Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-19

respect to the manner Of election. which
regard as nothing ess than usurpatieu
Of power, and 1t is now tor this Convention 70
decide whether that action shall be confirmed
or not. Gentlemen elected in pursuance OF
that proclamation are here, sir, ct considerable
expense to themselves, and We should Ut once
proceed to examine their claims to seats, AMI
accord seats TO them if we shall determine ;ha.
they are justly entitled to them. If their
claims arc established we shall have aqucrum.
| see gentlemen here on your roll VINO have
bcen elected to fill vacancies BY the people OF
their Counties and in respect to whose Tight
TO seats .acn seems no doubt II is necessary
that these gentlemen should be st once admit
ted 10 seats, and this cannot we'll be done 9TH
crwise than by organizing this body forthwith
upon the principle Of the majority Of the rnem-
bers present constituting quorum, which in
my opinion is just principle, and one entirely
in accordance with the llth rule referred 10
by the gentleman from Mddesexi (MF. Mon
TAGuE.)
We know, sir, that there are now 100000
people in this Commonwealth who cannot com-
ply with the due forms Of elections but they
| cave their delegates here chosen in accordance
WITH the prescribed form Of election made ne
ccssary by the State Of things in the section
| wherein lncSe people reSlde.
This seems to me, Nj. President, to be cor.
rect construction Of the rule prescribing what
shall be quorum. Now, sir, what Constitutes a
Convention Is it tine members elccted-.hs
members who are--or those whom We have
expelled? We have expelled, believe twelve
members, and there is one yet under conslde
ration and would appeal to you, sir 10 know
whether we are to hang on here from day to
I j,u in thic 1ool lnct- ,pp ,t.nr rit,
OF the members who are here, and who have
no. been expelled, shall be held to constitute
4 Guprnn. If those who have been expelled
are to be considered as still members ci this
bol;--still constituent parts Of this Cvnve!
ton then 70 have not quorum. maintain
that We are to consider m,jority Of tic neni
beys actually present as sufficient 10 coDs;i
tu'c quorum, else the language O. the rule
upon that subject means Very dintrent from
what il reads This war is going on, and, as |
Remarked many Of the members are in the
army. and will doubtless continue there, anc
! it may be that in the course of this session, z
difficulty may arise similar to that in wtiic!!
We now lind ourselves. 1t is, therefore, wise.
| in my Judgment to adopt such rule as Will
obViat- recurrence Of this embarrassment
In conclusion. submit, with due GeierenCe
Ia the opinion Of tho Chair, whether under
tie ya!c Of the Convention Of 1850, this Con
! ven,i0n is not constituted in and Of itself by
the members mho are known to be elected.
The PRsxIDgSr--I would remark, for the IN
formation Of the ConVentlon, thar have in ny
poss ession papers sent in BY the Secretary o!
State, which understand are election returns.
Upon examination Of those it may tuIn out
that sufficient number Of me,uurls is duly
elected to make up the original number, l62.
Now, by general consent, | would enter
rnotion to refer these papers to the Committee
on Elections, VI lh view to their immediate
examination. The committee can, presume,
report without delay who is and who ia rot
entitled to his seat, and the result would prob
ably leave us in BIT attitude in which we could
proceed TO business without further cmbarT:s3'
lnent
Mr.. DaRMAS.-That WAS the suggestion |
made, and | trust the Convention will at
upon il.
Mr. HAgrIr.--I object TO any motion being
entertained IN the absence of a Iaoiu!n
MIR HAYMoSp.-I move that the Convention
adjourn until Saturday.
The motion was subsequently, Withdrawn.
There was another long raHsc in the proceed
ingI 1t this stsgc, when
Mr. HARvlE Said-W Whenercr tiielc is; d quo
tCHj, mr.. lIeslueut, III lHS1 l4cuSC, sh"i W.
eain,v stay here and attend tU my duty, hiio
carefully consider any and every question
which a majjrty of this body sha! think
proper to introduce. confess, however, that
/ u,n very much disinclined 10 take action ct
, this time in reference to the subjects which, i;
is understood, will form the basis Of our ac-
ton here But, as / have said, will submi!
to the will of fairly constituted minority;
but will not consent by any short cuts 10 Dc.
,ermne upon important and vital subjects o1
legislation which deeply concern the State at
TINS time. In other words, shall not continuc
member OF convention which has TO esai
existence
Now it il perfectly manifest to my mind
that you cannot get quorum here to-day, aud
so believing, / for cne do not mean 10 wait
mere engaging in fruitlcss Efforts to hunt up 4
quorum am satisfied there nrc other gen.
lciner here who feel as do; and in that v:cS
| Of the matter, the proper course would 6e, AZ
it seems to me, to adjourn over until Saturday.
10 morrow has been fixed upon by the Presi.
dent Of tho Con(ederacy as day OF fasting,
humiliation and prayer, and of course We Will
observe it. II I'VE wait until the day after To-
morrow, we will, in my opinion, have quo.
rum according to our regular rule, md II !s
better to awnit that than be seeking to consti
tu.e qporun against all law and precedent.
make these remarks, sir, with no view OF
interfering with your proceedings, but purely
from sense of duty.
move that VIC adjourn, until 12 o'clock on
Saturday.
Mr.. DoNAAN.-In the absence Of u quorum,
this body can only adjourn from day to day.
Mr.. HARrIE.-Then, movo to adjourn un--
til tomorrow.
Mr.. ScorT, Of Fauquier.--In my opinion &c
have right to adjourn 10 any time we rI:ay
deem proper.
Mr. HAnvIE-lf that be So, move 10 NJ
jourr over until Saturday.
Mr.. ScoTT.-I understood there is no dill
Guilty as 10 the power of a dellberatirc cody
without quorum to adjourn, to aoy t!ino That
the body wishes What rule ls there, or what
principle is there which confines the power to-
adjourn to an adjournment from dsy to day.
| am not aware Of any rule; l am not a"sre OF
any Law, or principle Of parliamentary law what
ever, that requires to restrict tho adjournment
from Gay to day. 1t is stated that we arc re.
s,rictrd to the power Of merely adJournlnE;
and, imagine, when we adjourn until Satur--
day We are fulfilling the power which al! crr.
celc to belong to the body.
Mr. HALL, Uf WetzeL.-l have sscer!aned
that Mr.. ARMSTRONG has just arrived Thls
brings the number up to II, and Me- LEASE,
understand, will be here in few minutes.
regard il IL important that We should o.
ganize to day, so that the Committee on Fec
tons may be enabled to 30 to work and e1-
anime the returns now in possession Ct the
tho Chair. 4 little patience, and VIC shall
have quorum.
The PgEslDEST.-The 1lth rule reads:
"a majority Of the members of the ConTen
ton shall be necessary to transac! business,
: and every question shall be determined accord
ing to the vote Of the majority Of the members
present Any smaller number shall be sutb-