Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1865-09-28
REPORT 9,

After the passage of the ordinance of secession by
the Virginia Convention in April 1861. q cOnven-
ton, composed Of delegates chiefly representing the
people OF the western part of the State assembled
at Wheeling in June of that year. and on the 18th
OF that month by ordinance depOsed the State Gov
eminent then at Richmond Six davs afterwards
viz on the 10Th of June, 1861. the convention, by
an ordinance, STYLED can ordinance for the reorgan-
izatiOn of the State Government" ordained that "a
Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney Gen
eral for the State of Virginia shall be appointed by
this Convention, to discharge the duties and exer-
else the powers which pertain to their respective
offices by the existing laws of the State &c. " The
Legislature Of the State it was also provided should
be composed of q the Delegates elected to the Gen
eral Assembly on the 23rd day of Nav last (lS6ll,
and the Senator'S entitled under existing laws to
seats IN the next General Assembly, together with
such Delegates and Senators may be duly elected
under the ordinance of the Convention, existing
laws to fill vacancies, who shall qualify themselves
by taking the oath or affirmation hereafter set
forth" The oath above mentioned is in the follow
ing words:
8 swear Tor affirm that will support the Con-
situtiOn of the Uuted States and the laws made in
pursuance thereof, as the supreme law of the land
anything in the Constitution and laws of the State
of Virginia in the ordinances of the Convention
which assembled at Richmond on the 18th of Febru-
airy, 1851. TO the contrary Notwithstanding; and
that will uphold and defend the Government of
Virginia as indicated and restored blythe Conven-
uun when assembled AT W neellng on the lIth day
of June, 1861 So that the Government of restored
Virginia was inaugurated by Convention which
assembled at Wheeling in June, 1851 which pro-
ceeded 70 remove the Executive officers Of the old
State and to appoint Others and to organize Leg
isature from those who being elected to the Gener-
al Assembly of the State at the regular election in
May. 1851 were willing to repair to Wheeling in
stead of to Richmond and to take the oath of fidelity
to the Government of the United States and the re-
stored State of Virginia.
BY an ordinance of the same Wheeling Conven-
ton passed August 10Th, 1861 reciting that where-
rs 1t Is reported be the desire of the people nhab-
itng the counties hereinafter mentioned to be sep
Grated from this Commonwealth, and to be erected
into separate State, and admitted into the Union of
States, twas ordained that new State to be call
ed the State OF kanawha be formed and erected out
OF the territory included within the following descrb-
ed boundaries" The boundaries are then defined,
and the counties embraced within them are then
enumerated In the list of counties thus specifically
set forth, neither Jefferson nor Berkeley county is
included butin subsequent section of the ordinance
the Convention which was authorized to form the
new State was empowered to change the bounda-
rieS first descibed, to include both these and
other counties. The vote upon the proposition for