The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-05
Rirtmunn pispatfh.
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION
FORTY-THIRD DAY

VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION.
FoRTY-THIRD DAY.
THURSDAY, April 4, 1851.
The Convention was called to order at the
usual hour Prayer by the Rev. DIR. JErER,
of the Baptist Church.
EQUALITY OF TAXATION.
Mr. STUART, of Doddridge, resumed the floor,
and con tin ued his remarks upon the pending
resolu ,ions of Mr. Wiley, OF Monongaia.
He did not desire TO detain the Conven Iion
by any prolonged discussion of the question,
Tor he was now ready himself to vote upon
any subject before the body. He reiterated
the position that his people We're not submis-
sionists they We're ready to defend any in ter
est of the State, even though they had been
oppressed by the Last quite as much as by
the Northern agtators. lie then went on to
give specifications, charging that the course
| of legislation had been unjust 70 IA large sec
| ton of the State and showing that while ii
was claimed thatit was for the interest of the
West TO protect slave property III the last
| because it paid large portion of the taxes,
| The State had been at an expense OF over 81, =
900 900 in the last two years for the protection
| OF this property, and the entire tax raised
| from that source was scarcely sufficient TO pay
| the interest on the sum. Nevertheless, his
| people were ready to drive back the Invader
| whenever he should come upon our borders,
| and all they asked was n change in the organic
| law in respect 10 taxation by merely striking
| out the words "other than slaves" This
| they demanded and il must be done before
| they would consent to rurn their faces TO any
| proposition looking TO dissolution OF the
| Union He contended tor justice, not u
| question OF interest, but As a question oil prln-
| ciple and proceeded te demonstrate that the
| Wes tern people would in 4 few years pay in to
the State Treasury every dollar that had been
| appropriated TO them, while in the East the
tax upon slaves scarcely paid the interest
| upon the sum paid for their protection Mil
lions upon millions Of dollars had been APP
| propriated TO the East, through which the
| State was deeply in debt, and he claimed that
the East should bear a due proportion of the
| tax.
| Mr SruARr continued his remarks until
| half past 10, when the Convention went into
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE,
For the purpose of considering the report OF
! the Committee on Federal Relationship
SoUTHATL i'll the chair.
| MIR. RIcHAEDsoS, of Hanover, resumed his
| remarks.
| He said that at the time of the adjourn
ment last evening he was endeayOring tc
| show that the proper place for Virginia was
| in the Southern Confederacy, and TO answer
| TO the best of his ability, some of the argu-
ments of gentlemen who took different view
| OF the matter. He proposed TO show in his
few remarks this morning the. ruinous conse-
guences to all the best interests of Virginia
from delay. On this point he discussed the
respective tariff systems of the two Confed
tages to be derived from the one At the South
and alluded TO the proud position that Nir
| ginia would occupy at the head of the Con
| feGer1te States. She would then be strong
enough to die tate terms the North and by
| no other method could she so surely aid in thu
| ultimate reconstruction of the Union. HI
| apprehended none OF the difficulties alluded
| TO by gentlemen on the other side, of gettins
| 20 the Southern Confederacy through thu
| friendly Southern States which have not Sc
ceded; but If difficulty should arise, we mus
wait until we can build ships Tor purposes o.
transport. Virginia must meet the Difficult
ties in whatever form they presented. -
Her position in the Northern Confederacy
was humiliating, and under an iniquitous
| tariff her commercial in terestS must be ruined
| The Peace Conference he considered hel
final effort towards adl tment The hopes
| of those gentlemen who did not despair of The
Republic could find little encouragement il
the progress of the abolition party hereto
fore and he looked to no reform in public sen
timent III that quarter The South had 8
| right to comp plain of the hostile action of the
| General Government, notwithstanding tht
| claim set up that Virginia had always sane
toned or ratified the measures OF the Admin
istrttion in respect to slavery. The report o
the Harpers Ferry Committee showed tha
Ming n off Il the prdoefty sef the Sonth, and citi
| zens had been murdered in the attempt Il
execute the fugitive slave law. a few year.
| ago, under EIllmore's Administration, a negr'
named Anthony Burns was brought back, bu
| it req uired not only the whole military fore
of State. but large force of the Genera
| Government, involving an expense OF som
hundred thousand dollars to bring back
slave worth seven or eight hundred. Sucl
was an illustration of public sentiment a
the North. Should Virginia remain unde
such a Government as that! lie went on
argue that the treesolers had been trespass
/ ing upon tne slave property OF the border, al
most depicting the counties there, and thi
system of underground operations would con
To- tinue. He wanted to give protection to tn
- u
, | croachments. He did not conceive that
would require a standing army to do this.
| line OF military posts would be sufficient, an
| 1t was idle to maintai that this system
= defence would impoyerish the uthern Coz
| federacy
!, Mr.. RIcHARpsoS paid a just tribute TO Ii
r ! men and scenes of the past. He would NJ
: | consent to remain in 4 OOnfederacy where NJ
e | only those great Names but the Southern pet
| pie of the present day, were dishonored by tt
| fiendish spirit of abolftionism. He would ne VI
| consent 10 Il reconstruction OF the Union, e.
t cept upon terms of perfect equality in ever
I, | respect
t MIR MoRToS, of Orange, said that he ha
designed expressing his views in Committee
the Whole, but in the very limited time th
, | remained for discussion he would have
: | confine himself to a brief glance at the que
J, tions at issue, He argued that the propos'
di vision by the line of SO 80 was not the equa
/ ity OF the Constitution not the equality pr
/ claimed by the Supreme Court in the DR.
| Scott decision. Such a compromise he deem
r a sacrifice of Southern rights, if not Of Sout
q | ern honor. He would never consent to +
], | cons trc tion OF the Union except on terms
:, | perfect equality-equality from the found
= | ton TO the very capstone OF the Governmen
Q He proceeded upon the position assumed
the gentleman from Fauquier, tMr Scott c
| Yesterday, that the South would not be sa
| under any concessions OF constitution
amendment coming from the North. A qua
antee of political power was the only mot
II | through which the South could protect he
self and the destiny of the Union, which Il
. fathers ntem pla ted, be worked out. tt
: | principle, he believed, should be applied
every depar tment of the Government. He +
- sponded cordially to the sentiment advanced
9 the gentleman from Fauquier, that if tn
= Union could not be safely reconstructed II
des tiny of Virginia was with the South III
he hoped that it would find Il response In u
mind of every member Oh this floor. ii
a | point OF difference between them was wheth
v we should have T. difference before or aft
= the withdrawal of Virginia. He alluded
Q the appoin tment of Commissioners TO the pr
!, | posed Conference Appointments by tn
Convention, he apprehended, would not rel
resent the popular sentiment of the State.
Maryland would be represented by Commi
sioners appointed by the Governor, who.
: not Black Republican, was cousin -germa
- 10 that party. He had little hope that any
y the Border States would be represented
. such a manner as to reflect the popular in te
| est He maintained that Virginia should al
, for herself in the emergency-secedef first, al
Z trust TO cooperation afterwards. lie did II,
4 doubt that If Virginia went out and joins
. the Southern Contederacy, the others Wou
. follow. Until, however, they came to u
= standard which Virginia should set up f
4 herself he wan ted no union wi tn them. NJ
q MORTON ontinued to urge the necessity of S
!. cession until the hour of II arrived, whe
IL