then the said Convention shall convene at the time and place designated in the fifth section of this ordinance, and proceed to amend the Constitution of this State. Sec. 9. The said Convention shall have no power to pass any ordinance or do any act touching the relations of this State with the United States, or any of them, or to legislate on any subject upon which the General Assembly now has power to legis late. Sec. 10. The General Assembly shall appropriate money to defray the expenses of said Convention, if it should be held; and in default thereof, the said Convention may, by ordinance, appropriate the same. Sec. 11. The delegates to said Convention shall receive the same compensation as that now allowed by law to members of the General Assembly. Which was disagreed to by the following vote, the ayes and noes being called for by Mr. Meyer: AYES-Messrs. Allen, Baker Bonnifield, Bush, Drake of St. L., Eitzen, Foster, Isbell, Jackson, Leeper, Lindenbower, McClurg, Meyer, Morrow, Noell, Scott, Smith of L., Stewart, and Walker-19. NOES-Messrs. Bartlett, Bass, Bast, Birch, Bogy, Breckinridge, Broadhead, Bridge, Calhoun, Cayce, Comingo, Deal, Doniphan, Douglass, Drake of M., Dunn, Duvall, Frayser, Flood, Gantt, Gorin, Hall of R., Henderson, Hitchcock, Holmes, Holt, How, Hough, Howell, Irwin, Jamison, Johnson, Kidd, Long, Marvin, Matson, McCormack, McDowell, McFerran, McLean, Moxley, Orr, Pomeroy, Prewitt, Rankin, Ray, Ritchey, Ross, Sayre, Schofield, Shackelford of H., Shackelford of St. L., Shanklin, Sheeley, Smith of St. L., Vanbuskirk, Waller, Welch, Woodson, Woolfolk, and Mr. President-61. Mr. BROADHEAD offered the following: Amend after the word "men," in tenth line, "for the purpose of securing the possession and services of the same"; also, strike out the words "or her," in twelfth line. Which amendments were agreed to. Mr. HOWELL moved to amend the second section, by inserting the word "late" after the word "their" in the fourth line, and the words "representatives or assigns" after the word "owners" in the same line; which were agreed to. The question now being upon the passage of the ordinance as amended, was decided in the affirmative by the following vote, the ayes and noes being demanded by Mr. Drake of St. L.: AYES-Messrs. Allen, Bass, Bogy, Breckinridge, Broadhead, Bridge, Calhoun, Cayce, Comingo, Doniphan, Douglass, Frayser, Flood, Foster, Gamble, Gantt, Gorin, Hall of R., Henderson, Hitchcock, Holmes, Holt, How, Howell, Irwin, Jackson, Johnson, Kidd, Long, Marvin, McCormack, McPomeroy, Prewitt, Rankin, Ritchey, Sayre, Dowell, McFerran, McLean, Moxley, Noell, Scott, Shackelford of H., Shackelford of St. L., Shanklin, Sheeley, Smith of L., Smith of St. L., Vanbuskirk, Welch, and Woodson-51. NOES-Messrs. Baker, Bartlett, Bast, Birch, Bonnifield, Bush, Deal, Drake of M., Drake of St. L., Dunn, Duvall, Eitzen, Hough, Isbell, Jamison, Leeper, Lindenbower, Matson, McClurg, Meyer, Morrow, Orr, Ray, Ross, Schofield, Stewart, Walker, Waller, Woolfolk, and Mr. President-30. Absent on leave--Messrs. Hall of B., Phillips, and Pipkin. Paired off-Messrs. Gravelly, Linton, Moss, and Norton. Mr. RITCHEY moved to reconsider the vote just taken on the passage of the ordinance, and to lay the motion to reconsider on the table, which last motion was agreed to. On motion of Mr. SHEELEY, Resolved, That this Convention will adjourn sine die, at 11 o'clock A. M. this day. On motion of Mr. How, Resolved, That the thanks of the Convention are hereby tendered to the Hon. R. Wilson, for the dignified manner in which he has discharged the duties of his office. His impartiality and kindness will be long remembered by the members of the Con vention. Mr. McCORMACK introduced "An ordinance concerning the payment of the enrolled militia," which was read three several times, and adopted by the Convention. Mr. LONG offered the following: Resolved, That it is for the best interest of this State that Congress should enact such laws as shall be efficient for the removal of all slaves, hereby emancipated, beyond the limits of this State. Mr. DRAKE of St. L. moved to lay the resolution on the table, which was decided in the affirmative by the following vote, the ayes and noes being called for by Mr. Long: AYES-Messrs. Allen, Baker, Bast, Bogy, Bonnifield, Broadhead, Bridge, Bush, Douglass, Drake of M., Drake of St. L., Frayser, Foster, Gantt, Henderson, Hitchcock, Holmes, Jackson, Leeper, Lindenbower, Linton, Marvin, McClurg, Meyer, Noell, Orr, Ross, Sayre, Schofield, Scott, Shackelford