The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-09
The Debate or the Transfer OF the Counties o'
cerLeIcy and Jefferson TO West virginia.

Tho daha ia on the subject OF west NhkihIh
TO .day ELECTED, on the part Oh wv ~ go
mromineut gentlemen in the House, an eNpIeS'
zion of more definite opinion concerning llc
yjIJ,ts Of States lately i'll rebelloh IMAM 'hey
have heretofore given. =,
Mr. Stevens took occasion 10 aehy 'h1t hc
had ever maintained that those States were
daad He said that ne agreed with MT Kay
,,ond that they were States, and had always
becn States throughout the rebellion that
they had laws and organized governments,
and we're in full activity Is States: Inc only
difference between him and Mr. Raymond on
this point was, that while he held them 10 be
States of the Confcdcracy, and not Of the
Union while the COntedcracy lasted, Mr..
Raymond maintained that they were ooth
States of tho Union rightfully and States Of
the CoufederaCy ne ffc'v. but he had never
maintained that they were dead States, or
that they ceased to be- states NJ all. lie had
voted for the admission of West Virginia, not
because the old State of Virginia had given
her consent 10 the erection of this new State
within her limits, for, being State Of the
tpu!rdcrarv. and not Of the Union, she had
no right to give her consent at all , put be,
cause West Virginia had been formed out OF
territory which we had conquered, and there
fore had right to dispose Of. West NIrginia
was rurply.a creature of revolution. ana not
Of law. Mr. Stevens humorou>ly reviewed
the action of the so.C1lltd Virginia Leslsia-
turn under Governor Peirpoint' ana sald inc
farce was 100 small 70 bs acted upon the
theatre Of the great nation. lie would Nole
for the bill. believing they could transfer any
portion Of conquered territory.
Mr. Bingham, Of OHIO, took occasion 10 pro
test against this doctrine in very distinct
terms He denied that We had conquered any
portion Of the territory Of the United states
in the recent war We had conquered the re-
brIlion and not territory. He said H. had
always maintained that thOs" rebel States
were still within the Union, ana that the loyal
men of those States, wherever there wer"
enough Of them 10 organize government
and wherever and whenever they could do SO,
were entitled 10 recognition a the rlShtiut
authority OF the state. A. the loyal people OF
old Virginia had organized state govern
mrnt for that State, and had given their con-
sent 10 the division Of tn" state, h. tAlr. Blhs'
ham had voted for It's recognition, and he
held that West Virginia was to-day rs much
creature Of law and of Congressional acton rs
any other State of the mon.
MI Blaine, OF Maine, raised a new point
that the Constitution does not permit the
erection of new state wlthla the limits or
Jurisdiction OF IN old one, but only permits
The union OF tyrO or more States with their
mutual consent and the consent OF Congress.
His construction rested mainly on the puhctua-
tion Of that clause Of the Constitution "hlch
relate. 10 this subject. But H. was NJ once re-
f.rrrd to the fact that his own State OF Name
was formed ont OF the State OF Massachusetls.
Uuytt.ty4 correspondence Ntc lpfk ItHt., on.