The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-20

I IHEEfCa the Wpgf- If was
.mpoftsat at this crisis that the people OF
| .ne dthnrent sections should be united -
| re would not admit the possibility of separa-
,ion, but the best way 70 attach the people 10
each ether was to do iusticc to every section
lie read from the financial reports of the Sta te
10 show the rapid increase OF the public debt
10 restrain these estravasaat expenditures,
1t wonld be necessary 10 make all the proner :
ty of the State taxable, thus giving to all an
equal interest in curtaiIing the same
/ Mr.. HAMMOND, of Marion, Indicated his pur-
pose to address the Convent tion on The subjee t
| to morrow.
| MIR. CoSsAn, of Fra1nrick, offered the fol.
lowing resolution, whkh was adopted
ReroiDed That from and after this day, until fur
into Committee Of the Whole upon the reports
from tas comm,,es on Eederai Relations al the
aour OF "a o CLOCK a. M
COMMITTEE OF TEE WHOLE
The hour of half pas: IL having arrived. the
| Conyen ton resolved itself into COMMITTEE az
the Whole, (Nr. SournALL, OF AlbenarIe in
the CHAIR and proceeded 10 consider the va
rions reports from the Committee on Federal
Relations
Mr.. RANDOLPH, of Richmond city being en-
| titled to the floor, proceeded 10 re-state nor
uon of his argument or yesterday, upon the
| subject OF protection, having been REQ ues ted
| 70 do so. He read statistics of the trade of
Richmond in the articles Of clothing shoes,
hats, &c, showing thai q large proportion
thereof, formerly manufactured here, was
| no" manufactured at the NortA. Under the
| revenue system of ihesIsknfeueraie States we
| would receive pToecttioTs rsF suwr avn manu-
| factures, while the more Coz tlv fabrics would
| De supplied to US from abroad, where our
| agricultural productions would be wanted in
| return. lie gave Il history OF the carses
| which had tended to build up the commerce
OF the North, and 10 Gepress that of the South
| With regard to the reports from the Commit
| tee on Federal Relations, he objected TO those
| which involved an application To the North
ern People, Tor ne believed none OF them
would be successful. They could not sue
Eced without oVerturning all the official
| weight OF the North, and changing the
| entire popular sentiment of that section. -
| lie oblect ted also, to waiting an indefinite
| period OF time 10 make such an experifnent
| Tor III the meanwhile all commercial ad-
| Fantases wonid be lost. Even if they accepted
| the proposition, the South might refuse it.
| and thus we would be entirely cut off from
| our natural market, and subjected to the EN-
brace OF the Nor theru bear. He thought our
| EFFORTS should be towards an alliance with the
| south, Ter al the North we should meet no.
| thing bat ruinous competition, while in the
| other direction broad field was open for
commercial and agricultural operations If
another effort Were to be made to adjust the
| difficulty with the North he thought a de-
mand should be made such as the South could
| subscribe to, and fix time for the limitation
| OF negotiations not keep the people in this
present rulnous state of uncertainty. The best
| plan, he conceived, would be to adopt the re-
| port submitted by the gentleman from
Amelia, tMr. HARvIEl and take the
With regard to the causes which ought to in
| duce such "a STEP he Went 10 show that the
| prime object OF the Republican party was to
| abolitioniZe the country, ana read from one of
Lincoins speeches, wherein he said that any
| man who held slave ought 10 be himself a
slave, and by the help of God such a result
would be attained. Though the inaugural
had said that he did not mean to interfere with
slavery where it exists, the tendency of the
Repuoiican doctrine was, he argued, TO eXter-
inmate il every where. The entire experience
Of history taught that when a Government
was aboitionized, the doom of slavery was
sealed. The conversion of the IRON bound
fana aticism of the North was the most absurd
OF all absurdites.. Virginia ought 10 take Il
stand now-at once and forever The time had |
come when we were TWO sections, divided in |
every thing, with no hope of reconcilia ton
lie believed that conjunction with the South |
was peace measure that if Virginia would |
secede, all threats of war by the North would |
be abandoned. With regard TO North Caro- |
lima, and the border States, he would regret it |
if they refused to join us but he believed |
snch would not be the result Whether they |
Joined rs or not, Virginia would be much bet |
Ter situated with the South than with the |
North. ,lrginla's position would be supreme |
III ii commercial point of view, and the union |
would be mutually beneficial. He repudiated |
entirely the idea OF a Border State Confed- |
ericy. There were no commercial advantages |
TO be obtained, and he could see no reason for |
such a combination.
