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

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between Fredericksburg and Gordonsville, and
report if there existed reasons to justify such
investment, and if such reasons exist at the
/ present time, with the cause and causes of the
| suspension and change inethe public mind iii
any, upon the subject of the completion of the
said railroad.
Mr. Parr offered the following preamble and
resolution which we're referred to the Com
mittee on Agriculture
Whereas large number Of landholders and
residents of the Commonwealth Of Virginia
whose lands border on the different bays and
rivers of said Commonwealth do claim the right
of possession to fats below lowwater mark, and
do rent the same therefore be it
| 'sResoLred, That no person shall be allowed
to cialm or rent to any person or persons any
fats below low water mari =
! Mr.. Andrews offered the following:
| "Resotued, That the Committee ON Educa-
of the Incorporation in the Constitution Of a
provision In substance as follows:
| The Governor shall nominate, and by and
with the advice and consent of the Legislature
| in joint vote, shall appoint Superintendent of
Public instruction, who shall hold the Office for
| three years. He shall receive an annual salary
of three thousand dollars, and such additional
sum, for travelling and incidental expenses, as
the General Assembly may by law provide;
| shall report to the General Assembly, within
| thirty days after the commencement of its first
session under this Constitution, uniform sys
tenn OF free public schools OF every grade and
shall perform such other duties pertaining to
his office as may, from time to time be pre-
scribed by law.
There shall be State board of education,
consisting of the Governor, the lieutenant
Governor, the Speaker of the House of Dele
gates, the State Superintendent Of Public In
struction, and three other persons, citizens Of
the State, to be elected, one for two, one for
four and one for six years and at each blen-
nal election thereafter there shall be elected one
member for such board, who shall hold his Of
flee for six years
There shall, in each county, be appointed
by the State superintendent county sHperin-
tendent, whose duties shall be prescribed by
law, and board of directors biennialy elected,
who shall recommend and appoint all teachers
having been satisfactorily examined by the
county superintendent.
There shall be normal school in each of
the four great districts Of the State, whose To-
cality shall be determined by the Legislature
The school fund shall be invi0late." @
Referred to the Committee on Education.
Mr.. Gibson, of Giles, offered a resolution that
the record of the Convention be corrected SO as
to read that the resolution of Bland (nigger) in
regard to negroes occupying frst-class seats in
railroad cars and other public conyeyances was
REFERRED instead of adopted.
BILL OF RIGHTS.
The hour for the order of the day-the con
sideration of the report Of the Committee on
the Preamble, Bill of Rights, etc.-having ar
rived pending Mr.. Gibson's resolution, Mr..
Clements moved that the Convention resolve
itself into a Committee of the Whole, and con-
slider the report by sections. Carried.
Mr.. Bowden was then called to the chair
After some pasleying the matter was laid over
until Monday, on motion OF Mr.. Hlne, who
wished to offer the Bill Of Rights adopted by
the Convention Of Alabama The Committee
| Of the " hole, on motion Of Mr. Woodson, then
arose.
The resolution of Mr.. Gibson was then called
up, and after good deal of squabbling it was
lost with ayes and noes as follows: Ayes, 30; !;
noes, 48.
SLAVE DEBTS.
| AIr Snead called up the report Of the Judi
ciary Committee in relation to debts and obi
cations incurred by the purchase Of slaves since
January lst, 1869 The report was read, and
Mr. Bowden moved that, as the report was a
very important one, and had not been long in
the possession Of members, it be laid on the
table. He called for the ayes and noes, and
the vote resulted-ayes, so; noes, 49,
MORE RESOLUTIONS.
The following resolutions were then offered
and referred:
BY Mr. Curtiss
"ResoIred, That copy of the resolution
| adopted yesterday in relation to the Freedmen $
Bureau he duly authenticated by the officer Of
this Convention, and forwarded to Major Gen
eral O D. Howard.
By Mr. Carr:
"Reso7red That the property known as the
| Virginia Military Institute ought to be obliter
| ated, and the property and funds Of the same
be converted into fund for the benefit OF COM
mon schools.
THE PRESS AND THE CONVENTION.
Hodges (nigger) arose with copy of the
| Southern Opinion in his hand, and said that In
| the issue of December 22d he was spoken of as
an ex-penitentiary convict 1t was lie bill
rest under such an imputation. He wished to
say to the editor of that paper that he had per-
petrated lie bill on him. He had taken coun-
sci in the matter, and would bring action for
lie till against the editor.
! Bayne (nigger) got the floor, and made a IA
king speech against the Southern Opinion.
Mr.. Hunnicutt followed Bayne, and said =
! That the Dispatch and the Enquirer and Ec-
omiaer had published black, infamous lies,
would not be denied by any honest man on that
floor When they say that we lie, the world
knows that we tell the truth; when they say
we are the offscourings of creation, the world
knows that we are gentemen-that we know
how to conduct ourselves with all due proprie-
ty. He pronounced the report published in
the Whig that Senator Pomeroy had spoken to
a Radical caucus in the capitol, lie, as he also
did the report Of the Dispatch that Porter had
repudiated Hunnicutt. He said that the rebel
editors and their reporters should be treated
With contempt by everybody Even the Er-
amiaer. he said, with all It's flthiness, had come
out and said that report sent to the New
| York Herald was sent by worthless, lying re
porter, who had been kicked out of every news
paper Office in town. This was lie he said,
for that reporter had never been in his Office.
He wound up with a diatribe upon the press OF
! Virginia generally.
The Convention, on motion of Bland (nigger),
then adjourned
EIGHTEENTH DAY.
MONDAY, Jan 6.-The Convention assem-
ed at II NJ
Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Mitchell, of NORTH
Carolina
| On motion of Mr. Allen, the reading O
Saturdays journal was dispensed with, as i
had not been printed.
Mr. Platte presented the following report o
the committee appointed to wait on Genera
Schofeld in reference 70 the pay Of members asf
employees Of the Convention, together with The
reply of General Schofeld
ksFE