Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-17
tiun eau n.anase to transport arms from the
litter point 1t is not moreover, much expuscd,
hl,t hn L nna ,rhn v. llu,, ic r,.,t,,lin rln un

ln IN. ;tG: ih:- Isl. vc!i' i;.c lnpeteilt body to
dsterwinr what point tho enemy is going 10
attack. 'rtc gcutte,ncn from tho kanawha
Valley are SAYING that that is the point where
the stack is 70 be ula.ir, white the gentleman
from llarr.son thinks his section is the Eoilit
mcst likely TO bc invaded.
THIS body cannot judge OF these things, and
W. should transfer the responsibility to the
hands of the Co,nms: :i;lnr in. Chief, whose duty
it is to determine ";cr. i; is proper 10 send the
a-luS.
Ny county is IA, y border county, and yet
1t ~ "a" i.'n't wt!rr" one "f your Maj Gene
r.'s tas h- headquarters; aaG rrury armed
mrn II It .i,t cnuny cali muster Is III the ser.
vice 0: ,i.e State al ti,;rper's Ferry. That
county Las teruclci ier live hundred men,
and there arc no: aimS enough To put in:o
their han,i4 ANA render them hvaiab'e tor ser
vir". Win nu less ti'e:n 1000 sla"gs III that
county, Wi h IS w,rhln rSo hours iua Of the
ruemHs stronghold, am To stand here and
hear .cntlvr.lu:i say thai IL is necessary tu pass
ol dinsnr,s 10 ,.eici,d the frontier. cannot
consrul to this. | Je>!re To centre the resp"n
sibility where The power is.
Mr.. NAnv1E We IL. !: 20: mSj jJr u me
,sl ~h,, ..arri : ~. ~ iuly compsleut
to d sc.,arS. IL. o., ain opposed to this
Cuuvenr,,ms ) i..fi csi.:;r. 10 him what his duty
ia. tsis. it ior granted that he las given his
attc,'.. 80 the wnuie condition Of the State,
and vii: lake such distribution 0: ,nen uEd
q. -. - Er thinks necessary. prefer, there
! fore ,hat the matter should be LETT altogether
10 h's discretion.
! Mr.. MoNrAGrE-I have seen too clearly the
evils resulting here from loo much speaking to
engage in the practice myself, and merely Use
/ now TO move that that ordinance be recOuIm,t.
! ted to the Military Committed, with lnStTuc-
ions 10 make such a report az will enable AZ
equal distribution of these arms to all the ex'
pused portions Of the State.
come from portion OF the State ;ha; IS
very much exposed. \ steamship can come
and land forces on my farm; aGa there are
indeutatons everywhere that would admit of
the passage ot vessels to our serious detri-
ment.
! submit the m1tion to recoIn:nit
Mr WlLsos-i1asmicn rs this orclnaEce
mskes provision for the Valley OF the kanawha,
ana does not inr the region along the Valley
Of the Mononsahrla ] move Ii la';iddc that
Valley.
The PREsIpENT-There i, motion 10 re.
! commit, and the geutleuIaaS III 'ti"H Is therefore
out Of order.
Mr. TURNER, Of Jack son. b.ns Ieferred to
| ny the eentie,nln irCu Franklin Mr. E.KLY,)
! in connection with the needs ni the hana%ha
! Valley ia tue uicans oi defs,:a, viii state
! that lacre ire now cooprd w;lnin p::e and half
! hours run CT Ohio b. Steamboat, IN The tcwn
or R,yeuswood and Jackson Court House, over
! fur hundred slaves, wmch are liable at any
,no,usnr 70 be Carried If The county Is en-
tlrev tefcHseless, being without any srnis,
except the c,mmou rifles in the bands at i1rHi-
siS We Lave al organized volunteer caIn: :'aIE
| III ls4s COUNTY, for which | ii:sc been IN ,ain
apply Ing ir arlps IL. !hc hist three cr four
we,Es. We cannot gct single gun, great SIS
IS the need iur lneM IN pur county. an
satisfied the CommsrdeI-ia-Ch!s Is ready
to furnish these s:ms, il proper steps are taken
to enable bin TO do SO. We do not deluand
that any force shall be sent out to tha; region;
| we only desire 10 obtain arms, to enable our
psuple to d..end themselves. We are now
organizing forces, and only need the arms TO
put into their hands. hope the ordinance
will not be recommitted.
