpretation have placed
upon it.
a delegate stated that he raised question Of
privilege that the Convention had adopted the
rules Of the House of Representatives. and he be-
, eyed that the rule there was that every member
should cast his own vote. Hence the delegation
If State cannot determine the mode and manner
Of casting the vote of that State.
Tho President thought that tho subject under
consideration was clearly within the discretion Of
the Convention. still he would observe that is is
wns tho desire of the different delegations, at it
undoubtedly il. TO preserve the rights Of the
minority, that simple proviso attached to the
resolution would be sufficient to attain that OBJ
ect.
Mr. Watson, Of Mississippi -IIore Is tho proviso
that meets the case.
Mr. Stcvens--1 am now ready to present my
resolution in writing, in the form in which have
finally modified it,
Mr.. Watson. of Mississirpi-S Shall not be per-
mitted to read my resolution
The Prcsdent-A resolution il offered by the
getleman from New York, which is yet to be
read.
Mr. Stevens. of New York; call upon my COL
leagae, Mr.. Brooks Of New York, to present my
amendment.
Mr. Brooks, of N. UT was mover meant by
tho committee on business, that majority Of the
delegation should coerce any member Of the min
oriy to conform his individual opinion to the
will Of tho MN jority. Any reflection Of thnt kind
uDon tho business committee, does tho action und
opinion of its members great INJUSTICE. The idea
was that tho States represented by the several
delegations here present could decide the question
for themselves more harmoniously and more ex-
pedtiously, than the Convention could discharge
that duty for them and in order that | may do
Justice to the N. Y. delegation, against the unin.
territorial reflection of the gentleman from N.
G.. lot me say to him tha: Now York, with thirty
five votes here, so far from determining that the
majority shall control tho minority, has left
each member entirely at liberty to vote for whom
he pleases
The vote of New York shall be cast in this Con-
vcnton and it shall be for A. d. or c., according
to the will of each representative for each Com
gressional district. Now that the views of the
Committee as we'll as that Of the Convention may
be carried out, desire in behalf of my colleague
(Mr. Stevens,) to offer provso as follows:
provided that each State represented shall be
entitled to two votes for State electors at large
and that each district delegate shall be entitled to
one vote to DO given by the chairman of the
State delegation by the delegates as the State
delegation shall determine"
MIR Watson. of Mis-. offer O proyiso to meet
more fully the views of the committee ns |
dersand them. and believe it will meet the
views Of the convention. 1t is as follows
provided. That no delegate shall be deprived
OF his individual vote without his consent" This
| know will meet the views of an overwhelming
majority of this body, as it met the views of the
committee last night.
Mr.. Hill Of Gal do not wish the opinion to
go forth that the amendment of the gentleman
from Mississippi meets clearly the case where
there are two delegates from n district. l would
suggest to the gentleman that he shall modify it
80 ns to provide that in case shall more than
,Ia Ln 1.iran Lu anx nrassinnnl dalan.a-