The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-01-17
rules of the Convention. Fhe motion

rules OF the Convention. The motion,
was carriedssSP .
The thanks of the Convention. were
then unanimously voted to I. J.
Robertson, white, delegate from
Richland; for his services as tempo
rary chairman. =
The President laid before the Con-
vention communication from F. A,
Sawyer, white, delegate from
Charleston, resigning his positions
which was accepted.
The rules were suspended, and G.
J. Stallbrand, said to be Dane, who
once commanded Sherman's light
(fingeredP) artillery, was elected Sec
retary by acclamation.
N. G. Parker, white, delegate from
Barnwell, but an ex-captain of negro
troops, and since the war resident
Of Charleston, and in no way con-
nected with the District Of Barnwell,
offered a resolution that the Conven-
tion should elect the following addi-
tional officers, viz: an assistant secre-
tary, on engrossing clerk, door
keeper, and assistant door-keeper,
and a chaplain, end; .thhsee the oht.ir
should appoint three messengers.
f. J. Moses, jr., of Sumter. said
that he was opposed in toto to that
part of the resolution which looked
to the election of chaplain. AS far
as he was individually concerned, he
was opposed to the services of any
chaplain, and opposed to having
these proceedings opened with prayer.
The Truth which had been held so
sacred in the past has been of late so
prostituted in all legislative bodies,
that there was q great probability it
would be prostituted here, and in
stead of prayers we should have
simply political harangues in the
guise of sacred invocation. Fur
thermore, he held it to be incumbent
upon the delegates to have some re-
spect for the Treasury of the State
The people were poor, and where
there were so many chaplains on the
floor, he thought it unwise and inju-
dicious to add to the expenditure to
be entailed upon the State by reason
of these deliberations.
B. f. Randolph, colored, of Orange
burg, said he was strongly in favor
of the election of chaplain, because
it was tine custom in Congress, in the
Legislature, and, MS far as he was in
formed, in other Conventions which
had been held. No one on the floor
could possibly more respect the Trea-
sury of the State than himself, but he
could not respect it so much as to ig-
more religion and overlook God.
l.. S. Langley, colored, of Beau-
fort, agreed with the delegate from
Sumter, that there were clcrgymen
enough in tho Convention to open
the proceedings with prayer, without
taxing unnecessarily the Treasury of
the State; and he hoped that they
would be patriotic enough to dis
charge this duty to the Convention
and the State, without drawing So a
day for their services.
1t was finally agreed that the Chair
should appoint n chaplain from
among the members of the Conven-
ton, to open its proceedings daily
with prayer.
The motion to have three messen-
gers appointed for the Convention
by the Chairman, seemed to strike
some of the members as an unusual
and uncalled-for luxury. j. j. Wright,
delegate from Beaufort, but an ex-
member of the United States Colored
Troop, and pure blooded negro,
expressed his opinion on the subject
plainly, and said he could not see the
use Of so many messengers to wait
on the Convention, when most of the
members had been brought up to
wait on themselves.
Paul NJ. Poinsett was elected u.s.
sistant secretary; VIM. r. Mitchell,
engrossing clerk; f. Conway, SER
geant-nt-arms; Peter Miller, assistant
sergcant-at-arms; Samuel Dickinson,
door-keepor, and John Fitzsimons,
(of Columbia assistant door-keeper.
All colored.
b. G. DeLarge, colorcd, notified
the Convention that he would, to-
morrow, move for reconsideration
of the vote by which Conway was
elected sergcant-at-arms, it having
been proclaimed that the person
aforesaid was incompetent to dis
charge the duties of tho office.
The next election in order being
that of messengers; one of the par
ties nominated was Alexander Bryce,
Jr., white man, of Pickens, con-