The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-08
TIE VIRGINIA CONVENTION
ORDERED BY CONGRESS TO
FRAME A STATE CONSTITUTION

THE VIRGINIA CONVENTION
ORDERED BY CONGRESS TO
FRAME A STATE CONSTITUTION.
Ninety sixth Day.
TUESDAY, April 7, 1868.
The Convention met at IL O'CLOCK.
Prayer by the chaplain.
PREVENTION AND PUNISHMENT OF CRIME.
Mr., STALEY, from the Committee on
Prevention and Punishment OF Crime,
| submitted curious report:
It recommended that the General Assembly
be empowered to provide homestead not ex. .
ceedng in value, inclusive OF mousse iano, ana
| personal property, ~, 800 that it be empower
| ed TO enforce proper observance OF the Sab.
bath; that moral as well as intellectual cui-
| ture be embraced in the course OF all schools
established by the State; that the General
| Assembly be empowered to prohibit the sale
and manufacture of intoxicating liquors !;
| that it be empowered to establish houses OF
correction for destitute persons, which shall
| afford them the advantages OF home, LABOR,
and education. It further recommended that
| the General Assembly be empowered to
| abolish capital punishment and TO substitute
therefor ia term of penal servitude, and a
| degree of punishment to be decided by law !;
| that il shall be empowered TO adopt re
|
establish State reform prisons for juvenile
| offenders, in which they shall have the benefit
| of industrial, educational and religious train
| ing.
The report was laid on the table for
printing.
| MIXED SCHOOLS.
BAYNE offered the following:
THE free public schools III this State shall
be open free TO all classes, and no child, pubil,
| or scholar, shall be elected from said schools
on account of race, color, or any inVidious
distinction and the General Assembly shall
have pour to make any law that will admit OF
any nvidious distinction in any public free
schools in this State"
! A motion, to lay this on the table was
lost-ayes, l6; noes, SO.
THE NEW GOVERNOR.
| Mr.. THAYER moved to appoint COM
mittee to wait on General Wells, the
newly-appointed Governor, and invite him
to visit the Convention.
Mr.. f. GIBSON moved to appoint special
committee, to consist of HAwxHURsT and
BAYNE, to wait on Ex-Governor Peirpoint,
TO condole with him.
Some squabbliDg took place, and finally
the motion was carried.
Mr.. E. GIBSON moved that HAwXHURsT
and BAYNE be put on the committee. Not
entertained.
THAYER, NORTON, LUTHER LEE, Jr.,
WILLIAMS, and OWEN, were appointed on
the committee. They retired, and in a
few moments returned in company with
General Wells.
He was introduced by the President of
J the Convention, who spoke of the pleasant
social and official relations that had ex-
listed for some years between himself and
General Wells. He said that they had
always agreed in their views concerning
congressional action and the passing po-
litical events of the day; and concluded
by bearing testimony to his high qualities
as lawyer and a gentleman.
Governor Wells addressed the Conven-
ton as follows:
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Conven-
. | toni cannot we'll refrain from expressing in
| brief words my sense of the honor which, I'm :
sought, has been conferred upon me. I am
, relieved from the necessity of an expression
of my views in detail upon political questions
, by the remarks that have already been made
in my hearing by your presiding officer. II
is, however, judge, proper, and hope you
. will deem it fit, that l should say to you now,
| at the outset of my official relations, very
few words, expressing substantially my gene
raj views, so that you may know how. far, and
in what particulars, we are in accord.
desire, gentlemen, no office; and can lily
afford to hold one. I have consented to take
this position for a brief period-I trust it will
be very brief-and that not many months will
1 pass away before you wfil have Constitu.
ton of your own framlng-formed and
own skill-adopted by the people of this
Commonwealth and that when SO adopted
the chief executive officer, whose duty and
pleasure 1t will be TO carry out the will of the
| people that you represent, as well as your
own views as expressed in that instrument,
1 will be such an officer elected by ma
iority of the people of this Commonwealth
because, after all, the great beauty and the
| virtue of the form Of government under which
we live is that it is government of the peo-
pie, coming from the people, supported by
the people, and sustained for the good of the
whole people. However, in the brief period
that must elapse before that consummation
can have become, instead of a devout wish
| an accomplished fact, there are imposed upon
| me the duties of your chief executive officer
The great wish that is paramount in my
heart-and / believe it is paramount in all OF
, | your hearts-is that we should restore the old
Commonwealth of Virginia to her position
, among the States OF the Union, the co-equal
, in all particulars with the most favored OF
the States; and that in order to the restora.
] ton of this State to that condition, certain or
ganic, fundamental. and if you please radi-
cal, changes must be made No man in this
year ls6sl can close his eyes to the fact that s
great change has taken place. NO man car
close his eyes to the fact that that change has
Z brought with it certain responsibilities anc
certain, not new but newly-expressed, rights
newly guaranteed rights. No man, think
, can fail to see that, however distasteful tc
himself personally the change may be, it is as
) much fact as though decreed by the Almighty
Ruler above US. All men are to-day, in thu
, State Of Virginia, free and equal, not simply
in theory and in principle, but as great living
fact; and such legislation, such changes In
our organic and statutory law as are neces
sary to carry out that great truth, must be
. made and he that hopes or expects TO be abls
to resist that progress will in short time
wake up to the conviction that he hoped be-
yond, without, and against hope. havs
watched with great interest the progress thai
YOU have made In the framing Of Constitu.
ton recognize In 1t q good work well be-
gun-many things, perhaps, that II You were
to do again your experience would enable
you to do better. II Is enough to know that
you have kept steadily in view, from the be
ginning TO the present day, the great liz,
ing principle Of freedom-the fact that al
men are entitled to. vote without regarf
to race OF color-the principle that tire Law
must rise entirely beyond any and all dis
elimination on account of race or color-the
0rea prin cfDle fho m mt N