The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-07
THE VIRGINIA CONVENTION
ORDERED By CONGRESS- TO
FRAME A STATE CONSTITUTION
Ninety fifth Day.

MONDAY, April 6, 1868.
The Convention met at IL o'clock.
Prayer by the chaplain.
The morning was consumed without any
important action.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
The sections of the report on the legis-
| latve department not yet acted on were
called up. The second and third sections
we're adopted, as follows:
"SEcTIoN 2. The House of Delegates
shall be elected biennially by the voters
of the several cities and counties on the
Tuesday after the first Monday in Novem-
Der.
"SECTIoN 8. The senator's shall be elect
ed for the term of four years, for the cleo
ton of whom the counties, cities, and
towns shall be divided into not more than
thirty-nine districts. Each county, city,
and town of the respective districts, at the
time of the first election of its delegate or
delegates under this Constitution, shall
vote for one senator. The senators first
elected under this Constitution in districts
bearing odd numbers shall vacate their
Offices at the end of two years, and those
elected in districts bearing even numbers
at the end of four years, and vacancies &C.
curing by expiration Of term shall be
filed by the election Of senators at the fall
term"
Pending the discussion on the third Sec
ton, Mr.. E. GIBSON said that he hoped his
district would be allowed q senator for
four years, as it would insure one Demo
cratic senator for the first four years. He
was certain his county would never be
Republican, because the mountains were
so high that carpet-bag men couldn't get
over.
Mr.. PLATTE remarked that he was under
the impression that the gentleman from
Giles could get his effects into carpet
bag as easy as he could.
Mr.. GIBSON said that if he had followed
Buffers army he was sure that he would
have had effects enough to fill a good many
carpet. bags.
MIR. PLATTE had not followed Butler,
and said further that he had trunk once,
but when attempting to come into Vir-
GINA he met with one of those encum-
brances, and was politely relieved of it.
Conservative " It was seized for hotel
board"
The fourth section was adopted, as fol-
lows:
CAT the first session of the General AS
sembly after the next enumeration of the
inhabitants of the State by the United
States a reapportionment Of senators and
members of the House of Delegates shall
be made"
AFTERNOON SESSION. "
The Convention met at o'clock. Some
ota Cd
The thirteenth section of the report
on the Legislative Department was adopted,
as follows:
"SECT1oN Is. The privilege of the writ
of habeas corpus shall not be suspended
unless when, in cases Of invasion or rebel
lion, the public safety may require it. The
General Assembly shall not pass any bill
of attainder or any &c post facto law; or
any law impairing the obligation of con-
tracts; or of any law whereby private pro-
perty shall be taken for public uses with
out just compensation; or any law abridg-
ing the freedom Of speech or of the press.
No man shall be compelled to frequent or
support any religious worship-place or
ministry whatsoever; nor shall any man
be enforced, restrained, molested, or bur-
sGucuou Ill uio boOy VI S'Ooo3 Va ocA0i-
wise suffer, on account of his religious
opinions or belief; but all men shall be
free to profess, and by argument to main
tain, their opinions in matters of religion,
and the same shall in no wise affect, d.
minish, or enlarge their civil capacities.
And the General Assembly shall not pre-
scribe any religious test whatever, or con-
fer any peculiar privileges or advantages
on any sect or denomination, or pass any
law requiring or authorizing any religious
society, or the people of any district with
In this Commonwealth, to levy on them
selves or others any tax for the erection or
repair of any house of public worship, or
for the support Of any church or ministry
but 1t shall be left free to every person to
select his religious instructor, and to make
for his support such private contract as he
shall please"
The report in the case of Mr.. ALLAN
was called up. 1t was laid on the table.
After some further sqpabbling, the Con-
yeation adjourned,