Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-01-22
Virginia Legislature----EXtra Session
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1861.


SATURDAY, JANUARY l9, 1SGl.
,.--~sv. jid SENATE.
The Senate was called to order 1t - q ciocH,
Lieutenant Governor MoHTA CUE in tie Chair.
PRAYER by the Rev. Dr.. MtSSEGERoDE, Of the
Episcopal Church.
A message was received from the House of
Delegates, announcing the passage Of the
House bill ITO authorize the issue Of Treasury
notes."
Mr. BRUCE moved to take up the I'LL autho.
rizinS counties to arul the citizens. lie SAID
that several "r the counties were to act on Men
day, and it was n matter Of urgency that the
bill should be acted or.
Mr. DICKINSON ofP. E., seconded the motion
to take Up.
Mr.. II. W. Tuo.As desired that the unlinish
| ed business of the preceding day be proceeded
with. If peace measures succeeded, there would
be no necessity for arming the counties.
Mr.. LYNCH urged tho adoption Of Mr.. BErcE's
motion.
The bill WAS taken up-Ayes %, noes l.
The bill was then passed.
The title OF the bill having, nn motion 0i Mr..
ArGrs7, been amended; the bill was, on motion
Of Mr.. LYNCH, communicated 10 the House
The unfinished business Of yesterday, being
the amendment offered by Mr.. CHRISTIAN as il
substitute for the amendment offered by Mr..
CoGIIlLL to the report OF the Committee
on State and Federal Relations, Mr.. COG
HILL Withdrew his amendment offered on
the preceding day. and offered the following in
lieu thereof:
Resolved That in the opinion Of the General
Assembly of Virginia, the propositions embraced
in the resolutions presented TO The Senate U[lhc
United States by the Hon. John j. Crit,cndcn
so modified, as that the first article proposed
as an amendment to the Constitution Of the
United States shall apply to all territory Of the
United States now held or hereafter acquired
South Of latitude sc degrees so minutes, and
provide that slavery of the African race shall
be cilcctually protected as property therein
| during the continuance Of the Territorial Co.
vcrnlmcnt; and the fourth article shall secure
to the owners Of slaves the right Of transit with
! their slaves between and through the non
! slavchoding States and Territories, constitute
the basis Of such an adjustment Of the unhappy
controversy which now divides the States Of
! this Confrdcyacy, as would DC accepted by tho
! people of this Commonwealth.
| Mr.. CHRISTIAN accepted it and Withdrew his
! own substitute
! Mr.. TnoMpSoS asked if that could be done -
! 10 whici. the President replied Yes"
! Mr.. JOHNSON then expressed his concurrence
| in Mr.. CoGHILLs new amendment, and hoped
| the Senate would adopt ii unanimously
After few words made in explanation uf his
amendment, by Mr.. CoGHlLL, in reply TO Mr.
| lsgELI, the amendment was adopted.
| Mr. BRUCE then offered the following. 10
come in after Mr.. CoGurIL's amendment:
Resolved, That if all efforts to reconcile
the unhappy differences existing between the
! two sections OF the country Shall prove 10 be
! ab0rtirc, then, in the opinion Of the General
Assembly, every consideration Of honor ard
interest demands that Virginia shall unite her
destiny with the slaveholdng States Of the
| South"
! Ia advocating his amer merit, Mr. Bruce
/ said .hat while the commission TO Washing.
! ton would prove aborllve, yet he was willing
to exhaust all remedies 10 preserve the Cnion !;
lie believed that there was an irreconcilablr
aniasoniSin between the North and South !;
but while Ec would no more Icfrun from cx-
erling every liIort 10 heal tic differences than
he would keep ply slcidn Iron the hc,!.sidc
oc patient, vet hc desired when all re-
sources oil negotiation had failed, To see Virginia
link her destiny with her sister States OF he
South. They may 60 through the agony and
bloody sweat Of war, but hc expressed the
opinion OF his people when he said anything
was better than the harrassing agitation OF
! the slavery question. The seeding Starcs had
done right IN resisting the infumy Of Black
Rcpubllcansm, and he hoped when the COT.
vctition assembled Virginia would be with them.
If Virginia should select the hand that sInote
her, instead Of the hand Of brethren then it
ONLY remained fer thousands Of them who pre-
trrIcd exile 10 the desolaton Of their homes, to
seek protection under the flag Of the cotton
States Whether the resolution offered by
himself vas adopted or not, nc would vote for
sending the commission, even though lie hoped
for nothing from them; but unless there was
a spontaneous uprising Of the people Of the
North, there was no hope for the.Cni0h.
Mr.. AUGUST said that whilst he cOncurrcl in
Mr.. BRrcEs amendment he would suggest to
him 10 withdraw it. Fit was pressed, however,
he would vote for it. If il was presented as
an independent proposition, he would cheerful
" support it; but he did not wish to put on
the face Of the propositions a resolution which
seemed 10 declare that Il settlement OF Difficult
ties was doubtful.
Mr.. THOMAS, Of F., said hc hoped the ap-
peal oF Mr.. AUGUST would bc acccdcd to, for
the amendment Of Mr. Bruce was open to the
criticism passed On it by Mr. AUGUST.
Mr. THOMPSON here indicated his intention
Of pressing the amendment and Mr. AUGUST
appealcd to him not to insist on it then, 10
which Mr.. TuoursoN replied that ne could not
yield to any such appeal while they were un-
der Federal duress.
Mr.. BRUCE said tha: he would withdraw his
amendment if any Senators would vote for it
as AL Independent proposition lie then with
drew :he amendment.
Mr.. THOMPSON then offered the amendment.
Mr.. NEEsoS said that while lie concurrcd in
the object of the amendment ot Mr. BRYCE,
which Mr. THOMPSON had offered, he was oPpo-
scd to adding it on TO the propositions.
Mr.. Thomas, Of F., opposed the adoption Of
the amendment in connection with the propo.
sitionS, while at the same time he concurrcd IN
the olJcct Of the amendment.
Mr.. IuoMrsoS said that lie would vote for
the amendment Even if lie stood alone he
would vote against the propositions before the
Senate, rs he regarded them injurious in their
tendency. He repeated what he said lew
DAYS ago: that the time for discussion had
passed and the time for action was come. lie,
however, felt compelled to give the reasons
which influenced his action. Years ago, in
another branch Of the General Assembly, he
advocated proposition known as "the last cx-
trcmity resolutions RESOLUTIONS lh'enucu 10
arrest the aggressive policy against the domes'
tic institutions of the South. 1t lad no effect.
in 1850 the compromise resolutions were pass.
ed, and Virginia was called upon 10 make good
the position she had assumed. lie stood as
one of three in the Senate who main
tanned that pcSi.ion-oDc OF them the nuhlc AN
BIER Of Louisa, who represented the blttn
place Of Henry. who gave the iirSt i'm
pulse TO liberty in this country; and the other
the representative Of the birth place OF the
great man Of This country and o! ages. yhe
Senator from Fairfax thought then that the
compromise would arrest the aggressive policy.
Did that compromise arrest aggression De
would refer them to the John Brown raid and
other ouirages foran answer.
At the last session Of the Legislature he ad-
vocatpd the proposed conference Of the South
.rr States 10 consult and determine OIL the