Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-06-25

body 20 attend to This important matter a. the
earliest possible period. From considerations;
ot economy, alone, the Convention should re,
district the State, for the expense necessarily
attendant upon a convocatioI Of the General
Assembly must be considerable; and this is
certainly no tims for useless expenditure Of
money. Many members Of the Convention
speak o! leaving in few days, and offered
the resolution that q definite expression ci
opinion may be had upon thu subject.
| Mr.. GARNgrT.-- think that resolution i'm
plies this, that this Convention considers it
self not only body to judge Of the orgenic
law OF the State and its relations with other
States, but substitute fpr the Legislature
ITSELF For my own part having adopted the
Constitution and performed the principal duty
assigned US, am in favor Of an adjournment
sine die. consider that the functions Of the
| Convention are in measure ended. The peo.
| pie having elected a Legislature with full paw
eTS oG this subject, let us remit TO that body
| ths duty required BY the resolution. If ne.
cessary, they can call on extra session, ana
! ,aert as wo!I as We can. hope we shall re.
! gsr6 this Us i test question whether :his Con-
vention is a perpetual bodc intended 10 super.
Sede The General Assembly or not
| Mr.. STAPLrs-.ts to the argrmc:s! :iat this
is not properly 4 Legislative body, :he sea:lc-
10 sn is rs vel, aware as aIn that We have nl
really been legislating for the Grneii. o! the
State. / do no; see why thi, Convention can.
not dlscha7S" this dutv rs well ~ tie General
| Assembly. One OF the otiirr has - 10 it, and
as the Legislature docs not convene until after
! the e!ec:ioa. aaa would have - call an extra
session to meet The exigency, think it is cru
inently proper that this reappor.iorueHt should
| be tsaac under the l:rectoa o: this Concen.
/ ton.
! Mt. STrA1T-I must differ with the gentle.
E.sa in regard 10 the functions Of this C9aven.
ton. Tas law under which we ere called pre-
sc:ibes two duties Oae was in reference to
onr Federal connection, and the other Was iE
regard to the chances which tusy b. proper
! ly made in the fundamental las OF tho Com
,nonweallh. The C0icmi!ea Of which | aT
Chairman, has InaIa report upon the latter
suhject, which is row in the hands Of the prin-
ter. preparatory 70 recelvinG nuc consideration.
7 diffsr from the gentleman from E'Sax. xlSn,
, in his desire that this Convention should I'D.
| ioura sine die shall never consent 10 an al.
| iournmen, Of this Convention until we have
discharged all the duties conailsd 10 Us blg the
people Of the Commonwealth. shall rs far
| as am able tn 90 So insist upon remaining
II session. though there may be recesa until
! we have reformed the ahuscs and rsdicalism
which exist in the fundamental lsw. In regard
20 redStrictirg the State feel little interested
But il the Legislature i; brought together for
a purpose which we can perform as we'll, It
will necessarily te u. ST enor22us exaerse,
which the State a! this tine can i'll sIpri to
besr understand that unarr ,ha provisions
Of the Constitution Of the Confsdcrae States,
all Congressional elections take place s!nulan
eorslr. the time designated is tic isrt Wed.
neSday in November. so all know that the
regular session Of the Genera! Assembly will
not commence before the FIST week iGDecember
The result would he that We should have to
convene an extra session Of the Legislature
probably in the month Of September, in the
midst Of the war. Mt q great expense, Cor the
simple purpose Of performing duty which is
inl!y within the scope oe the powers Of this
Convention. I. ia ne. too much to cay thai
this body is quite as competent, fnot more
cornnetent, for tie task than the ordinary Leg
isiasurc. from the fact that there are more gen
tlenea here who have no personal interest in
;hGt sas;jec., and would therefore DC more Ike.
| ly to discharge their duty with fairness and
| lmpartislity. hone therefore the Convention
viii adopt the resolution.
! Mr. GoopE-I concur fuliy with tho views
cf the gentleman from Essex (Mr GARNET
! It seems tn mo altogether i'll ,i:ned md ied
rised for the Convention to go into tie consf.
Grafton of this subject; and, believe, il 1t is
done is will lake the people Of this Common
wealth completely hy surprise. 1t is net A
part of our business; VIC were not elected
with reference TO any Guch subject Indeed,
At ,hc time Of the election Of the members Of
thi: Convention, tie. suhj"c: Of re districtng
the State fo: the election Of members Of Con
g-eGs. vas nowhere csnrassed, nowhere spoken
OF, and nowhere provided for. The all absorb
ing question Of the hour was that Of secession
whether we should continue in the late Fed
eral Union or separate from il. That question
has been settled fprever; and tho cap stone Of
the work Was finished yesterday, when, by a
unan;rno1s vote, we ratified the Constitution
cI the Confederate States.
Ou. mission is, therefore ended, and agree
with my friend that we should adjourn ns
speedily as possible, anu return to our respec
tive spheres Of duty. The Legislature just
elected IS as competent: 70 the performance CT
the task as this body.
They are more directly from the peopIe snd
wcrr chosen with reference to questions Of this
character. As regards the views OF the gen.
tlernsu from Augusta, (Mr STrART,) have no
doubt the Legislature will be just as dis!nte-
rested upon this question IS the hody in which
we are now sitting.
trust, sir, that This subject will be assigned
to its proper sphere, for il we undertake to go
into ordinary business legislation like this, we
eif4clually vote ourselves perpetual BODY,
and abuse trust confded to our hands fer q
specific purpose.
Mr.. BALDwIN.-I Immediately after the pas
cage Of the Ordinance Of Secession think, on
;nc first proposition to perform any legislative
fnnctirns-l rose in mv place and moved res.
olu.Ion, thut this Convention should adjourn;
n, the SINE time advising the Governor to cal!
the Geueral Assembly into session for the pur
pose Of passing such acts as light be necessary.
protested then, most earnestly against The
assumption by this Convention, Of anything
like legislative functions. | recnl!cct we'll, and
do not think gentlemen can have forgotten it,
that was hardly allowed to express the opin
nn that there vas any limitation on our pow
ers; and. e. last, after having been beaten
down by the repeated votes OF this bsdF.
. stated that while | still entertained the
opinion that we were exercising usuFped and
revolutionary authority at every step. yet
~ il seemed TO DC tho deliberate judgment
cs the Conreotion, [ ~oud make no fur
,hcr objection on The acore of q want OF
powe-, but would consider each question
as i: came up on the ground OF expcdien
CO. From that time to this the Convention
has been engaged in the exercise Of every leg.
iS!a,Te function Though the State Constltn
ton contiicS the raising and appropriation OF
money 70 tho General Assembly. this ConTen
ton, In vcla,ioD Of its lawful power, as cen
cc:7u, has undertaken TO exercise the authority
of rn;s;ng and spending money and Of perform
ing variety OF acts which are not properly
part of its functinns Until now, however,
have not been able to And any ono to concur.
with NC in my view upon this subject
N,r J o-nrnse 10 on on If the LEGISLATURE