Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-22

should be careful to select q gentleman ii
whose ability to discharge tho Jitics Of ths
Office we have the ulmcst confidence. | dt
not mean b: any means 10 intimate that tht
gentleman from MiddlcseX would not make
m efficient presiding officer. [ have no doub
he would prove himself fully equal to tho du
tics of the position But |, like other gentle
lncn, no doubt, have my choice, and lha
choice il based no less upon personal conside-
rations than q knowledge OF the gentleman,
experience in the dates Of presiding officer
for whom have Il preference. The Lieut.
Governor is the presiding officer OF the Senate
Of Virginia, but he has no vote. His plac,
there could be filled by any member OF th'
body, and unless soEe very important MATES
would come before the Senate he could b.
spared there much more easily than he coult
mere. In addition to that his qualifications
for the office ought in my opinion, to override
any objection of the character indicated.
second the nomination Of MIR. MONTAGUE
and hope it will be the pleasure cf This Con
vention TO elect him.
There being no other nominations maGc, th'
vote was taken AZ between Mr.. MoSTAGus ant
Mr.. Cox, with the following result:
P,a MuxrAGrs Messrs. Armstrong, Aston, Barbour
Berlin Hakey, Boudu, Brent, Brooke, Byrae. cupet0u
ChanUtr5, lramhlis-, c. Is. Conrad Dorman, r sher
Psracn Garland, Garnet, Grayely John Gotde Ji. Ad
Olson Hal! ryrus Hall, L. \. Hail. Hnrye, Esnt KIlby
Kludre LS Ike. Mcneil Marye, sr., Maslir Miller Mol
Seaus ShcGey Speed Spurlo K, suthrrhn, Tayioe, Rob
L. turner, Franriiu Tur4er, Tyler, Waller, Viii!
field Williams Wuo,s. Wysor, foung-ho.
Fon Cux-Sic.sr. baylor Blew Jr Ro. d, Branch, Coz
man. Crcher Dttkius, Drany Forbes Fugaie Graha N
Gray Hay tnond Peter !nhnston Janney, Macf,rlsni
James b. allo:y. mUo.- P,rk' Price, Eitss, Robert
scott sharp, Still gon. Alex. u H. Stuar. Treswsy-2t
FuH LILLRR-Nr GoS.!n-l.
Mr.. MONTAGUE having received uisjori
" Of nil the votes cast, was decclared duly
elected President Of the Convention. Upor
taking the Chair, he said
Gentlemen uf the Convention, should ialSi
~ the emotions Of my OWN heart, did | not
express to YOU the sense Of gratitude which
feel. ior the high honor you have conferred
upon Inc. shall attempt, in the discharge 0
the duties Of this responsible and imporlan
capabls to secure, pr0mptncss, fidelity uI,t
strict mpa,tiality in their execution.
This is no time Ior spccchInakirg, but for
action, and shall accordingly content myself
with request that the Convention nov pre-
coed to business.
Mr. FISHER the last session rG the Con
vention, when the question relative to the cx
pulsiun Of some inrmhers Of this Convention,
was under consideration, some one intimatcd
that Wsi!man T. Wiley was loyal to the
South S,rcc that lime, am satisfied, every
gentleman has brcnUIr coIiviucrt Cf the fsllac:
oil ttlgt insiluation. for it is we'll known thai
hc had taken Has Seat in tie Senate Of the Uni
led States, under tho bogus Government es
tablished at Wheeling. This will, Of course be
regarded rs sntlicicn! proci Of his d!sloyalty
and |, therefore, otfor The following resolution
Resolved, That Waitinan i. Wiley he, and
he is hereby expelled us i member of this
ondy, On accoun, of his disloyaiiy 10 the Con
tederate States, al.l hs adherence q tie ere
uies Of the saline
Mr HAvNoHp.--I would suggest to the gen
tlemen that he had better withdraw his rcsolu
ton until the Committee on Elections shall
make their report If | mistake not the ques
ton Of Mr. WiIley's expulsion is sill pcndrrg
action upon it bsing deIercd at the last session
to await further developments as to thr posi-
tion he occupied
Mr.. F,suGg / would ho very glai "a have
the report Vi tic cuinrntLcc, Gut think ii
would hs burning shame to allow the name
oi Wsittnau T. Wiley 70 be called mere u,
every call Of the roll, when every menbc:
knows the fact toat lie is in the service cf the
United States.
shall insist that I vote he tsken upon thai
resolution.
The question was pu, rpon the adoption ot
the resolution, and it was decided in the at
tirmative.
Mr.. CnAMstISs--I :.fn charged with petit
tion sen. by ten or icZ=u responsible gentle
men from North western Virginia to the effect
that tho vacancies now existing in the repre-
sentatiou Of many of tho counties OF that sec.
ton in the Legislature Of the State be filed up
by this body
! beg leave to present Tie petition and ask
that it be read and referred 20 the COMMITTEE
on E'ectionp.
The petition Wa, IaiG ~ fJ!lows:
we, IN: undersigned, ciI2.ns Of North
western Virginia, rerun!mehd tic Couyen:ion
Of Virginia 10 elect representatives 10 supply
the vacancies in tho Lcsslatnrc about to as
selnble for tbs counties Cf TaTltT, Harrison,
Ritcbie, Wood, Brook, Hancu, Mouonga!ia,
Preston, Marion, Mason, kanswha Putnam,
Wayne, ard suc!! other counties az have been
represented in the Wheeling Convention by
delegates e!ectci at the sprihg elections, 10.
ciudinS Roana and Jackson.
EiCmMoSD. Oct 9th, 1861.
Sisned-r. s. RAYMOND, j. Il. HAYMosD,
JoHS BkANNoN, THos EDWARDS, JAS. NEEsoS,
E. J. ARMSTRONG, j. II. HoGE, j. NJ. BCRSs,
WM PIrTs, and Cuas G. TAYLnE."
The petition vas referred to lle Committee
on Eections.
Mr.. STUART oi Auc,isla-[ em requested
by the Conu!ttec on constitutional, Reforms
10 submit the following explanatory report,
which will ask 10 be !aiG upon ths tablo and
printed.
1t was so ordered.
The following is the report
On the first day Of My. 1851, The Cua9erl.
ton adopted the following resolution
Resolved, Tina. cotnln,ttcs of seven men,
becs o.: appointed by the President of the
Convention, whose duty it shall be to consider
and rcpvr. 10 the Convention, at its adjourned
session. such amendments to the Constitution
CT Virginia, as may be necessary and proper,
under existing circumstances.
The committee appointed under the forego.
ing resolution, have, according 10 order had
The subject referred to them under considsra.
ton, aud submit the following rapport:
Tne comprehensive terms of the resolution
have made it the duty Of the committee to
subject the whole Constitution 10 careful
review. for the purpose o! suggesting such
amendments, a.. IN their jud gnient, are neces.
sary and proper under existing circumstances.
Your comnittce were deeply Impressed with
the Importance and delicacy of the task impo.
sed on them, and in performing it, lt;ey have
sought to he guided by the lights oi reason
and experience without regard to ti:air own
prec"nceived opinions or to those theories
which have heretofore been most popular
The circumstances by which we are nov
Surrounded, render the present ar aospicious
time for correcting radical errors in our fun
damental law Recent events have developed
the wcsk points in our political system, and it
is, perhaps, n fortunate circumstance that the
members of the present Convention bave been
elected untrammeled by pledges OF comtnittals
of any kind, to their respective constituencies,
and arc therefore left free to approach the
great work OF constitutional reform, with that