Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-26

Of said amendments Is Fl'poSS"'
Your petitioner, only in the nope that II
might succeed, vet lis means I'll Saving Tune
and certainty of State action, ~onid suggest
that Congress frs! Inc applied to 10 propose,
hy two thirds vote, the same amendments 10 oe
ratified by the Legislatures OF threelourths OF
The several States; and Tor tins purpose your
petitioner suggests the following TORN OF an
ordinance, To Wit:
we tie people Of Virginia, do ordan, &c.
tina, the Congress OF the United States he and
they are hereby invited 10 propose to the
States composing their Union, the articles
herewith certified, TO becomes part OF the Con-
slitu.ion-said articles being the same which
have been adopted by this Convention and re-
ferred TO the people.
Your nclitiuner would further suggest that
having 50 put the ball III motion, To get ts'c
Constitution suitably, and to Virginia, accep-
tahIy altered. the chief ordinance which ne
pe,iiions this honorable body to adopt should
be rs follows:
Art, /. We, the people Of Virginia in Con.
y.n,ion assembled, d. ordain and declare, and
il j. hereby declared and ordained that the
powers delegated b. the Constitution OF the
Cu;,cd States which was ratified by Virginia,
in Convention, on The Goth june, l'SS, are
hereby resumed, 50 that this State is, and
h.ncc:nrth shall be- free 10 do 81 acl when IN
dependent States may of right 40; nni IN case
of the Hrs, five Of the seven articles 0! amend
nrn,s Of the Constitution oil the United States
which this Cpnvcution has invited Congress
and The States 10 accept ahd acceuc 10, snaih
beiure he lAh day Of October, ls6l, be lHtl'
tic, rs part Of the said CONSTITUTIONS or, IN case
the Union is reformed, by the States that have
Scccdcd, otherwise or sooner than this proce-
durr contcmplatcs, then this ordinance shall be
ieelned to be by itself revoked Proptded.
however. that either in CASE the Constitution
not SO amended, Or i majority oi Tie States Sc
c.,led be not satisfied to restore the CE!on nr-
der tn. Constitution SO alnrnded, or the Union
be not otherwise re formed, then this ordinance
shall be of full force as If il We're adopted and
ratified without qualification
Let another article be added 10 that for re-
icrring the action of this Convention to the
people, and directing that HE vote shall be Ia
ken on the lst and End days of March, 1861,
and that if this ordinance is ratified II shall he
deemed to have taken effect al sunset oil the
last day Of voting On it by the people.
And your petitioner prays that this his pen
ton Us referred by your honorable body to your
Committee on Fedora! Relations, and that lis
Suggestions bc by tleIn considered.
! CITIZEN
Mr.. PATRIcs moved that II be referred to The
Committee un Federal Relations.
Mr. NELSON move to lay il III tlIc table,
because il all tho petitions which may be sent
in here upon this subject are TO be referred 10
the Committee on Federal Relations, il Will oe
evident 10 the Convention, that that committee
will soon be Overwhelmed. The people of the
Commonwealth have sent 100 lnelnbcis here,
and If ~e ali present resolutions OF thiS CHAR
acler. great zeal Of time will be- consumed
hope that this paper iuay he laid Upon tile
table, aud, with nil dcierccc u those who may
send such petitions, shall move /" lay thctn
upon the table without their being rcad Il some
other member does not
ar. CnANpllss-I had thought i! there VAS
any riuht held dear to the American heart. It
was the right 0. petition. had though! that
the humblcst citizen Of this broad land vas
,l,.uIy enough interested in the troubled cGEi-
ditio:i Of our country To allow Lis petition. al
least, 10 be presented to this Convention. -
Why, sir, though the people have sent une han'
,ircd and tiiY.two men here, does that signify
| that that great power which is behind us Is not
10 control our action Are the people to be DEM.
