The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-12-05
PROM FIRST rAGB.l

ESU't their action directly to the Legislature.
ais road, in my opinion, offers the greatest
Rsnslucoment for the investment of capital Of
.oany railroad project in the country. Ii is at
tracing the attention of \ number of capital.
lists In the North and West and the East, and
am confident that its construction will soon
be undertake. ,,,
Company will consider IL to be- their tnteres'
10 complete the Roanoke Valley Toa", VIM" ,hn,r
will form a very important feea,l 10 an.,t
valuable Improvement, and sec secure nv 'i""eo Va
W. N.rrnort's News road has been com
menced, with a f,attcrinS prospect OF speedy
completion. ,,,.,,o, n,,,. no ,eoa
al in regard 10 these roads TO better their con,
49,. -, have no doubt tho subject Will
recniXa Jme consideration nj your hands
rrRxELsr AND JEFFERSON.
ou,it IN transmit the report of Attorney
r.ar.ral TO which respectfully refer you Tor
Inn zion as 10 the action taken IN regard TO
~ status of Berkeley and Jefferson. There
~, also some important facts stated in regard
~ the oyster law and other subjects TO which
vou are respectfully referred.
POLITICAL.
~, ~, 18th of June last the Secretary of
STATE of the United States forwarded TO me an
ottr,a! copy of joint resolution OF Congress
nrnuo>iug an amendment 10 me constitution
vi the United States, which Ii is my duty 10
submit TO the General Assembly, IL Is III Tue
following words, viz:
II II resolrfi by The Senate and House If R,pre-
s,utatirts If TIE tnited States If .imeTict in ohm
gr.>S assembled, (two.thirds of both Houses
,oucurr,org That the following article be pro-
rSsSd 10 the Legislatures OF the seNerai states
rs an amendment 10 the Constitution OF the
United States, which, when 4atifled by three
fourihs of said Legislatures, shall be valid rs
Il part of the Constitution, namely
Article XIV.
Syerroyl All persons born or naturaliZed
I'm the United States and subject TO the lurs.
,liction thereof are citizens OF the tnlted
States and of the State wherein they reside
No State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities OF
citizens of the United States nor shail any
State deprive any person of life, liberty or pro-
perty without due process OF law, nor deny 10
any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
SECTION =. Representatives shai DC aplot
TONED among the several States according 10
their respective numbers. counting the whOle
number OF persons i'll each State, excluding In
dians not taxed. But when the right TO vote
nj any election for the choice OF electors for
President and Vice President of the United
States representatives III Congress, the exec
utiyc and judicial officers OF STATE, or me
members OF the Legislature thereon, Is denied
10 any OF the male inhabitants OF such STATE
being twenty-onc years of age and citizens OF
the United States, or in any way abridged eN-
Cept for participation in rebellion or other
crime the basis of representation therein shall
Der of such male citizens shall bear TO the
whole number Of male citizens twenty-one
years of age in such state.
SECTION 3. No person shall be senators or
representative in Congress, or elector OF iresi
dent and Vice President, or hold any Office
civil or military, under the United states, or
under any State who, having previously taken
an oath rs Il member OF Congress, or as an
officer Of the United States, or rs 4 member OF
any State Legislature, or as an executive or
judicial officer of any State TO support the
Constitution of the United States, shall have
engaged i'll instruction or rebellion against
the same, or given aid and comfort 10 The enc
mics thereof; but Congress may, by 4 vote OF
two thirds Of each House, remove such dlsa-
bilty.
of the United States, authorized by law, i'll
Guiding debts incurred for payment Of pen
sious and bouuties for services IN suppresSIng
instruction and rebellion, shall not be ques-
toned but neither the United States nor any
State shall assume or pay any debt or obllga-
lion incurred i'll aid of instruction or rebellion
against the United States, or any claim for the
loss or emancipation OF any slave but all
such debts obligations, or claims shall be held
Illegal and void
SECTION g. The Congress shall have power
TO enforce, by appropriate legislation, the pro-
SCHUYLER CoLFAx,
Speaker House of Representatives.
LAFAYETTE > FOSTER,
President Senate PRO tenn.
Ehcurd Mcpherson,
Clerk House Of Representatives.
J. ". Forney, Secretary of Senate.
There is no ambiguity in the language of the
proposed amendment; IT Is before you LOT your
inatur. conSideration-for adoption or rclrc-
ton You are fully acquainted with all the
clrcums :auCcs which led to its proposal. The
Congress of the United States has made It's ac-
ccptance a condition precedent TO the adinlS-
sion Of representatives in the councils OF the
nation from States now unrcpreSenteu.
The President of the United States dlSap-
proved of this amendment, and insisted on The
Immediate admission into Congress from all
the unreprescnted States of such representa-.
t.Ncs rs were "l0YGi,' who had been elected
according 10 the forms of law. What he means !
by the Term "ioyul" is = subject OF contro- !
N,rsy. \ number of his friends have eXpl-
Cli!y affirmed that he meant only such as could
tIulhiu!ly take the oath prescribed by Con-
gre ~ be taken by all persons before enter
ing upon the duties OF any office under the
Government of the United States. 1t Is
claimed by a majority of Congress, and those
who support them, that the people OF the
States now unrepresented voluntarily with
drew their representatives from the councils
of the nation and attempted TO set up an
independent government or confederation, anu
thereby inaugurated n great civil war; that
the people in those States have committed
grave offence, and As security for the future
the Congress of the United States has autho,
rty 10 prescribe the terms on which they SHAH
be- readmitted TO representation, ana 70 aeteI-
mine, by constitutional provisions, tnal Ger
tain persons shall be disqualified from hoIains
Federal or State offices, as punishment ioi
having participated in the rebeiloh. $1,000.
On this great question, of such vast interest
TO the people of ten States, Il clearly ueH i
separation took place between the fTesIaeht
and the Congress of the United states. Edch
appealed TO the people OF the twenty slA
States now represented to decide the cohlro
yersv at the late elections. The elections are
over and n very decisive majority has been
rendered in favor Of the congressional view OF
the subject. ...,
Three poipts-as the controversy is suscepti-
BILE of ANALYSIS, as / understand it-were DIS
1inctly submitted and decided at these eiec
tons, viz s.,. -,
First. That the unrepresented States shall
not gain additional political power IN the CON
gress of the United States by reason OF the
manumission of the slaves, where the right OF
suffrage in those States is withheld from the
negro population.
Second. That persons who have heretofore
held executive, legislative, or judicial oilces
under the Government of the United States,
or of any State, and have engaged IL the late
civil war against the United States, shall not
be eligible 10 like places without the consent OF
wo-thirds of Congress.
Third That the terms upon which rePresen-
tatiyes shall be re-admitted TO Congress from
the States lately in rebellion, and disabilities
imposed on or removed from those who par
ticipated in that rebellion, shall be prescribed
by Congress, and not by the President.
There is an effort being made at the North
. and in the South by politicians who support
the Presidents policy 10 induce the Legisla-
lures of the non-represented States TO REJECT
the constitutional amendment, In the nope
that In another contest before the people they
may be more successful; and they predict
violent conflict between the executive ana le-
gislatiye branches of the General Govern