Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-17

to W CSitTn rgnia, while you say They lrt
needed here on ' oar own DO. .drrs All you wan
is 10 b. furnished with sruS. The men you
can reserve f.r the defence Of tLose points ir
thu Etsi, when you say are expused.
trus! it wilt be tbu plcasur. Of the Con-
yention 10 pass this ordlnaacc, and allow ths
arms to ho scnI on. 1t once.
Mr.. uAkylk.--l do not say that urlns ough
not to be sent there It the idinauce shal
pass with the amendment have offered, Gen
Lee will have !ull power to send arms wher
ever he Inay think they are needed; and have
no doubt il gentlemen will 90 TO the Genera
and communicates TO him what they have STATED
here, he will, upvn the passage OF the ordi-
nance, rs propose 10 amend, furnish the ne
cessary supply of arIus.
Why SHOULD VIC cuuo here and Indicate the
particular points where arms are 10 be sent TO
Why should We come here and suspend The
operation OF this law in relation to the urmDs
ot volunteers in reference To one locality anc
not TO another? 1t would be unjust TO do so
ana trust the Convention will be guilty uf nc
such &c, of partia'ity. Ny amendment pro
pases to confer umn the Copmancer-in chic
full discretion in the ,ul.tcr nl The dis rihulor
of arms, and to whom could II more properly
he committed! We are incapable Ct judging
what points most need the means "! d,loacs. -
Indeed. so little do We know concerning mill
tary matters, that We have frequently TO repeg
ono day an u.Giusacs which we passed. tho DAY
before have great respect for tue judgment
Of the me,uters OF the Military Committee
bu! have much more rcspect,,r1r the iudg
Inenl OF Gen. Lee in military atllrs. My o2in.
ion is, that i, would lac better iar us not tc
msAe any disposition Vi t!rese arms until the
President of tia Confederate States aall Gene
rul Lee shall direct what is best T.. be don;
with them.
Mr.. HALL v( WeizAi.--.l iss N the !..r,iaE.
Of North Virginia, w,h the Safe .
PENNSYLVANIA GA che side ard Ohio on tht
olher, aid have, therefore, think, ri ght Il
say something.
| thiuk that gentlemen here entirely lusap,
prenend the cht trscie. Of the stru. .gle in which
we are engaged Il seemS & inc thai il rouiG Ia
extremely mpuii;ic for this Convention tu dirrc
where the blow shall Le struck, or TO undsr-
take, in any ma;.;.er, 50 lar as relates to Li!!
irary operations, to govern tho authorities tc
whom we have entrusted the conduct of Gu:
military movements.
|, has been prCclaiUcd that this war is 1,
be conducted upon the principle of civii'z..'
warfare trust that may be 50. IL will b.
am satisfied, SO far SIS our sidb Is CONCERNED
for already 1t is Indicated t!:"t al III:
ry:,.s ul private property arc To D. strictly re
sardrd Bnt tl!ele may sprung Up grsri,'H
parties On the bnrders, vino may dlsregaIc {
these principles and ranSack and p(undc: eve
rything lhat comes in their Tsy. AN salts
ned, sir, if the enemy resort, 10 this be will Be
,ne, IN similar spirit, and that retaliation
vii! not be attempted in vaiL. | have entire
contiderce in the ju!Sdmeht OI General Lee
and trust it vii! b. the plehSuic cf tn. Convcn
ton to learc 10 him the power 10 u'anag7 AZ
fairs in the military line as seelii best 10 'liu
II seems to ne 10 BIZ extremely unwse to it,
;.,f re with his movements il an; way, tld
nrpa tns ConruntiOn will not DO ~.
Mr. EAsLY. i an actually astonisbe>i g
the OPPOSITION which this ordinance Is re-
cei,ing. hope that tue Conventi"n VII give
tue their Ca: for moment wulle ! In,ke al
cxplans,iul 90 no: desire to lake up toe
lnuch tine.
This rrdlriarve does not propose tniIy dow
Tor the commander in chief any plan ii opcia
tons whatsoever 1t authorizes him to caus'
arms to be issued for the use OF particular 10
cgiiles. 1t merely gives him the power Il
issue them at his discretion, and III view Of tht
public necessity, but does not direct him 4
| do &c. Is not this il sale policy to pursue
| There are here thlee gentlemen from the Kama
wha valley who are ready to transport tht
arms without coat to the State. Understand
| if YOU give them the guns, they will have car
| riares manufactured tnr them, So that TIN
State will no: br ar tie expense Gf della
| beyond tie furnishing cf the arms. | under
stand an officer is already appointed to TAXI
charge Of the operations in the region to which
i. is proposed to furnish these arhs.
Now, we are asked 70 delay Until pc3rls:o.
is made for the distribution uf arms IN othe:
quarters Wha. other quarters ure there rX
cept the borders or the Ohio and the Northern
borders in he Valley? There are grea
! mary in the latter point with arms in thei
hand, while large uunr'rr u arms were tlker
n, Harper: Ferry, which. il necessary, can bi
| eInploved for The defencd Il lhv borders along
the line o.. the potn,n.c. Besides, there ar,
! several thousand soldirrs ii { lstern Virgini,
read: to BIZ transported Ii to any point in tina
section where .heir ;Ir>reaee :Hay be needed
In yew Of all this, gentlemen tell US t, wal
until the arms are ;aiGiy distributed Sir, al
the arms that we have are concentrated il
| Eis,ern Virginia and in The Valley. The vol
! uuleer companies that have b:en organized ant
armed. are limited entirely ~ these portions q
the State; and yet gentlemeu in these guar
ters tell US to wait for sn equal distribution
of the arms everywhere before you give tn
counander-in.c n.chcf the power to send arms L
those exposed points for which they are nov
asked.
In regard to the Eastern section and tht
Valley, there is no need to dispense with tn
volunteer regulations, for they have ull tn
necessary facilities 10 obtain arms and men a
any moment, Will: in rrsa!G 10 the KaDawh
valley regicn, lher. il every reason to diSpens
with it, inasmuch as tho same acritlcs f5r Or
sanizlton and obtaining arms a9 not exist.
hopc il will 1a the pleasure the ConvcrI
tion 70 pass this n dinancr, which, in flct, doc
nothing mott lhan cnInmit the Who'll. mat
Ter 10 the ;li..tri!on uf this Comlnandcr-in
! chief.
Mr.. TnoRsroS, of Prince E Elward.--I woli
ask would il not bs hettcr 20 frame this ordi
nance in the general Terms proposed By III
gentleman froIn MiddleSeX, (Mr. MONTAGUE,
than to take it in the restricted form propose'
by the Military Committee. One can be passe
in AS short time as the other and as "
| have Commander in, chief IN whom all OF u
have confidence, why not rePcii the provision
of the law that now regulates the dIspositio:
! of arms, and leave it to his discretion to dst:l
butte ur.us to military companies in any portio
Of the State in such manrer Il; III his wisdom
may seem just and proper.
Mr. aRLY--There are regulations for to
issuing of arms requiring the sffccra 10 CIV
bond and security that The arIHs vii! be forth
c,lnins when ir,ua,:d:d by .he State, or thei
cash eYuiyalrE
| This provision = necessary !n order to con-
| pel the parties receiving The arms 10 take pro
Der care Of them. + there is any jnstfcato
to suspend the operation of this provision, III
circumstances Of the application row mad
| furnish it. This ordinance d.'cs nnt propos
to repeal that provision. It merely propose
to couFe upur Gen. Les he power to furnis
the arms to the poin's where they ire needed