of St. L., Shanklin, Sheeley, Smith of L., and Mr. President-35. NOES-Messrs. Bass, Birch, Breckinridge, Calhoun, Cayce, Comingo, Deal, Doniphan, Dunn, Flood, How, Howell, Jamison, Johnson, Long, McDowell, McLean, Ritchey, Smith of St. L., Woodson, and Woolfolk21. On motion of Mr. FOSTER, Resolved, That J. J. Delahay be allowed three dollars per day for his services during the session of the Convention, and the Chairman of Accounts be hereby authorized to audit the same. The President of the Convention laid before the Convention the following.communication from the Governor : EXECUTIVE MANSION, JEFFERSON CITY, July 1, 1863. Gentlemen of the Convention: } Your committee presented me, on the evening of the 27th ult., your resolution in which you request me to withdraw my resignation of the office of Governor which I communicated to you on the first day of your present session. This manifestation of continued public confidence, after two years of a stormy and difficult administration, cannot be otherwise than exceedingly grateful to me. involves the idea that I am to undertake a new labor-that labor can be nothing less than that I shall endeavor to restore order and the supremacy of civil government over the discordant elements at work within the State. It may be difficult to accomplish the task. It can be accomplished only by the earnest, hearty co-operation of all who are interested in the real welfare of the State. In this work there is no room for the influence of party spirit. The discord of a family must cease when their dwelling is on fire, until they have extinguished the fire. When the State is restored to internal quiet, we may resume our party disputes about men and measures. In times of peace, such disputes are not dangerous, but rather tend to the purity and permanence of the Government. The work of restoring order within the State is one which will subject me to even more vile and unmeasured calumnies, which have been continually heaped upon me ever since the people lost their fear of being overcome by the rebels. In patient silence I have borne these assaults in the past, with the means of easy vindication in my possession; and if it is my duty to the State to continue to expose myself to the detraction of bad men, I must encounter their attacks in the path duty points out. They shall never move me from that path. Is it, then, my duty to the State to continue in office until quiet is restored? Your demand upon me is entitled to great consideration, because it is the expression of the judgment of a majority of the body with which I have heretofore acted with perfect harmony. Added to that are the numerous requests of citizens in different parts of the State. Still further, it is the judgment of the Commanding General of this department that my services will be of great value to him in aiding him in his work of pacifying the State. The reason which I assigned for tendering my resignation was, that I had been chosen by you to the position of Governor at the time when the only danger we apprehended was that of being overrun and subdued by the soldiery and supporters of the rebel confederacy-that such danger And yet again, I called you together to was now over, and the condition of Missouri was fixed as a loyal State in the devise and adopt a scheme upon which our Union. In other words, all that you had slaves are to be emancipated; and you asked me to do had been performed, and have performed the duty, and made in the therefore I was at liberty to consult my own name of and for the people a sacrifice, the feelings and retire from office. magnanimity of which has not often been The request contained in your resolution witnessed in the history of nations. I have taken part in your deliberation and action upon this great question, and during its progress I made the declaration in your presence, that if some scheme was not adopted, I could not consent to hold office; thereby giving a kind of assurance that I would continue to act if you would adopt a scheme of emancipation. And this occurred after your resolution was passed, and designed to gain some support to the cause of emancipation. To some extent I may be 1 understood to have committed myself to continue in office, at least while the State is disturbed, and the administration of ordinary civil government is interrupted. I always try to redeem my pledges. I therefore withdraw my resignation, and will again involve myself in the cares and perplexities of office; not to be, as the saga- | 4 |