, 1865-11-03
THE GEORGIA STATE CON-
VENTION.
Record of tile First Three Days
Proceedings.

Sketches Of %on1e Of tie Leading Oclc-
Euxex-Debnte Upon the Question Of
AAkin. Pardon for JefT. Davl*-TRepcnl
of the Ordinacc Of observation-disclosures
Con@reanmcn and all state Officers Or
Congress.
From onr Special Co7rspondenLl
MlLLEDGEr1I1E. Oct. p, 1s15.
The Capital Of the great State Of Georgia Is
flfth-rnte interior city, utterly without I'M
portnnce, except as the Capital. It has two
principal building+the State House, In which
the members Of the Legislature meet, and IN
immense brick hotel, In which they eat,-thc
latter being much the finer of the two. There
are no stores but third-rate ones, and I Judge
the p,ace must have very sleepy appearance
when there Is no outside crowd here. The
business houses appear to close Roon after SUM-
down, and children do not play in the streets
afler duek. There are some very handsome
residences, and many beautiful aud tastily-
kept grounds.
The city Is out Of the way from any part Of
the State except contiguous places, and CON-
ing to 1t from the northern aud particularly
from the northeastern section, hiss always in.
volved a roundabout journey Of tw'ica the ac-
tual distance. Thus, Its AIRLINE distance
from Augusta Ia about eighty miles, while
the usual method Of coming here brings near
three hundred and twenty miles Of railroad
travel, or one hundred and forty miles Of
railroad and twenty live miles Of staging. I
reached Augusta from Johuson's Tun Ont
by railroad-twenty-onc miles-an two hours
and three-quarters, at cost OF two dollars.
think / shall not be able to beat that time
and rate. Ten cents miie, and eight mflea
m hour! From Augusta, 1 came hithcr by
route open twice wcck-sixty miles by rail-
the gentlemen who left when I did, took the
long railroad route by Atlanta and Macon,
rnther than endure the rough stage-ridIng Of
the shorter route ] am wiser now than when
I left Augusta
THE STATE HOUSE.
The sessions of tho Convention are held in
the ball Of the lower house OF the legislature.
The State House is shabby looking old con-
cern, handsomely situated in the beautiful
public square, It Is built Of brick, Is stuc-
coed, and is Of dirty brown color; and has,
In all parts, barn-1ikc appearance, neither
in keeping with the dignity oT the State nor
the quiet beauty Of the city. Its interior
corresponds with the promise Of the exterior.
In the basement arc numerous dingy store
rooms, &C. You ascend to the second floor,
where are the executive Offices Of the govern
ment, By steep flight OF na1Tow stone steps,
10 find dark hall with brown walls, and
plain plank floor which resouuds like the
door Of q barn ns Jou walk over it. You
reach the third floor by narrow wooden stair
resentatives hall. In the narrow space be-
tween the halls, at the head Of the stairways,
are gathered three or four boys with stands,
at which they sell peanuts, apples
and cigars. The representatives hall
Is large square room. poorly lighted, and
hind the speakers seat IL a full length portrait
Of James jackson, one Of the carly Governors
of the State; on tha left Is a copy Of
the Lafayette In the Representatives Cham
ber at Washington, and on the right full
length Of Franklin with all the traditional
surroundings. The hall would be Of respect
able size 1oT = body ol one hundred and t1fty
persons. The necessity of croWding into It
nearly three hundred, precludes the use of
desks; and the delegates nre pacaed into
plain arm chairs, which 30 fill the space that
Il is almost impossible to move about. Oppo-
up under the ceiling, into whose toulncss and
darkness about one hundred persons crowded
on the day the Convention assembled. The
Senate Hall Is Of the same size, and has the
same general dark, uncle1n appearance, us the
Representative Hall.
THE coSvEST1oS.
The convention numbers 2T delegates, of
whom 2GS have already arrived. There does
not seem 50 general disposition In this State
as in the Carolinas to cut loose from the old
leaders and in this body Is considerable
proportion of the county politicians Of other
days. Twenty -one Of the delegates were also
in {he secession convention, where three or
four Of them were given important positions.
Among the members are score or more Of
tbe ronehest backwoods fellows ever saw
men who ignore any such Injuries as collars
and clean shirts. talk In the loudest negro
dialect, and arc bitter haters of such modern
uaitcrs as Yankees and Frcedmen's Bureaus.
The presence Of seedy politicians and these
back-toW nship fellows, detracts from the gen.
cral appearance Of the body, and view from
The gallery does not impress one with the
Justice of Georyia's claim to the title "Em:
rirc state.N There ere, however, hundred
gentlemen Of real ability and cultured intel-
ligeuce-
FIRST DAT.
WDxEspAY, Oct. a5th.
The Convention wa4 called to order at noon
by the Provisional Governor, and the cleo
tion Of ; Temporary president was therefore
not necessftAled. .-.
~ y = fEx