! ell the right 10 petition this body, nnI 10 have
| ,hcirvoicc heard here Their, sir, we had better
sit here with closed doors. We had tctter I'll
here with doors shutting out from lte public
rae all our Proceedings until our CONCLUSIONS
nre arrived ut, and cur conclusions alone gwen
! given 10 the cuuntry. trust that the gentle
| man will not press his motiun to lay tins pctI'
| ton on the table | undertake la say that tue
paper which lie has presented his rs mucl'
| force and ~ much political saga:lty III II as
mauy CT the resolutions which have been re
frrred to the Committee ON Federal Relations.
| # i, lac referred there, they wil! treat IL with
Suc!. consideration q. it deserves, and II they
| choose To heed lis Euggssii"ns, well ana soon
| hul it they d. moi, then ii vii! Ice buried IN
so much i!r.l ;ias been rvierTe! Ia that Gem
! mittee.
/ hope that the gentleman will not iIre>, hlS
motion 10 lay 0I. Tie taar, bnL that he WIZ al.
| low the petition Of Il citizen nf Petersburg tu
20 to the Committee on Fedora! Relations Tor
| their Consideration.
| Mr.. NELsuS-lT there were any right CT the
petitioner involved in any question presented
before this hohr | would be loath 10 oppose
tho reference asked for; but it must be evident
to Tie Convention, Gs stated before. il these
petitions arc 10 be presented in this manner,
that il will cunsuur great dcal OF our time.
understand that The petition III this case is
| an anOny NOUS Ole.
The Pr;r:s!DEST-Tl signature has hren ap.
pended 10 il.
Mr. NrLsoS-l do not think that i; will he
interfering with any mans rights, and must
insist, therefore. on my motion
Mr. CuAMBLlss-Cpon th", motion call
for the yeas and nays.
Tho yeas ard NAYS were ordered.
Tie question was then taken On Mr.. Mel.
sons motion with the following res,ilt--yeas
Is, nays gS:
Arra-Me.sr, Eoh=..Y Conrad, Early, Hocornbe HoI-
lad.y Hurhr. Lewis, Mcneil, M.cfarand. Moore. Nelson
p-ndIr,on Randolph richardson, Si!ston, SGulhaI!,
SIrsWS,r.,rs' Jannry, (pre.ia-n,) Armstrong, Aston
Badsn, Alfred Barbour, Baylor, r,iu EaAey bos'rH
Borst, Bou'dn. Branch brent, DroSn Bardsti, Burls!
c. T. Conrad, James H. Cox Crichcr Cu,iis, Deskns Du
lany, Echoli Fser, flournoy Forbes, Fusate Garland
ioha uoodc, ir, Thomas T. Gooie, iiae, Addison Iai
Cyrus Hall, L. s. Hall, Hammond, liarve, Hay mont
Hose, nubbard Hull, I.br!I, MarmadgEe Johnson, ket
Kindred, Lenk-, Charlie. X Mallory. James B. Mallory
Mar.hall. Maryr, Masin, Mhstsrs, AoH-ti, Montague
Norris, Norton Sebe,t, osburn. ParAn. Porter, pugh
Mves. sauLdrs Nm. G. Scott seawrll, Sharp, Shelby,
Slaughter 5puuck Staples, Alexander j. II. stuat, Chap
J. Stuart, Orange Suhr lin Tarr Tsylor Trrlway
Robert Il: Turner. franklin TURNER, Waller, Whitfield
EXPLANATION OF VOTES.
Mr. EAsLr arose on bis name being called
and said believe the rule adopted by this
House permits meluher when his name is
called to state his reason for the vote he gives.
After petition has been presented, hold
that vote ia favor Of laying it On the table or
against its reference, does not deny the right OF
petition or interfere in my way with that right;
and believing also, that if VIZ rcier all petitions
that may br sent 10 us By individuals TO tie
Committee Oh Federal Relations, it would i'm.
POSE too oAcrons ! duty On that Committee, |
will vote aye.
Mr. lloLCoMBE deem It proper in giving
my vote to accompany it with mn explanation
similar to that made by the gentleman from
Franklin (Mr. EARLY.)
IN voting aye, do 50 with 10 Impression
that am at all denying lie right CT petition;
but merely expressing my opinion as 10 the
proper destination Of this petition, which, is
that il should not 80 10 the Committee On Fe