Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-21

TeI 10 Inc JcWUllliee CT lh6 " Oole
The report wns then read by the Secretary
o. itlloGss:.
The Committee or Estieru' relations have,
according TO order, had ucGsr consideration
sl:,irJ resolutions to them referred and an,eud-
mcnts proposed to the Federal Constitution,
and be. leave 10 report ths following amend
n,ea!s to be proposed to the Constitution oi the
! United Sta:es, to be appended to their former
report:
ARTl GLE NIL
! SEcrIoS !. In all the present territory of the
United States, North Of ihe parallel ot thirty
six degrees snd thirty minutes OF North lati-
tude. involuntary serVitude except ir punish.
mant Of crime, is prohibited. In al! the pre-.
sent territory South OF thar line, involuntary
Scrvindc as it now exists, shsli remain and
shall not lie changed nor shsll any law be
passed by Congress or the Territorial Legisla-
turc TO hinder or prcrERt the taking Of persons
! held 10 service or iahor from any Of the States
OF this Union to said territory, nor to impair
the rights arising from said relation nor shall
said rights be in any maEner affected by any
pre-exi4ting law Of Mexico; bu. the same shall
be subject to judicial ccgnizancc in the federal
courts, according to the renmdieS md tine prac
ticc Of the COMMON Law. When any territory
! North or South Of said line. within such boun-
dary as Congress may prescribe, shall contain
Il population eqDal 10 that required ior IL niem-
berUt Congress, it shall, if its form OF govern
mcnt bc republican, be cadmitted into the Union
Oh an equal looting with the original States,
with or without involuntary Servitude, ne such
Constitution Of the State may PROVIDE
Ia al territory which may hereafter he &C.
Iuircd by the United States involuntary scrvi-
tudc is prohibited, except for crime, North Of
the latitude Of 36 deg. and 80 min.; but shall
not be prohibited by Congress or any Terrific
rial Legislature South Of said line.
SEcTloH2. No territory shall be acquired by
the United States, except by discovery and for
naval and commercial stations, depots and tram
sit routes, without ;he concurrence Of major.
ity Of all the Senators from States which allow
involuntary servitude, and majority Of all the
Senators OF States which prohibit that relation;
nor shall territory be acquired By treaty, unless
the votes Of a majority Of the Senator's from
each class Of States herein before mentioned be
cast us i part Of the two two-;hirds majority
necessary 10 the ratification Of such treaty.
! SECTION 3. Neither the Constitution, nor any
emeEdment thereof, shall be construed to give
Congress power 10 legisate concerning invol
untary Seryitude in any State or Territory
wherein the same is acknowledged CT may ex.
st by the laws thereof, nor to interfere with
| Or abolish the same III the District Of COlum-
bia without The consent Of Maryland and Vir-
ginia, and without the consent Of the owners,
| or making the owners who do not consent just
compensation; nor the power to Interfere with
or prohibit representatives and others from
| bringing with Them to the District Of CuluM-
bia, retaining and taking away, persons so held
10 labor or service, nor the power to interfere
with Or abolish involuntary service in places
/ nnder the exclusive jurisdiction Of the United
States within those States and Territories
where the same is established or recognized;
nor the power to prohibit the removal or trans.
porlaticn by lard or water of persons held to
labor, or involuntary service in any State or
Territory Of tie United States 10 any other
State or Territory thereof ahere it is establish
el Or recognized Dy law or usage; and the right
during transportation, BY sea or river, Of touch
! ing at ports, shores and landings, and landing
in case Of need, shall exist. but not the right or
sgj0urn or sale in any State or Territory,
against the laws thereof Nor shall Congress
have power TO authorize any higher rate oil taX
alton on persons held 10 labor or service than
on land.
|
| persons held to labor or service for sale. or
placing them in depo.s 10 be afterwards trans.
| !arrcd TO other places for sale as merchandise,
is prohibited.
SrcrIoS +. The third paragraph Of the Sc.
| cond section Of The fourth article Of the Con-
| stitutinn shall not he construed to prevent any
Of the States, by appropriate legislation, and
| through the action Of their judicial ard minis.
teTial officers, from enforcing the delivery Of
| lugtives from labor TO the person 10 whom
sucn service or labor is due
SECTION j. the importation Of slaves. coolies
or persons held 10 service or labor in the Uni.
ted States and the Territories, from places be-
yond the limits thereof, is hereby forever pro-
hibtcd
Section G. Congress shall provide by law
that the United States shall pay to the owner
| ;h. full value Of his fugitive from labor, in all
cases where the marshal, or other officer, whose
duty it was 10 arrest such fugitive, was pre-.
vented from so doing by violence or intimida-
| ton from mobs or riotous assembagcs, or by
viUleGcc, or when, after arrest, such fugitive
WAS rescued by like intimidation or violence,
and the owner thereby deprived Of the same.
SEC. :. The elective franchise and The right
to hold office, whether Federal or Territorial.
shall not be exercised by persons wLo are OF
the African race.
Scc 3. No one Of these amendments nor the
third paragraph of the second section Of the
first article Of the Constitution, nor the third
paragraph OF the second section Of the fourth
article thereof, shu!l be amended or abolished
without the consent Of all the States.
The report waS laid OIL the table and ordered
to be printed.
Mr. HALL.--With the permission Of the gen.
tleman from Barbour, (Mr WOODS desire 10
ciIer the following resolution:
Resolved, That in future. until otherwise
ordered, this Convention shall meet as at pre-
scrt at haEpast 10 O'clock A. NJ, remain in
the session until half-past two O'clock, p NJ,
then take recess, and again assemble at quar-
ter 10 O'Clock, p. b.
MI EAELY-I move that the resolution lie
on the table.
The motion was agreed to, so the resolution
was laid Oh the table.
PROCEEDINGS OF 4 MEETING AT PETERSBURG.
Mr.. EKANcu-I beg 10 intrude upon the
time Of The gentleman from Barbour for few
moments. ] hold in my hands letter from
Wm. +. Joyres, OF Petersburg, chairman oi one
VI the largest meetings eser held in my city.
covering resolutions passed by that meeting,
addressed to this Convention, and requesting
them 70 take cognizance of them. vii! ask
the Secretary to read them, and then would
like to make few remarks upon them.
The resolutions were then read by the Secre-
lary rs follows:
MEETING or TIE CITIZENS oF PETERSBURG.
II pursuance OF the annexed call, published
in the daily papers on Monday, the lth inst,
a large concourse Of the citizens Of Petersburg
met at Phoenix Hall, on the evening of That
day, at eight o'clock, p. NJ:
TO 1He vC7aRs CT PgTEEssrao.- true lovers Of Con-
riuticnsI Lia-rry, aud OF the Union, fathers
formed IT, requested 10 Feet Vt PkGnx Hail. hOu
DAY ..isht eight O'Clock, In order TO instruct D@ie-
gate In the State Convention, assembled So for
irtm,ide accession. L.: there be grand rally Of TIE
people MAar CITizfSs
The meeting was organized BY the election
OF VIM !. Joynes rs Chairman, and \. I.
Cru.ch6eld and John Lyon, Secretaries.
a1r. c. f. Collier offered the following Teso-