The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-21
THE Tirgj1si0 Convention
oRDERED BY CONGRESS TO
FRAME A STATE CONSTITUTION.
FOURTEENTH DAY.

The Convention met at the usual hour
Prayer by the Chaplain.
PREAMBLE AND BILL OF RIGHTS.
Mr.. PLATTE, from the Committee on a
Preamble and Bill of Rights, reported q
preamble, &C., not differing from the pre-
sent one except by the addition of the
following as the second clause OF the Bill OF
Rights
al. That the authority of the general
government Of the United States is para
mount to that Of an individual State, ex-
cept as to rights guaranteed to each State
by the Constitution Of the United States !;
and that therefore the first allegiance Of a
citizen Of any State is due to The general
government" \
The present second clause is made the
third and so on.
The following is added to the preamble;
"And whereas the Congress of the
United States did, by an act passed on the
I'd day Of March in the year one thousand
eight hundred and siXty-seyen, and en-
titled san act to provide for the more
efficient government of the rebel States
and by acts supplementary thereto, passed
on the 23d day of March and the 10th day
Of July in the year one thousand eight hun
dred and sixty-seven, provide for the cleo
tion, by the people Of Virginia qualified to
vote under the provisions of said acts, Of
delegates to meet in convention to frame
constitution or form Of government for
Virginia in conformity with said acts, and
by the same acts did further provide for
the submitting Of such constitution to the
qualified voters for ratification or rejection,
we, therefore, the good people Of Virginia
elected and in convention assembled, in
pursuance of said acts, have adopted the
following constitution and form Of govern
ment for this Commonwealth"
The report was laid on the table to be
printed.
TAXATION.
HODGES (negro) offered the following:
Resolved, That the interest on the
State debt, together with all the ordinary
expenses of the State government, should
be paid by tax upon the property OF the
State, both real and personal, and not by
special taxes or licenses on useful ana
lawful business pursuits, trades, PROBES,
sions, or occupations; and that all poll
taxes and all fines collected for violations
of law should be devoted to the education
of the children of the State"
FREEDMEN'S BUREAU.
Mr., ALLEN offered the following.
"Whereas it is understood that gene
raj order has been issued from headquar-
tiers Of the army of the United States di-
recting the removal Of all offices Of the
volunteer officers now retained in service
and whereas the Freedmen's Bureau is
esteemed essential to the peace and order
of the State, and to secure justice and
protection to the loyal people Of the State
until the State government has been
placed entirely in the hands Of loyal men
and whereas the officers of volunteers now
on duty as officers Of the Bureau in the
State have become by experience familiar
with the duties of their position and with
the wants and necessities of the people :;
and whereas change at this time in the
officers would work great confusion in the
affairs Of the Bureau and materially i'm
pair its efficiency and embarrass in many
ways the progress Of reconstruction
therefore
RESOLVED, That committee of five be
appointed by the CHAIR to draft and re-
port without delay memorial to Congress
and Secretary Of War praying them to
retain the officers now on duty in the State
in service until the time arrives when it is
deemed proper to terminate the existence
of the Bureau in the State"
Mr.. LIGGETT moved to lay on the table
which was lost.
Mr.. MARYE moved to refer to the Com
mittee on the Judiciary.
Mr.. WHITE moved to refer to special
committee.
Mr.. BowDEN thought that the matter
was one with which the Convention had
nothing to do. There were a great many
bad men in the Bureau, who he hoped
would be discharged from the service.
HODGES (negro) said there was lieu
tenant of de Bureau in de crate ole county
Of Princess Anne who he hoped would be
turned out of the service.
Mr.. WHITE spoke Of the Bureau as a
most benefcent institution, without the
Of which in the past no claw
yal" man would to-day be permitted to
open his mouth. The leading general of
the Confederate armies, on returning from
the surrender, had knocked at the door,
and received rations for himself and staff. |
Not SOL
The previous question was called by
Mr.. WooDsoN, and sustained. The mo- |
tons of Messrs. MARYE and WHITE were
voted down. The resolutions were lost, |
with ayes and messages, % +; noes, 40.
PRINTING.
Mr.. J. G. GIBSON offered the following:
i" ReSolvsd, That John J. Palmer, the
Superintendent of Public Printing, be in
structed to require Messrs. - Hunnicutt
and - Hunnicutt to furnish him with
copy Of every article or thing printed,
marked with the number Of copies print
cd"
Mr.. GIBSON said he would like to get the
chairman Of the Committee on Printing to
ill the blanks in the resolution, as he did
not know the names Of the gentlemen with
whom the contract for printing had been
made.
Mr.. ALLEN commended that the resolution
was out of order. The name of the firm
with whom the contract was made was
!, Messrs. J. G. S. Hunnicutt & Bro, he be-
r,1eVed, and not - Hunnicutt and -
Hunnicuit