The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-01-08
Evening Session,
The SPEAKER called the House TO order at 5

The SPEAKER called the House to order at s
O'Clock.
Mr.. CHRISTIAN moved to reconsider the re.
solution appointing committee 4cith iaStTKc.
tioas TO bring in a bill for a State Convention
He said that the resolution, as passed, appeared
to commit this House unanimously, and with
out any discussion, to the proposition for 8
Convention; proposition the most impor.
tant, perhaps, which it was posi- ole for thi:
House to adopt under existing circumstances
involving Reconstruction of the very fu nda.
mental, organic law OF the State, aud deter.
mining the ques ton, perhaps, of the very eX.
istence of The National Government. Many
wise men even deny the po,oer OF the Legisla.
ture TO call Convention without first su b.
hitting the question to the people; many
others, among them the Governor of the Com
monwealth in his Message just read, doubt The
expediency of a Convention now, and be-
lieve the ends pro posed can be better at
tanned otherwise certainly 1t is question
which ought to be considered deliberately apC
in full House representing all Of Virginia
The resolution passed this morning in face d
the fact that many members had not yet ar
rived, that the roll had not even been called tt
ascer Tain II there was quorum present, a;
the Constitution req uires to transact any bust
ness. II was offered amidst the confusion in
cident to the exciting question concerning tn,
duty of the S ate To resist coercion. and as III,
large committee appoln ted TO consider IL was
retiring. The attention Of the House was no
called 10 it on The general sGppOsition that j.
was mere resolution OF inquiry as to the ex
pedency of a Convention, not absolutely de
eIninIng the question in this summary man
ner.
Mr.. kEMPER detailed the crcumsta nces con
nected with The passage of The resolution
thought that all mem bers had bren So fficienl y
warned OF It's Introduction and purpOrt by
his remarks upon presenting il, and the q is
tinct reading OF The Clerk. He moved the
ayes aud noes on Mr.. CHRISTIANS motion
which resulted as follows: Ayes 81, noes II
Mr.. ROB ERTSON, Chaii m of the Commit.
| tee OF Fifteen. reported the following
tons:
l. Resolved, BY the General Assembly, That the
Uni ,oins 1orasd ny The mt of the otates
respectively, aid being couslstsn only with free
IN and the uucan lnstitu .Ions guar anteed te
each, cannot, and ought not, 10 be nlalnta ned by
I'd. That the Government of the Union has nc
power to declare Or make war against any OF the
States waicn have bsen Its coDstitu n m+ mbers
Sd. at when auy one If the States
have d7teTm ned or shall detefm ne, under ex ST.
Ing clrcuMst noes, to withdraw from the Uni n
We are I'm 4iIeraby Opposed TO any attempt on he
part of The Federal Government, to coercs the
same into re uulon or subm ssion. and that We
viii resist the same DIV all the means IN our powe'
Mr. KEMPER sustained The Resolutions. Mr.
WATTS moved to lay on the table aud print
Mr.. BOHEMIAN opposed the adoption of the res
OlutlOns In an earnest, II not ImpresSlye man
ner. Mr. CHRISTIAN called for he reading OF
the resolutions tor purposes OF Information
They were again read, at the request OF Nj r
ROBERTSON, of r., who pro ceedet to explain
their meaning according to his understanding
The resolutions being put on their passage,
the roll was called, and they passed-ayes LIZ,
noes 81 Messrs Foreman. Morris, Porter,
Richardson aud Watts. :
RESOLUTIONS OF INQUIRY INTO RXPRDTENCY.
The following resolutions were ad 3pt. d
BY Mr.. KEEN: That the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs inquire into the expediency OF
providing by law for the availability of the
appropriation made at last session for the
arming OF the State, and of an app: opriation
thereto not exceeding ten millions OF dollars
by Mr.. GIBSON, referring that part of the Coy
ernor's Message, recommending an amend
ment to section 1lth Of chapter 2l2 of the
Code of Virginia to the Committee Of Courts
of Justice.
Adjourned.