Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-02-19

Resolved, That Com, ittee, to consist of 81
Delegates, selected from the different sections of
The State, to be termed the "Committee on Fed
erai Relations, be appointed by the President
10 SAID Committee all resolutions touching fed
eral relations, which may be offered in Oonven-
ton, shall be referred without debate other than
that the member offering the proposition may
explain the object thereof, and any member may
obJect to the same, and assign his reasons there
for within the limits of thirty minutes of time !;
and II shall be the duty of the Committee, from
Tune 10 Time, to report upon the same to the
Convention for its action.
Mr.. Wyatt NJ Elliott of Richmond CITY. was
unanimously elected Printer.
Mr.. Wise arose to vindicate himself from &C
cusatons that had been banded about in Rich
mon city and Washington. He then inquired if
Mr. Stuart, one OF the Delegates from Augusta,
was present. =. .lnf
Mr.. Stuart responded that he was present
Mr.. Wise then proceeded to say that he had
beeh IN retirement for some time past, and had
not interfered in public concerns-not even med
ding with the election which brought him to a
seat in this Convention.
Mr.. Wise then sent to the Clerks table pre-
amDle and resolution offered some time since in
the Senate OF Virginia, by Mr.. Stuart, denounc
ing the reported design Of descent upon Wash
lngton, by certain trash and i-advised" citizens
of Virginia.
After the paper was read by the Clerk, Mr..
Wise asked if Mr.. Stuart included him emong
the persons referred to.
Mr.. Stuart said he had no hesitation in declar-
ing that he never dreamed for moment that
the gentleman from Princess Anne (Mr. Wse)
was implicated in the reported conspiracy. 1t
was matter OF notOrlety known to all that
trash and ill-advised persons" among whom he
did not include Mr.. Wise, were reported to have
contemplated an attack upon Washington. He
Mr.. StuarO received private letters which as
sured him that these reports had obtained lodg-
ment in the public mind, and that the consequeD-
ces might be disastrous He, therefore, felt it
TO be his duty, as a member of the Senate of Va,
to offer that resolution. He took pleasure in &C
quitting entirely the gentleman from Princess
Anne, of any participation, or any belief that be
had any participation in the reported designs.
Mr. Wise thanked the gentleman for his salts.
factory explanation. Mr.. Wise then read letter
from Messrs .lno. a. Hartman and .Ino. d. I'M
boden, OF Stanton, addressed to Senator Beverly
Douglas, certifying that they had a conversation
with Mr.. Stuart, at the Exchange Hotel, in
which he declared that be had information that
one of the first acts of the Convention would be
to evict the present Governor and install the Elk
Governor (Wise) etc. Mr.. Wise said that so tar
as be was concerned, there was not the least
shadow of foundation for the statement, and he
was compelled to ask the Senator (Mr. Stuart)
for the facts as he understood them.
Mr.. Stuart replied that the Information in the
letter was an entire mistake. He never bad,
nor protested to have, any such information, ex-
cept as an on DIT which was current in the ro-
tunda of the Exchange Hotel, and he may have
tod II III
sation. He never believed that the gentleman
from Princess Anne would lend himself to any
such purpose.
Mr.. Wise said he was very happy to meet the
gentleman here, and to shake hands with him.
He then proceeded to remark that be may have
missed his destiny. If he had this guber
Material term, he would have preferred it to the
last. He would rather have command of the
military forces OF Virginia now than in the John
Brown raid
On Saturday the 4th day of the Convention,
before thst body proceeded to business, Mr.
Stuart made the following
PERSONAL ExPLANATIoN.-Mr. Stuart of Au.
gusta, desired to make personal explanation.
He alluded to the letter from Messrs Imboden
and Hartman, -ead yesterday by Mr. Wise, and
said be had since read it himself The writers
fell into the error, he thought quite naturally
of supposing that be bad positive information
that there was movement on foot to place Mr.
Wise in the Gubernatorial chair. The informa.
ton of which he spoke alluded solely to the fact
that be (Mr. Wise) had been telegraphed to-
When they expressed their disbelief, be stated
that be had information which he was salts
fed was true, but that was din reference to the
telegram, ana not to the conspiracy or plot.
He had no intention to intimate that the gen.
tlemen did not write what they believed to be
correct, and could now readily understand how
they fell into the error. All he knew of the plot
was from rumOr. He was sitting in the room OF
the gentleman from Henrico, when another gen.
tleman came in and mentioned the fact that he
had seen telegram, bearing several signatures,
designed to be sent to Mr.. Wise, in these words
ssYour friends think your services are needed
here. Come on.' This was the information he
received, and he now appealed to the gentleman
from Henrico to say if he YVES correct
Mr.. Wickham said the statement accorded ex-
actly with his recollection. Justice required
him to say further that be had been intimately
associated with Mr.. Stuart the whole winter
and that neither received information that was
not mentioned to the other; and he (Mr. w.,
never heard of the matter till he heard it men:
toned in the Senate.
Mr.. Stuart said that be had risen merely to dc
an act OF justice to himself and those who were
absent. He had never designed to impute un
worthy motives to any one in connection with
the matter.
The President announced the following Com
mittees under resolutions adopted yesterday:
Federal Relationship Conrad, " se
Stuart OF Augusta, Scott OF Fauquier, Preston
Harvie, jackson, MacFarland, McOomas, Monta
que, Price, Southall, Wiley, Bruce, Boyd, Bar
bour, of Cnlpeper, Williams, Rives, Moore, Blow
and Clemens.
Committee on Federal Eleetiops.-Messrs
Raymond, Goggin, Brown, Obambliss, Oaperton
Amber, Gray, Hunton, Campbell, Tredway
Hall, of L., Sheffey and Patrick.
Mr.. Stuart asked to be excused from service
upon the Committee on Federal relations. He
was a member of the Senate, and under the
present arrangements could attend 10 his repre-
sentative duties in both bodies, but, if he should
undertake to serve as member of the commit
tee, he would have to neglect bis duties IN the
Senate, and therefore asked to BE- excused.
Mr.. Stuart was excused and Mr.. Baldwin snbz
stitpted,
Mr.. Clemens also asked to be excused, as il
would be announcement tor him, being deprived
of the power of locomotion, Qrom lameness) t.
attend the sessions Of the Committee. He
therefore asked leave to decline in favor of Gen
John j. jackson, OF Wood county.
Mr.. Clemens was excused, and Mr.. jackson
substituted.
Mr.. Mari, Of Fauquier, offered the following
resolution, which was referred, under the rule
adopted yesterday: u
Resolved, That Virginia cherishes devoted
attachment to the Union of these States under
the Constitution framed by the wise and PATRIOTIC
men OF the past-that she will use every honora-
Die effort and make any sacrifice consistent with