M HARvIG..-l move this as substitute for
the motion to recommt:
'Klsolvch, That the ordinance under con.
siderstion be reconmitted, with instructions
TO report an ordinance TO empower the Com
N'1''S
OF the Commonwealth Us, 10 his Judgment, the
| public defence requires"
Mr.. EARLY.-I do not think it is necessary to
recomnit this ordinance in order 10 accom.
plish tie object OF the gentleman from Mid
diesex (Mr. MoSTAGrk>.
| We have some fifteen or twenty thousand
troops called into service in Eastern 'lrs'nia
and IN the Valley, and the Commsnder in chief
will, upon 6 proper representation, send not
only arms, but troops, 70 the quarter lnd!ca-
Ted by the gentleman from Middlesex. There
! IL 10 difficulty in providing for the safety OF
Eastern Virginia and the Valley, 80 far ~ the
means ON hand enable the Commander-in chief
! To- d, so. But here is the whole frontier o.!
! tho Oai,, which is almost entirely inaccessible
i FROM thus point, and here are three gentlemen
j from the wiley Of the kanawha who are Will
| ing 10 have the arms transported ut Il cost to
! themselves and their counties. They cannot
| 20 down the Oaio river without beng suElIct-
=! TO insult AMI can gei arms nowhere Tor
! their defence
went with these gentlemen to tho Com
1naad.r.ir Chief, and he had no power TO is
| sue arms until the companies Tor whom they
we're intended were duly organized and uoi-
formed. This ordinance, il adopted, Will give
| him the power to Issue arms Without any COM
pliance with these yormuta.
1t is necessary 10 make soine provision i'm
mcd;ateiy 10 euable these people to defend
themselves Tne kanswha valley is Open to
invasion. Triicrc is steamboat Navigation to
The town Of Charleston, and Ii tue people are
unarmed. troops can be poured i'll theIe. The
people are wllng TO buy them, if they cannot
| get them otherwise.
Now, sir, as ,o all these frontiers in the East
and in tue Valley, we Can readily send troops
to these points; but it is a work OF time, 10 so
back into that country and have the yolun'
trers organized according TO lGw, in oro:r to
secure t;,eu arms. This provision embraces
xii porticus uf tie State that are expcsed TO
Nurtheru Invasion. 1t gives the Commander
IN Cnicf power 10 send arms TO these portions
! of tho State without going through The tornia
litirs required by the law relating to th" or
ganizat,un and equipment Of volunteers
trust, therefore, last it will be the pleasure
| of ;!e Convention not IL rcCoInult Ills Ola!
nance, but 70 pass it at once.
J Hr CAPEaroN me suggest difficulty.
Scppose you pa,.s al ordinance giving 10 The
Msjcr GcEera! the power which you PROPOSE
As lbu las low Stands, he could not scId arms
to any p,rtion of tue STATE That LaSy need
! them.
NJ. JAMES BAsgouE.-l would give him all
power over the tu,liLary operations Ui the State
The gen.ieulsn lrum Au.el.a, (Mr. llAKviE,)
proposes t. give power 70 the Commander in.
cnief tu scul arms where, in h's cpi"'"n, the
aruis uiu II. c:ssaIy That shuu.t bc suh.
| clrnt
Mr.. TuhSsk, Of JackSun.-Tle gentleman
| irom Norfolk says, il necessary, that slmed
men would b. seat TO these e<poset portions
! OF the Stale wh.le We hear gentlemen trt III Ill
quarters .. the State say::g that lhtiT p-r:icu.
lar SECTIONS are tte points '.ost exposed. vi
all the arms received by this State i,"m the
/ Gen.,s o. Government, .hc reg o.s ives: VI The