Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-07-26


do not ask ans more and would not be
willing to take anything less
do not desire, Mr. Speaker, to deta'h
this House. do hopegeptlrnen wii coh-
cider this natter. But before ! do SIT Gown
l would Just wish to advert to one thlng.
+ / do not desire 10 dictate to this House, OF
TO any man, nor shall any one dictate 10
I me. want to hear advice favorable ana
unfnyorable, aud then do like me m"n "eo
called in his neighbors to tell MN wuere
! to build his barn, and refused TO take any
I Of their advice and wentaud bulit II "uete
he pleased. Gentlemen use arguments
nyainst any action here on account of the
: snalluess Of this body-that we represent
such small portion Of the Suite, and
/: thar il looks very unjust for as to attempt
Z TO do ANYTHING in this matter without con
{ sultiuq iheu, away across the Mountains.
! We have proceeded thus far without any
/ consultation Whatever. Well now ask
! gentlemen 10 tell me she day in the past
| when we had az united Northwest. Go to
/ Richmond, the former capital of the State,
follow up the record OF her legislators, and
I tell me, sir, when Northwestern virginia
stood there as an omitted people. why uio
they motif the question arises. Why, SIR,
! that question has been answered thoa-
1 Sand times. Eastern Virginia had more
+
we never had an united West. ProlonG
this thing my fellow countrymen, procras-
innate the division of the State until you
clear aII the secession rebels OFT OF the
State 10 every county, and farewell, yes,
farewell to u separation of this State -
Does any gentleman presume that when
this entire State is represented 10 = LeEls-
lature. that YOU can ever obtain the requt-
, site assent. It cannot be possible that
any gentleman here suppostS for SIM
! gle moment that when the State IS
truly represented, that the assent OF the
Legislature TO q division ever could be
ohtlined. That thing Is now in our hands,
We have il in our power, and it we do not :
make use of it, sir, fear sume of us will
have fearful account to shoulder to our
constituents. They say, "Sir, this was IN
your power once; you refused tn make Use
| of it YOU held she Legislature TO be suGh
for the ordinary purposes OF legislation,
but when il came TO this point of legiSia-
ting for a separation of the State, then
! sir. you denied that you were the Legisln-
| Iure of the Stats. THIS " IS in your hands
once. You had it in your power. You
| have sold US and disgrhccd US, because our
State ia now bankrupt, as whole, and
must repudiste. and consequ ntly bring
disgrace upon u.s." ia
hope gentlemen will consider the thing,
! and refuse to do anything that will not be,
| rreditAble TO this body AMI satisfactory TO
their people at home. They look for
something plain and palpable.-thHt they
| can see, aud feel, and take hold of Just
one word more GentlcTre" say. sir, that
il is inexpedient, highly iuexpedient, that
this body shonId icgls!ate on this subject;
! thar ia:tiatory steps should lie taken by
the Convention. Now, sir, never did
! claim to have any legal knowledge, but |
want to know in That Slate, or what conn
| ty, or where, if ever, in the history of our
country, there WAS Convention brought
| together to frame a constitution, without
I frat being authorized to 10 so 10y the Leg
! islature of the State. 1t there ever WAS
such case, do not know :. They ARE
| willing to assume, If this Convention sees
proper to do so and so, tlat it is all right.
! If they see nroper to frame constitution,
can they do SO without being authorized TO
| do 80 BY this body? l say emphatic:sliy.
! sir, they cannot do so. II am mistaken,
/ hope gentlemen will correct me on this
| point. Why not give them that authority,
and If they deem it incxpeiicnt 10 do this
thing, let il got But, sir, if II that time
they do believe it expedieut. why not in
vest them with authority to frame con-
stitution?
Mr.. BoRHMAS-If it Wouli be in order,
| | would like to make few remarks in,re-
ply to what the gentleman has suggested;
and if any member of this body is now
prepared to decide whether my friend from
Moauug4lia has argued upon the motion
to indefinitely postpone this matter or not,
he can 10 more than can.
| Mr.. MISEn-Mr. Speaker
Mr.. BoRswAS-I am willing to deal out,
any courtesy to gentlemen, but / wish, if
it would be in order, to reply to some of
the remarks that have been made. l
| would hon. - ..sa 81
Tue SPEAKgR-The Chair has been in
| dulgiug gentlemen in discussing the merits
| OF this question. but will, of course. have
| TO restrict gentlenou in discussing the gen.
eral question. raE
Mr.. BoRENAS-T do not propose to go
into Al general discussion. but just in reply
TO the question the gentleman put
The SPEAKBR-The Chair only trusts the
gentleman will not follow the eXtmple of
the gentlem IN who last h.d the floor.
| Mr. BoRBXAS-I will argue to tue qucs-
\ ton that is before the House, the indefinite
postponement of this subject. nm OPP
posed TO an indefinite pOstponement. l,
never expected this question to come up
here and pass OF without discussion.
desire to hear from gentlemen. | was
glad to hear from my friend from Monnn-
gala. though do not say to hin, that he is
very fickle minded AS he represents others
to be. and tie constituents OF other gentle
man. Nevertheless WAS glad to hear from
him aud from any one. am open to com
FICTION want informationi and I want
Ito hear members and have u free inter-
change of sentiment. have lhid iowR no
chosen track to pursue, that cannot be
swerved from by arguments. Tho question
mooted By the gentleman here was that lie
had never known a convention to have
authority to act without the Legislature
had given that authority.
II convention. | will say to the gentle
man, has no authority to act without con-
sent of the lsgislAtnre. il has none with it.