Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-28

ed Very respectfully,
"JoHN LEToHER."
III. Following ,olesraphic despatch was ais
transmitted by The Governor 10 the ConTer
ton.
" IL ia .rnt" L<:oasf:
~";n.yrg4rd 10 laying down telegraph to VIII
chester, The Manassas Gap Railroad Co. pre-
pose 80 incur hall q! cost to Strasburg-say
digging holes, getting posts, and setting ther
the State 70 furnish wire and Instruments
The Cost, under this arrangement, to Stras
burr, per nile, sill be about Fifty dollars
From SLrasau:g to Winchester tho cost will b
about one hundred dollars per mile. IL vii
take a week to put up the line. /: is very i'm
portant, US il will ensurc Il connection wit
the Valley and North.
".fouS S. BARBOUR"
Sir. RANDOLPH, oi RichmGnd.-Would
not 30 We'll IL refer these COMMUNICATIONS t.
SOME con nlitire, so that they mag be actc'
upon2
No motion having been made to that effect
they were suffered TO go on the table.
Mr.. HARvIE.-I will indicate more cleari,
| the form of The amendment which | submittct
to the Ordinance, reported by the gentleman
from Fauquicr, (str. ScoTT).
propose to strike out tho words military
orders Of the Executive authorities of tn
United States" and insert ''absolved from TIT
Constitution, laws, and authorities of ,ht
United States Of America"
SIR. ScoTr, Of Fauqaiar.-The effect OF tbar
amendment, ii it shalt &c adopted, it seems To
me, will be 10 give impcd!a:u effect TO the Or
dinarce OF Secession. Now, sir, | do not propose
10 cat r Al nj! upon a discussion OF the question
OF paS scr bur when tho Convention WINS full
when nearly al of its members we're present
the Ordinance adopted OIL the l7Ih day OF this
month Vas prapoulded and adopted, with the
express stipulation set forth in distinct terms.
that It's eject wca 10 he suspended until liz
ratification by the people at the polls. Sinct
thar day n large proportion OF Inc members OF
this Convention have left their seats and re-
turned to their homes, and We stand now with
Il large number of vacated seats. In this con-
dltlon OF this body, 1t is proposed to retrace
the action Of The 18th day OF April, in 40 far
ny to give that ordinance effect.
Now, sir, for one, | should raqulrc 10 have
tiia EXCUSE at lcust Of a very urgent necessity
to induce inc to adopt the amendment |
have not heard it exPlained by tht advocate OF
the amendment, that We arc now under any
such urgent, immediate necessity. The fourth
THURSDAY in Nav ia about n moHh oil, and
anti the fourth Thursday shall o q around,
It HccInS 10 mo NC shall suffer no Teat deIrI
nent. be subject to no great evil bI allowing
this State to %rclnaia, in respect 10 all civil
matters, s:ili rs q member Of the Union. ]
a. not understand, l repeat, what necessity
exists for this hasty action. Ooncedng, rs n
question Of power, that VIC have the power,
suggest TO tho Convention whether, under the
circumstances, it is proper te exelcise the
power. According to the amendment pro-
posed, We arc to suspend all fedora! avs to
withdraw, 30 far Us our action can withdraw,
all Federal officers exercising functions within
tbs limits Of this Commonwealth, firm their
duty Of obedience to the Federal laws 1t is,
in fact, a mandate addressed to the Judges OF
the UGuTta-tn the Judges Of your Federal
Courts, and tho officers attached to these
Courts. r IS 0 mandate addressed to the
rercaus officers. Il is Z mandate addressed
10 ali paHtmssiers and ill mail carriers, by
which they are 10 ho commanded no bnser t"
yield obedience 20 Federal laws, no longer tt
discharge the duties in these ~otilcc., which
the laws impose upon them. DESIRE TO know,
sir, what necessity exists for this course; !
desire to know whether VS. shall rot be pre-
~judioing our own interest greatly marc by the
adoption Of this amendment, than = can pos
sibly prejudicn tho i~n;ercsts Of tia Fedora
government. Certainly 1t is 3 matter Of SOM
convenience to tbs people OF Virginia, that thu
mails shall be carried within the limits of Vr
GINA.
Mr. uARvIE.-The States Of South Carolins
and Georgia have utterly rcpudIatcd all Fed,-
raj authority, and get tho mails continue to b.
delivered in the States as usual.
Mr.. ScorT. Of Fauquier THAT is IN anomaly
a very strange anomaly-,hst the Confederate
Sta'es, who have separated themselves iron
the F,der'l Union md assumed separate art
distinct nationality, should yctrcmain indebted
to tho Federal Government inr all their mai
facilities. it Is IN anomaly 0ccaS!oncd by iha'
continuation Of the Constitution bv the Fedora
nu:hmit, 81 which denies to any Safe, or am
nnrnka7 nf States composing this Union III,
right, by their own act, to Withdraw from ihoas
ISOLATION. But, sir, if the Convention will re-
member, wo have received r very signlfstn
hint upon this very question Of mail iac,lE:ir:
from the President in his communication adj
dressed TO This Can7ontion through the Com
miseionera sent 70 wait on him.
Mr.. MAoFARLaSD y understand that !h'
Governor Of tho Commonwealth has isSue'
some order to the postmaster in reference t.
arrangements contemplated to be made IN IT,
event of n stoppaeo Of tho mails By the Fedcrn
au.hariti.s. 1t may he we'll that the UonTen
tion should kno@ what that order is,
NJ. SoorT.-If tho gentleman has anything
tn communicate, I shall not occupy tho TIM
Of the Convention very long. We will be yer,
glad to hear him upon the question as soon n
an opportunity is afforded him to give his
views.
1 was proceeding 70 say, that | thought VT
had recsivol a very significant hint upon thu
question directly from the President himself.
because in rho communication addressed D!
him to this Convention, he announces bis pur
pose to withdraw from the Confederate States
their mail facilities.
Now, sir, l am unwilling to pnt this State
at this time in a position to justify or excusr
the President Of United States, or the ESecu
tive authorities Of tho United States, in any
net calculated so much to prejudice the people
OF this State as The withdrawing of tho mail
facilities would. So that I au Of 8 decided
opinion that during this short interval OF
one month we ought to conGne the opera
tons of that ordinance to those military orders
against which The ordinance directs It's man
date. SEQ a good reason why we should So
thus far, because, as | have already said, il
may remove an impeachment out Of the way Of
these army o1i;ers who arc yet attached to
the army Of the United States, yet holding
commissions under tho Federal authority VIII"
may DO disposed to surrender those commits
sions and take service with ua. Ii tho ordi
nance remains imperative until the ratihca
ton of it By the people. We remain, to all legal
purposes, still a member of the Union; and il
they give up their commissions in The Federal
army, and. tsks service here, they will not
have that protection which the authorities. Of
this Commonwealth ought to give them.
Of this protection and regard it as an impede
ment in their way, even If thoy desire to give
up service in the QUO government and take
--.io, =, IL .Ilr- T., cannot n n n --I,u 49,