Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-01

lo NOT know, sir, that | shall make any speech
AT all in this Convention; | have not spoken
much here, and | dill not speak much in the
committee. Bnt | will say this to you, sir,
and 70 the Convention, that there is not one
solitary worri, at least, not one line OF this re-
| port that WAS not Sitted, examined ana discuss
ed thoroughly. There is scarcely a section Of
this report that did not create division in that
committee. There are many sections of this
report that were passed by one vote in that
committee. That committee kept this House
waiting three weeks upon them, doing nothing
and for forms sake and Shame's sake, the
members Of this Convention appeared to be
doing something, because, otherwise, odiuu
would have attached, and justly attached tl
them, for wasting tho time Of the people IL
iris Convention.
Mr.. JACKSON, Of Wood. Irisc to a question
Of order.
Mr.. IAsv1E. | am entitled To the floor iol
ten minutes.
Mr.. JACKSON. My point Of order is, that il
is against parliamentary rule to refer 10 the
proceedings of another committee. want tho
decision of the Char on tiIst point
The CuAlE is OF the opinion that the gentle
| u,au i in order he is referring simply to ths
time occupied in discussing the report and is
explaining why the session Of the Convention
has been so long prolonged. The CLAIR de
cidcs that the gentleman is III order.
Mr.. JACKSON. Then | beg to call attention
to the fact, that the gentleman himself gave
the vote.
Mr.. HAEvIs. II there is anything TO be ex
| posed here about that committee, II The gen
tlc,uan knows anything, do not.
But, sir, | do mean To say what | am emit!
tied to say about that Committee and about
the proceedings Of this House, and | intend &c
he heard in this House as to what ] have tl
say. Gentlemen had, therefore, AZ well TAXI
it patiently and quietly for they cannot gng
ne or conceal from the public what Intend Il
say.
MIR. Chairman, ! repeat, that this Committee
and | do not say il, and NY colleague upon
the Committee knows that | do not say
it ia censure-l sly that it labored faith
fully for twenty odd days before making
this report; that every sentence, word
and line of their report was examined
thoroughly and voted upon by them; ana | r.
peat, that they would haY. been Ease to their
trust if ttey had discussed these questions less,
and if they had not tHken votes separately upon
every ore Of these important questions. farl.
Gus propositions weIe presented, and | hope
may be allowed TO say that in some instances
if there had been Il fall Committee present
when the votes were taken; some Of the propo.
sitions in ,hv report would have been rejected,
and other propositions which were rejected
would have been inserted.
Now, sir, | appeal 10 this House whether,
,,,r,, o,,.st;,pS iuyrlvipr g., ,p,,.for iui1r-
cS,s in this Commonwealth, and which involve,
trust, the very integrity und existence Of this
Government, they vii! allow the gag to ne ap'
piled. 10 prevent us who we're upon that com,
miiicc, AID who have more information upon
sunic Of these questions than other memturs
Of the Convention, lrG;n itapartiug that inior'
nation to the other members of this body, in
order that they may vote understaldiugly upon
all these questions. | ask if they will allow
the gag 10 he placed upon US, when, as my
friend lrom Princess Anne has told you, you
have only got through one line and a half 0
this whole rcport-when you have not ap.
preached any portion Of the report involving
practical questions requiring the close exaInina
ton oi every member! | uSk, ard | repeat
! whether, under all these circumstances, and
particularly upon the appeal of a gentleman
who has exhausted more time than any othe,
member Of this body, i'll presenting his views
sustained by Il member Of tho Committee or
Federal Relations, who has also presented his
views, while there are many other members o
III. committee who have never been allower
that opportunity, whether YOU will place tn
gag in our mou!lIs, and require the Convention
10 vote upon the undiseS,eri work, n"w undel
| nrsi,luruti,t n "a! the IDvnTpittEp IF tho ulIulp
that, if adopted, will piece the Commonwealth
Of Vi:.;:.;r IN t. position which she ought no
to Occupy3
1t is hardly necessary, | presume, in pre-
senting The facls, 10 enter into any discussion
upon them. I hope upon their mere pTesenta
| ton that this body will vote down the iesolu
ton md permit Il luil aud free discussion Cpor
lac questions before US.
Mr.. JAcKsoS-i have not been able to dis
cover why there should be particular excite
rnent upon this question more than upon any
| other connected with our deliberations. W.
are here in tine consideration Of an ordinary
parliamentary proposition. We have been i!
| session here six weeks. We were told when
we came to this Convention, it was Of the ut
most importance that there should be speedy
action, that our action SHOULD not only bI
prompt, but that the decision of Virginia
should be mndc before the 4th Of March. J
] am correctly informed the 4Lh day OF Marcel
has passed by and yet the action Of Virginia
has not been sent forth 10 the country, has mo-
even been determined on by the Convention
itself.
Now, sir, us the gentleman from Amelia,
(Mr. HARvIE) has brought before the Conven
ton some Of the proceedings and actions Q
tue Committee Of Twenty-Five, ] desire to say
in that CONNECTION, aS p member Il! that Com
mittee, that and live members VINO acted
with tic, were not absent during !Ia dclltera
tons upon u single volc-although We wer,
almost always in 4 minorlty-l will not Tel
/ you how often the gentleman from Amelia wan
absent.
Mr. lIAn9ig-Tiie gentleman from Amelia
will tell you himsel!. The gentleman from
Amelia was absent tnlr from extreme illncss
IN his family, aud, when absent, by nm arrange
meus the gentleman from Monongalia, (Mr.
| WILLEY,) did not vote, 50 TINT although really
absent for i portion oi the t;Inr, was practi'
| cally present always.
Mr. JAcksoS-I understood The gentleman
| from Amelia, 10 some extent, to cast crnsuro
upon that Committee.
Mr.. uARvlE.-ln that the gentleman mis-
takes.
Mr.. JAcwsoy.-Nct directly, but As a conse.
olence Of his argument. Now, sir, that Com
mi,tee was in session Some four or five weeks.
The gentleman tells US that every sentence,
every line, and every word was canvasscd
there, but he forgcts to tell you that at the
very time he speaks Of some OF these proposi
tons passed by IA single vote, when there was
the bare number Of twelve present out of its
,wenty.onc members. And, sir, let me tell
you, that the gentlemen with whom | act were
there, and aIways there. And 1t me tell yon
that if all the mculbers Of that Committee had
been rs faithful in their attendance, and if all
The members of this Convention lad been AS
faithful, the business Of this Convention would
long siEcc have been transacted, ard tie ap.
nrehenSions Of the people would have been
quie;cd. Ne are told here, over und over
ugain, that :i:erc is great excitement in the
public mind, and that this Convcnti"n onght