The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-07-18

was then proposed, amid good deal OF con-
fusion. to, make the nomination OF General
Malone unanimous. to which the Lee men.
objected, and it was hever carried Ill
At this point Of the proceedings NIT.
f.. .Epes appealed to the Chair to sustain the
action OF. the. Convention, as embodied In
the resolution, Of Mr.. GOODWIN, by giving.
the minority "a representation on the COM
mittee,of delegates in the proportion OF 81
to SO. {, This the Chair. declined to do, claim
ing that under the call to make thevote unan-
imous for Malone it was greatly reduced,
and that he could only make the minority
conform to this change.
The Lee men therenpon refused to submit
to the decision and action of the Chair; and
believing that injustice had been done them,
and that they did not receive fair play in
the Con vention, and with no view Of rails
ing factieus opposition to the majority or
to divide the party, determined at once to
appeal to the constituent body for the rights
denied them in Convention. The following
call was at once issued by Colonel j. S.
Gillian, chairman OF the Conservative
party - 9r..
To the Conservative Voters of Nottoaoay
Z, County: ,5< -. - az
The Convention OF the Conservative party
of this county having disbanded on the 9th
day OF July, 1877, at Nottoway Courthouse,
before tranSactipg the business for which it
was called together, 1 now give notice that
conventions will be held at Burkeyille, Not
ttoway Courthouse, and Bellefonte on Satur-
day, July Ia, 1877, at II NJ. 5.,, *: J.
The object or this meeting is to nominate
delegates to the State Convention to be held
in Richmond on the 9Th day OF August,
1877, to select a suitable gubernatorial
ticket for the State; also, to nominate dele
gates to meet at Nottoway Courthouse on
the first Monday in August next to place in
nomination a suitable person to represent
the county in the next House Of Delegates
Under this call q considerable number OF
the Conservative voters Of Bellefonte town.
ship assembled at Bellefonte in convention
Saturday, July Il, 1877. i,a, .,.t. 5, 100
Pc The Township Convention was organized
by calling Mr.. r. l.. Hurt to the chair and
appointing j. NJ. Hurt secretary. p:
| The object Of the meeting was briefly eN-
planned by the Chair to be to appoint dele
gates to the Richmond Convention to be
held August s, 1877, and also to express in
this public manner our con demnation OF the
action taken by the dominant majority at
court in excluding the minority and deny
ing them the rights which were accorded
them l,y vote Of the Convention. Mr.. T..
F. Epes produced a copy Of the record at
the Courthouse meeting by which it was
proved that they went back on their own
action by denying the. right Of the
minorlty.to an equitable. share Of represen-
tatives after having themselves voted it.
The, Malone delegates, he said, had been
several times changed to get them exactly
OF the complexion to suit the majority.
Major r. N. Neblett, G. "A. Baker, G. It.
Cralle, JUS. sEpes, and others, spoke in
EQUALLY Tstrong terms OF condemnation of
the mode Gofiproceeding as we'll as the re-
suit Of the Nottoway Courthouse meeting,
all claiming the right and justice of the mi
>nority to be heard through their delegates
in the Convention at Richmond, and be-.
lieye they can successfully maintain before
that body the right to their credentials. s
On motion the following committee was
appointed to report to the meeting suitable
names az delegates to Richmond, also such
resolutions OF condemnation OF the Court
house meeting as they deemed right and
proper, and at the same time vindicate the
action here taken. J. S. Powell, R. N.
NebIett, e. C. McCulloch, T. F. Epes, and
Charles Hardy were appointed, who nomi-.
mated as delegates and alternates to Rich,
mond the following gentlemen, who were
unanimously elected: Delegates r.
N. Neblett, E. G. McCulloch, IF. Epes,.
DR.. J. N. Hurt. Acknowledgment Z.
f. Rowlett, G. A. Baker, CT. Cralle, j. S.
Powell. y ~
The following resolutions were offered
and adopted: ,s ,,i4,r.e -s,4 -.
Resolved by the people of Bellefonte topn-
ship in c0nyenti011 assembled, That we feel
compelled, in the interest OF justice and
fair-play, to demonstrate against and de-
plore the action taken by the Nottoway
Courthouse meeting on the 9th OF july
1S77---s..Si, ~ ~, sz., -
!. Because we believe. it unjust that 8
small maiority OF ali acknowledged minori-
ty OF hetcornty should assume to cast the
vote Of the county to the exclusion OF a
minority nearly equal in numbers, and
whose rights! the Convention by resolution
pledged themselves to'respect. -
II. That we claim the minority has rights
equally sacred with those OF the majority,
land that they cannot be violated without
doing violence to social order, and that we
bare here to-day to assert and matntain these
rights as citizens and voters vi NottoWay
county. 80 ia3.' & Z : +. ..
n III. We believe the action taken by the
chairman Of the NottoWay Courthouse Con-
vention In appointing himself and others
delegates to the Richmond Convention, to
the exclusion Of a minority represe ntation,
-unautb null, and void. = ]t.,.
~. It being the object OF all primary
meetings to obtain as nearly as possible the
exact wishes Of the people, we believe this
tiobiect was practically defeated in the irreg-,
nIar lproc edings 81 the, NottoWay Court
house meeting, and that this wrong could
only be redrsssed by an appeal from its de-
cfsions directly to the voters OF the differ