Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-04-21

property conveyed to them by regular deed
conveyance shall not be affected by the late civ
war nor by any antecedent or subsequent even
nor by any act of the Legislature purporting
govern the same, but all such property sha
pass to and be held by the parties set forth
the original deeds of conveyance. or the legs
assignees of such original parties holding thrc
or by conveyance T; and any act or acts of tn
Legislature in opposition thereto are null an
void.
| MARRIED WOMEN.
The section of the report of the above com
| mittee giving married women the entire contro
OF their property, was tabled by decided vote
CHILDREN OF SLAVE PARENTS.
The following was, after discussion, adopted
yeas 54, nays 8:
''The children of parents, one or both of whom
were slaves at and during the period of cohabi
tatlon, and who were recognized by the father
as his children, and whose mother was recog
nized by such father as his wife, and was co
habited with as such, shall be as capable of in
have died seized or possessed, as though they
had been born in lawful wedlock." "
THE MILITIA.
The following sections of the report of the
committee on military affairs were adopted, and
the remaining sections defeated
Sec. l. The militia of this State shall consist
of all able bodied male persons between the ages
Of eighteen and forty-fve years, except such
persons as now are, or hereafter may be-, ex-
empted by the laws of the United States or of
societies, whose tenets forbid them to carry
arms, shall not be compelled to do so, but shall
pay an equivalent for personal service, and the
militia shall be organized, armed, equipped and
trained as the General Assembly may provide
by law.
Sec. 2 The Legislature shall provide by law
for the encouragement of volunteer corps of the
several arms of the service, which shall be class
ed as the active militia; and all other militia
shall be classified as the reserve militia, and
shall not be required to muster in time of peace.
TUESDAY. April 14.-Messrs. Allan, Mad
dox, Southall, Waddel, and White, were ap-
pointed on the committee to examine into the
printing and forwarding of documents of the
Convention. The Secretary of the Convention
was made secretary of the committee.
PRINTING.
Mr.. Allan, from the special committee on ad-
ditional compensation for printers, submitted
report recommending the adoption of the fol
lowing resolution:
'.Resolued, That the Secretary certify for the
payment of the accounts of Messrs. Hunnicutt
q Brother at the rate of seventy cents per
thousand ems for composition of Journal and
documents, and seventy cents per token for all
press work done for this body"
FUTURE CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION.
The majority and minority reports on future
changes in the Constitution were taken up
After some discussion, the following was
adopted:
''Auy amendment or amendments to the Con
may be proposed in the Senate and
House Of Delegates; and if the same shall be
agreed to by majority of the members elected
to each of the two Houses, such proposed
amendment or amendments shall be entered on
their Journals, with the ayes and noes taken
thereon, and referred to the General Assembly
to be chosen at the next general election of SEN
ators and members of the House of Delegates,
and shall be published for three months pre-
vious to the time of making such choice; and
if in the General Assembly so next chosen as
such proposed amendment or amend
ments shall be agreed to by majority of all
the members elected to each House, then it
shall be the duty of the General Assembly to
submit such proposed amendment or amend
ments to the people, in such manner and at
such times as the General Assembly shall pre-
scribe; and if the people shall approve and rat
ify such amendment or amendments by ma
jority of the electors qualified to vote for mem
bers of the General Assembly voting thereon,
such amendment or amendments shall become
part of the Constitution.
'At the general election to be held in the
year 1888, and in each twentieth year thereaf-
ter, and also at such time as the General As
sembly may by law provide, the question Shall
there be convention to revise the Constitution
and amend the same? shall be decided by the
electors qualified to vote for members of the
General Assembly; and in case majority of
the electors SO qualified voting at such election
shall decide in favor of convention for such
purpose, the General Assembly at its next
session shall provide by law for the election of
delegates to such convention: Prouded, That
no amendment or revision shall be made which
shall deny or in any way impair the right of
suffrage or any civil or political right as con-
ferred by this Constitution, except for causes
which apply equally to all persons and classes
without distinction.
The Convention then took recess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr.. Hawxhurst, from the committee on the
basis Of representation and apportionment in
accordance with resolution of instruction, sub
mitted report upon the re.arranging of the
Congressional districts, recommending the adop-
tion of an ordinance re districting the State into
eight districts, giving it a Congressman at large
The report was of course fixed up with a view
to Radical views, so much so that Porter moved
the members of that party to reject it. He said
that the report would only give them one more
Republican Congressman, and they had better
let well enough alone.
EQUAL RIGHTS.
The following was called up:
"ARTICLE =. Section =. In all charters
granted by the Legislature to any railroad Or
other internal improvement there shall be in
corporated In said charter provision prohibit
ing any regulation or rule making any distinc-
ton on account of color in any of its employees,
or privileges granted to passengers; and all
public institutions NOW existing of said charac-
ter shall come under the provisions of this Sec
ton
The following substitute to this was adopted,
ayes Al, noes 10:
'.That all citizens of the State are hereby de-
clared to possess equal, civil and political rights
and public privileges.
ADJOURNMENT POSTPONED.
A motion to rescind the resolution to adjourn
this evening was carried, and the further con
sideration of the subject postponed.
The ConveLtion adjourned.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Davis tria
was postponed some ten days ago, till Apr
10th. 1t is now understood that it Is to be sti
further deferred, from that date. The next re
gular term of Judge Underworld s Court com
mences May 4th, and it is not supposed tha