After the close of Mr.. Randolph's speech, |
the Chairman said if there Were DO amend |
ments TO be offered to the first section of the |
report, tue Committee would proceed 10 vote |
upon that section.
Mr. FISHER, of Northampton, said that the |
gentleman from Ohio, who had indicated a |
desire To reply to the gentleman from Rich |
mond, was not present; a;d, with view of |
giving him the opportunity to do so be lore the |
vote was taken, he moved that the Committee |
rise.
MIR. PRICE, of Greenbrier, said he hoped the |
Committee would not rise. Ii gen tleman |
was prepared TO speak, the Committee was
prepared To vote.
The question was taken on MI Fishers mo- |
tion, and decided in the negative.
Mr.. HoLcoMBE, OF Aibemarle said he had |
desired 10 discuss the propositions contained |
III the various reports, but had supposed that |
some one would first want TO reply to the gem
tem1a from Richmond. 1t would be out of |
his power 10 proceed now, and he would yield |
the floor TO any gentleman on the other side
bat II II was not their purpose to discuss the |
subject further, he would ask the usual cour-
tesy, and therefore renewed the motion that |
the Committee rise.
Mr.. HALL, of Marion, said he would be clad
to see the courtesy extended to the gen tleInan
from Albemarle; but tlmts was valuable, and
II every gentleman occupied three days in the
exposition OF his views, he could not see when
the Conyen tion would be ready to adjourn
hr. STAPLES, OF Patrick, hoped the commit
tee would rise. The Convention could resume
the consideration of the resolutions OF the
gentleman from Monongalia, and thus no
time would be lost.
On this ground, MIR. HALL Withdrew his OBJ
Jecton TO The motion.
After some further remarks by Messrs |
SCorF of Fauquier, EARLY and BRANCH, the
q question was taken on Mr.. HoLCoMBE's mo-
tion, and decided i'll the affirmative.
The Committee then rose, and the Chairman
progress.
TAXATION &C.
The President stated the pending ques ton
to be on the resolutions of the gentleman from |
MOnOngalia, (Mr. WILEY, and thar the gen
tleman from Marion was entitled to the floor
Mr.. HATAoND said he had not intended 10
address the Convention day, but as Il reSo-
luton had been adopted for going into Com
nittee of the Whole at IL o'clock, he would
be compelled to avail himself of this oppor-
tunlty of expressing his views upon the reso-
luttons offered by the gentleman from Monon-
gaia. lie then went on 10 show that actlon
upon TINS subject 10y the Con en- ton was ne
cessary Tor the highest interests of the people,
and would promote the future welfare of the
Common wealth. He took the position that
as the principle for which Virginia was now
was the protection OF slave pro-
perry, ana as 1t was conceded that all property
that was protected should be taxed and as
this was the time above all others when
equality OF taxation was necessary the citi-
zens should unite i'll maintaining that 1t was
riGht Tor eacn one 10 bear 4 proportion of the
public burdens according 10 his abilitv.-
lie did not consider the uestion a sectional
one, out discussed IL upon the broad ground
OF The general good. Proceeding with the
subject OF taxation. he showed from Off
ciai documents that there We're $50, 900 slaves
under twelve wears OF age, entirely exempt
from taxation, and ~, 900 over that age, taxed
Ut the rate of $500 each. He estimated the
average value of the latter class at $500, and
argued that one half of the slave property
over twelve years of age WAS actually exempt.
II taxed according to their value, the State
would derive over $500, 900 annually to be ap- |
piled TO the extinction OF the debt and
or the public relief. Mr.. RAYMOND pro-
iuced an abundance Of statistical informa-
io,. nd pnap ]