The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-02-05
The V5rgia,Sa Convention
ORDERED By CONGRESS TO
FRAME A STATE CONSTITUTION.
FoRTY-FIFTH DAY.
TUESDAY. February 4. lse

i $50 TUESDAY, February 4, 1868.
The Convention met at IL o'clock.
Prayer By the chaplain.
Mr.. LYDICK offered o resolution asking
that efforts be made to have disabilities
removed from overseers Of the poor before
the war. Laid on the table.
FINANCE.
Mr.. THOMAS offered an additional Sec
ton to the report on taxation and finance.
1t is as follows.
"No county, city, township, or district
shall, by a vote of its citizens. or otherwise,
become stakeholder in any joint STOCK
company, corporation, or association what.
ever, or raise money for, or loan Its creoiS
in and of any such company, corporation,
or association"
TuKEY7s PER DIEM.
The resolution granting per diem to +. 5.
TuKEY, contestant, was called up.
Mr.. GIBSON said that the matter ought
to be referred to the Committee on FL,
nance. He had heard that MIR. TUKEY had
acted as registering officer up to the day
before the election that his tickets had
been printed and issued before he resigned !;
and that he had declared his intention not
to resign before he was certain of election.
IF these facts were probable, as there were
good grounds for believing, a commlttee
should inquire into the matter.
Mr.. ALLAN moved to amend by AIDING
after the words "3d of December, 1861"
the following "To the 31st of December,
1857. inclusive, and that the Committee on
Contingent Expenses be, and they are
hereby. instructed to bring in an ordinance
providing for the payment OF Inc same;
Much discussion ensued penang WHICH
the morning hour expired.
RICHMOND DELEGATION.
Mr., MoRRIssEY asked that the rules be
suspended in order for him to make q
statement. Granted.
: He said that few days since resolu-
ton had been offered to the effect that the
Richmond delegation were not entitled to
their seats. He had voted for it from
sense of duty, because he thought 1t due
to all parties that the investigation asked
for should be had. He hoped the matter
would be taken up.
The matter was taken up, and Mr..
CAMPBELL asked that the following substi-
tute, offered by him, be adopted:
"Whereas the first principle of repre-
sentative republican government rests on
the basis of q legally ascertained majority
of the qualified voters; and whereas, in
the formation of the organic law, the true
principle of representation should never
be departed from and whereas it is
claimed and believed to have boon salts
factorily ascertained by registration or
voters had under the order of Brevet Ma
ior- General Schofield that the Conserva-
tive candidates for seats in this Convention
from the city of Richrond-to wit, Messrs.
Johnson, Sands, Evans, Taylor, and Stur-
divant- a considerable majority
of the qualified voters of said city; by rea-
son whereof they were entitled to certilla
Gates of election es members of this body;
be it therefore
Resolved, That it is due alike to the
voters OF the city of Richmond, to the
principles of republican government, and
to the honor of this body, that the true
state of facts as they actually exist
should be inquired into and made known
to this body:
ReSoloed I'd, That as the best means of
ascertaining the same in such regular man
ner as to warrant the deliberate action Of
this body, that Brevet Major General Scho-
field be respectfully requested to furnish
to this body all information in his posses
sion bearing on this subject; and that the
Secretary of this Convention be, and he is
hereby, instructed to communicate to him
these resolutions"
Mr.. PLATTE offered the following as a
substitute:
"ResoIved, That Major General Scho-
field be requested to. communicate to this
Convention all facts in his possession rela-
ting to the election Of delegates to the
Convention from the city of Richmond
and the alleged frauds in Monroe Ward.'
Mr.. CURrIss moved to lay on the table.
Lost-ayes, 10; noes, 60.
The time of suspension of the rules
having expired, a further suspension was
granted.
Many points oforder were raised, and the
CHAIR decided that the whole question
was opened by the further suspension.
Mr.. PLATTE appealed from the decision
The appeal was not sustained.
Mr.. CLEMENTS spoke of the resolutions
as being based upon newspaper reports
He thought sufficient time had been taker
in the Convention by members consider
| ing themselves aggrieved by newspaper
paragraphs and words spoken in debate
He wanted to sec q stop put to this, ant
he hoped no more attention would be
given to mere newspaper reports.
Mr.. MAYsE replied to Mr.. CLEMENTS
| He was glad to see that most of the sitting
members were willing to give the matter
full investigation /; and he could not SCI
why the gentleman from Portsmouth
should object to it. The newspaper re
ports spoken of were the means by which
eleven thousand voices demanded an ex
animation of the matter. He continued
his remarks for some moments, giving
good reasons why the examination SHOULD
be held.
Mr.. CLEMENTS offered the following as
preamble to the substitute which was &C
ceptcd by Mr.. PLATTE:
"Whereas Mr.. MAYsE, member Of tn
Convention, states upon the floor that on
of the contestants had informed him tina
General Schofeld had stated as his belle
the sitting members were not entitled t.
their seats"
The previous question was called ant
sustained.
Mr.. MAYsE arose to previous question
| The statement quoted from him was not a
he had made it. He had stated that tn
contestant had remarked to General Soho
field that he did not think the sitting mem
bers from Richmond had right to thei
seats, and that though General Schofel'
made no reply, he left him under the i'm
preston that he believed so too.
Mr.. CLEMENTS wished to recall tn
| -, -, ~ modify II