Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-01-14

ployees of the ConUention
''Soon after the passage of the act of Con-
gress of March 2, 1867, a bill passed the Senate
of the General Assembly Of Virginia providing
for the calling off convention in accordance with
the terms of the said act Of Congress. That bill
was under consideration in.the House of Dele
gates when, at the extra session in March, 1867
Congress had under discussion the bill sup
Elementary to the act Of March I'd, requiring
the commanding General, instead of the State
Government, to call convention, which bill final
ly became . law March 23d Pending this
legislation of Congress the bill under considera-
tion In the House of fDelegates was laid upon the
table. While the question of calling conven-
ton was under consideration In the General As
sembly the tax bill for the current year was
framed and brought before the House of Dele
ee-es IN making up the estimate upon which
9-at bi 3aS based an IteA OF SIOQ,0 600 was
Included to defray the expenses of constitu-
tlonal convention. The tax bill, framed upon
the basis referred to, was passed and became a
law some time subsequent to the passage OF the
act of Congress of March 23d and after the bill
for calling q convention was laid on the table by
the Virginia House of Delegates The sum of
100000 estimated and included In the tax bill
as above stated. was clearly intended by the
State Legislature to be appropriated to the pay
ment of the expenses of convention to be call
ed in pursuance Of the act Of Congress.
No special appropriation was made by the
Legislature for this or any other purpose for the
fiscal year commencing on the lst day OF October,
1866, but in lieu Of special appropriation a gen
eral appropriation was made for the current ex-
penses of the Commonwealth. The Auditor of
Public Accounts does not, and very properly,
regard the above enactment as sufficient au
thority for him to issue warrants for the pay
ment Of expenses of the Convention, but is will
ing to issue such warrants upon my ORDERS
based upon ordinances Of the Convention.
The act of Congress Of March 23d having
authorized the Convention to levy and collect
tax for the payment ofits expenses and the State
Legislature having, subsequently to the passage
of that act of Congress, passed tax bill includ-
ing an estimate for the same purpose, 1t IS clear
that the money collected and paid into the
Treasury In pursuance of the act OF the General
Assembly ought to be used for the purpose
contemplated, and the people thus saved the
great burden Of a special tax and the expense
of collecting it in a time Of general depression.
''It may be questioned whether there is In the
acts OF Congress any SPECIFIC authority Tor the
payment of moneys out Of the State Treasury.
However this may be, | have no hesitation IN
deciding that it is my duty to do in this case
what is so clearly demanded by the best interest
Of the State, leaving it to those who have
right to judge, including the people OF. Virginia,
to hereafter vlndlcate the wisdom, justlce and
substantial legality of my action.
Il will, as heretofore, authorize and direct
the Auditor of Public Accounts to issue warrants
for the payment Of the per diem of the members
and officers, and other expenses authorized by
ordinances of the Convention, from time to time
as the condition of the Treasury may justify
the amount as paid not to exceed the sum realIz-
ed from the tax levied for that purpose This
- 10 o1 hyyt ba ufiIt Will bn
somewhat, though not much, less than the
amount estimated, and viii, no doubt, be paid
into the Treasury as rapidly as needed.
1T may be proper to suggest, for the con-
sideration of the Convention, whether the a
mount estimated and collected may not be suf-
fcient to defray the expenses of any election
that may be ordered by the Convention, In ad
dition to the support Of the Convention while
in session.
ga true copy:
%. A. CAMPBELL,
''Brevet Lieut. COL U. S. Army,
"a. A. A. General
The document was laid upon the table and
ordered to be printed.
Whereas certain persons In this State who
are embraced within the disfranchising provisions
of the reconstruction acts Of Congress have, since
their enactment, manifested desire to restore,
in good faith, this Commonwealth to her proper
relations to the Federal Union upon the basis
of said acts and to that end have not hindered
or obstructed such reconstruction or restoration,
but have aided the same; therefore.
Reso{oed, That in the opinion of this Con
vention, the disability imposed by the recon
struction laws on all such persons should belm-
medlately removed, and this Convention will
exert its influence to secure such removal.
Upon this resolution Mr. Huuncutt spoke at
cor,n lanptb rnDaatinC his frcan (burch
speech made just after the passage of the recon
struction acts, coupled with the one usually made
by him. and adding much In a religious way.
Pending the discussion on this, the hour for
the order Of the day arrived, and the resolution
was laid on the table until the report of the
Committee on the Bill Of Rights could be dis
posed Of
BILL OF RIGHTS
The Conyention resolved itself into a Com.
mittee of the Whole to consider the report Of
Committee on the Bill of Rights, etc. Mr..
Wilson was called to the chair.
On motion, it was decided to take the report
up section by section.
Mr.. Hine offered as substitute for considera
ton the Bill of Rights adopted by the Alabama
Convention, and spoke for a few moments to
show why it should be substituted.
Mr.. Liggatt offered the following as an amend
ment to the substitute:
"Reso1ued, That this Bill of Rights, as adopt
ed by the representatives of the good people Of
Virginia in full and free convention assembled,
June II, 1776, and retained and endorsed by
all subsequent conventions of the State, be
hereby adopted by this Convention as the basis
and foundation of government; adapting the
same according to the sense, lntendment, and
application Of the principles promulged IN that
document as understood and contemplated by
the original trainers thereof.
Mr. Platte spoke for some moments IN favor
of the report submitted by the committee. =.
Mr. Liggatt argued well in favor ofhis amend
ment.
Bayne (negro) made some remarks in answer
to Mr. Liggatt. He said something about the
southern press, which had preached that seces-
sion was as necessary as it was for man to kiss
his wife, or for a woman to eat. All he had to
say about the proposition to have the Old Bill
of Rights as it was that old Mathuselah car Is
too slow for u.s. The talk about restricting the
rights of suffrage of the negro reminded him OF
the old proposition Of d man to cut off his dog S
tail in order to make him decent; and as he
| thought it wouldn't do to cut it all off at once,
| he cut off piece every week.
| The talk of the war of races had originated
with the President of the United States. The
| gentleman had said that the present Bill OF
| Rights had been framed by shareholders and
he didn't think any STAKEHOLDER competent to
frame a constitution for a free people. The
| Convention had been called to frame Repub-
ican constitution, and give every man his rights.
| They were going to have a constitution as free
4 i loloo j sCv.1E Ii dot