The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-01-22
GENERAL GRANT INVITED.

bor." Referred.
GENERAL GRANT INVITED.
| Mr.. MoRRrssEY offered the following:
"Whereas 1t is known that the COM
manding General of the armies of the
United States is at the present time stop
ping in the city Of Richmond, therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That committee OF i've De
appointed by the President to wait on
General q. S. Grant, and extend to him
the privilege of the floor of this Conven-
ton, and that he be requested to address
the Convention"
On motion of Mr.. PORTER, the words
"and that be be requested to address the
Convention were stricken from the reso-
luton. 1t was then adopted; and the fol-
lowing committee was appointed MOTIFS
sey, Platte, Kelso, French, and d. ID. Lee
REGISTERED VOTERS.
KELso (negro) called up the following
resolution offered by him yesterday:
Whereas large portion of the voters
of this Commonwealth, because OF the
limited means of support at their COM
mand, and because employment IS essen
tial to their well-being as good ana law
abiding citizens, and because OF the unset
tied condition of the country rendering II
necessary that they should remove from
place to place, as time and circumstances
may require, in order to derive from their
labor a sufficient support for themselves
and families; and whereas the instructions
and regulations of the commanding Gene
raj of this State render it necessary that
all persons exercising the right of suffrage
shall do SO only in the district in which
they have been registered ) and whereas
at the ensuing election for the ratification
of the Constitution, should such regula-
tons continue operative, large number
of true and lawful voters will be debarred
of this inestimable right, because of the
great expense of money and time neces-
sary to reach the place of original registra-
ton, and, in consequence, the full sense OF
the.people will not be obtained; therefore
RESOLVED, That committee of five
members of this Convention be appointed
by the President to wait upon Major
General Schofeld, commanding First
Military District, and solicit him, on be-
half of the loyal people of this State, to
so modify his instructions to the register
ing officers or commissioners of election,
as to permit all persons who are registered
voters under the provisions of the recon
struction laws, and who may have been
obliged to leave the county or district in
which they were registered, for the fore
going or for any other reasons, to vote in
the district in which they may be residing
at the time of voting for the ratification OF
| the Constitution"
| Mr.. WILLIAMS moved that 1t be laid on
the table. Lost.
Brother HODGES favored the resolushin,
as Congress might shet down de gates be-
fore a new re-rigister could take place.
He voted in de fourth precents, and had
moved to de first, and eff Congress shet
down on 'em he couldn't vote at de next
Election. It was better to be on de safe
side, and as Congress was in de habit of
overhaulin dar work jess like de Cornven-
ton, and de resoushin would foreview
de action Of Congress in case no more re-
registration should be had.
Pending this the hour for the order Of
the day arrived.
BILL OF RIGHTS.
The morning hour having expired, the
Preamble and Bill of Rights was taken up
as the order of the day. The ninth, tenth,
eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth,
fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eigh-
teenth, and nineteenth sections were
adopted.
Mr.. LYDIcK offered two articles proposed
to be brought in between the nineteenth
and twentieth which were lost.
Mr.. PORTER offered the following as Sec
tions 20 and 81; which, under the rules,
were laid over:
20. "That all persons residing in this
State, and born and naturalized in the
United States, and subject to the jurisdic-
ton thereof, are citizens of the United
States and of this State.
81. "That the right to vote, to hold
Office, and act as a Juror, shall never be
denied to any Of the male inhabitants of
this State, being twenty-one years of age
and citizens of the United States, or in
ny way abridged except for participation
in rebellion or other crime, or for mental
unsoundness; and that any other civil or
political right which was enjoyed by any
class of the people Of this State previous
to the year 1861, shall never be denied to
any of the people, or in any way abridged,
except for the causes above stated"
At this point Mr.. II. r. LEE stated that
he had just been informed that he had been
appointed On the committee to wait on
General Grant. lie respected General
Grant highly, and would with pleasure
wait on him had five white men been ap-
pointed upon the committee; but, with the
views be entertained, he could not serve
on committee Of this kind upon which
there was colored man.
Mr.. PORTER said that the candor Of the
gentleman was to be admired but he Won
dered why the gentleman would consent to
sit on the floor of the house to frame a con-
stitution with colored men.
Mr.. LEE said that his reasons for sitting
in the Convention were best known to him
self, but he would give them to the gen.
tleman whenever he wanted them. He re-
peated that he honored General Grant.
He was Virginian, and could never forget
his conduct towards himself and comrades
at Appomattox Courthouse.
Mr.. LEE was excused, and Mr.. E. GLIB
SON was appointed in his stead.
Mr.. GIBSON said he would serve with
pleasure, as he had great respect for Gene
raj Grant. He had refused to wait on
General Butler, not because he had been
an officer Of the United States army, but
because he considered that, in consequence
of his (Butler's) past conduct, he could
not as gentleman, and with the proper
respect for himself, countenance his pre-
sence.
Mr.. FRENCH signi6ed his entire willing
ness TO serve.
He called up the following article pro-