Virginia State Convention.
Sixth day.--[Second session.]
Richmond June 19.
In the absence of
Mr. President Janney Mr. Southall took the chair, and, at 10 o'clock, called the
Convention to order.
A brief and fervent prayer was pronounced by
Rev. Mr. Peterkin, of the Episcopal Church.
Mr. Macfarland offered from a Committee to whom it had been referred, the following ordinance:
‘
Be it Ordained. That when the
Court of any county in this Commonwealth shall fail to meet for the transaction of business, or the people thereof or any of them, shall be prevented from attending thereupon by reason of the public enemy, the
Court of the county next thereto where such obstruction does not exist, and the
Clerk thereof, shall have jurisdiction of all matters, and authority to do and perform all acts which, as the law now is referable to the Circuit Court or the
Clerk of said Court now obstructed.
’
The following ordinances were submitted, and ordered to be printed:
- 1. Be it Ordained, That any citizen of Virginia holding office under the Government of the United States shall, after the first day of July next, be forever banished from the State, and is declared an allen enemy, and shall be considered as such in all the Courts of Virginia.
- 2. Any citizen of Virginia who shall hereafter undertake to represent the State of Virginia in the Congress of the United States shall, in addition to the penalties of the preceding section, he deemed guilty of treason, and his property shall, on information of the Attorney General in any Court of this Commonwealth, be confiscated to the uses of the State.
- 3. The first section shall not be deemed applicable to any officer of the United States or of the Confederate States until after the last day of January next.
Mr. Sewell reported the following ordinance, which was ordered to be printed:
Be it Ordained, That in such counties of this State as are not actually invaded, but which, from she proximity of the enemy of the
State, or other cause, danger exists of a loss of property to the citizens thereof, the
Colonel commanding the militia of said county, or in his absence or inability to act, the next highest officer of such militia, shall whenever in his opinion it shall be necessary protect the property of the citizens of such counties, and have power, and is hereby authorized and required, to draft from the militia of such county such men as may be sufficient to prevent any loss of properties in his county, as afore said.
This ordinance further authorizes the
Colonel of the Regiment to forward to the
Governor the names and rank of all men under his command, who shall be paid by the
State, as if they were in its actual service in some regularly organized regiment.
Pure an interesting debate sprang up on
Mr. Holcombe's resolution, providing that
Virginia shall at once adopt the
Constitution of the
Confederate States.
After much discussion and considerable amendments the ordinance was adopted.
An ordinance was reported transferring the
Lunatic Asylum at
Staunton to some place of greater safety, and also to inquire into the expediency of abolishing an act of the last session of the General Assembly to authorize a loan of $5,000 to the West Liberty Academy in
Ohio county.
The real business of this exceedingly dull day was the following ordinance:
The officers of the
Federal Government now in command of an army quartered on the said of
Virginia, have inaugurated (apparently with the concurrence of the authorities at
Washington) a system of warlate unknown to the uses and practices of civilized nations, by enticing away from their owners, protecting and holding slaves the property of citizens of this Commonwealth, whether said citizens are combatants or noncombatants.
Be it, therefore.
Resolved, That the
Committee on Finance inquire in other propriety of setting aside all debts the by this Commonwealth of
Virginia, or the citizens or corporations thereof, to the citizens of any of those Northern States who are engaged in the invasion of our soil.
A secret session was now ordered, and after its adjournment the
Convention was dismissed until 10 o'clock to-morrow.
We have, we regret to say, a good many old togies in the
Convention.
Why can't they come up to the exigencies of the occasion and fling behind them obsolete notions and Federal propensities?
‘"A day, an hour of various liberty, Is worth an eternity of bondage."’
