A Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Secret Sessions of the Conference Part 78

Know you, that the General a.s.sembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, having, by joint resolution, adopted on the 19th instant, and hereto attached, appointed ex-President JOHN TYLER a Commissioner to the President of the United States to carry out the instructions conveyed in said resolution: therefore, I, JOHN LETCHER, Governor, do hereby announce the said appointment, and authenticate the same.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and [L.S.] caused the great seal of the State to be affixed, in the City of Richmond, this 20th day of January, Anno Domini 1861.

JOHN LETCHER.

By the Governor: GEORGE W. MUNFORD, _Secretary of the Commonwealth._

Mr. STANTON:--I move that that message be printed, and referred to the Standing Committee on Military Affairs.

Mr. JOHN COCHRANE:--I move as an amendment to that motion, that it be referred to the special committee of five.

Mr. HOWARD, of Michigan:--I would suggest that whatever committee the message is referred to, ought to have power to report it back at any time; otherwise it will be locked up where the House cannot control it.

Mr. BURCH:--The gentleman from Virginia only yielded the floor for the reading of the message, and is now ent.i.tled to the floor.

The SPEAKER:--It is proper that the message should be disposed of in some way.

Mr. STANTON:--If the House will allow me, I will move that the message be referred to the Standing Committee on Military Affairs, with power to report on it at any time.

The SPEAKER:--That motion is not in order. A motion has been made to refer the message to the Committee on Military Affairs, and the gentleman from New York moves, as an amendment, that it be referred to the special committee of five.

Mr. BOc.o.c.k:--If there is to be any debate on this motion, it should be allowed to go over until my colleague (Mr. PRYOR) makes his speech.

Mr. STANTON:--I move the previous question.

Mr. CURTIS:--The question should first be taken on the motion to refer to the Committee on Military Affairs.

The SPEAKER:--That statement is correct. The question is on referring the message to the Military Committee.

Mr. BOc.o.c.k:--I am bound to interpose on behalf of my colleague, who says he only yielded to have the message read.

Mr. STANTON:--The previous question is demanded, and that will put an end to the matter at once.

Mr. MILLSON:--I think the question deserves some little consideration.

I therefore move to postpone the further consideration of the President's message till to-morrow.

Mr. STANTON:--Very well; let that course be taken.

The motion was agreed to.

After the report of the Peace Conference had been transmitted to the House of Representatives, and while the joint resolutions were under consideration, several ineffectual attempts were made to get the labors of the Conference before the House. Here is one of the first:

Mr. MAYNARD:--It is known, I suppose, to most members of the House, informally and unofficially, that what is known as the Peace Conference, to which the country has been looking for several days, has concluded its labors and dissolved. [Cries of "Order!"] I desire to make a proposition.

Mr. BINGHAM, and others objected.

Mr. MAYNARD:--I have a right to make a proposition.

Mr. CRAIGE, of North Carolina:--I call the gentleman to order, and insist upon the enforcement of the rules.

Mr. MAYNARD [amid loud cries of "Order!"] moved to postpone the vote upon the pending propositions until to-morrow after the morning hour.

The motion was not agreed to.

And again, the same day, February 27th, the following effort was made:

Mr. McCLERNAND:--I wish to state that I understand there is on the Speaker's table a communication from the president of the Peace Conference. I ask the unanimous consent of the House that it be taken up and read.

Mr. LOVEJOY:--I object.

So action was further delayed.

_March 1st, 1861._--When a communication from the Navy Department came up for consideration in the House, the motion to postpone the special order brought out the following action on the communication of the Peace Conference:

The SPEAKER:--There is a communication, which has been for some time lying upon the Speaker's table, from the president of the Peace Conference. The Chair thinks it is right that it should be taken up.

Mr. LOVEJOY:--I object.

Mr. GROW:--I call for the regular order of business.

The SPEAKER:--The Chair has not thought proper to present it until the propositions of the Committee of Thirty-three had been disposed of; but he thinks it right that they should now be presented.

Mr. STEVENS, of Pennsylvania:--I object, on behalf of John Tyler, who does not want them in. [Laughter.]

Mr. McCLERNAND:--I move to suspend the rules.

Mr. GROW:--I call for the regular order of business.

The SPEAKER:--The Chair thinks he ought to have the privilege of presenting these papers.

Mr. GROW:--I rise to a question of order. The territorial business is the special order. I am ent.i.tled to the floor; and I submit that it cannot be taken from me by any motion to suspend the rules.

The SPEAKER:--The Chair thinks the motion to suspend the rules is in order.

Mr. GROW:--The Chair can hardly understand my question of order. It is that the territorial business is the special order, made so by a suspension of the rules. While that is pending, therefore, by the uniform decision of the House, no motion can be entertained to suspend the rules.

The SPEAKER:--The territorial business was made the special order for the two succeeding days after the propositions reported by the Committee of Thirty-three had been disposed of.

Mr. BOTELER:--I want to know if there is any business, or can be any business, that should take precedence of these propositions of the Peace Conference?

Mr. LOVEJOY:--Yes, sir; there are ten thousand things that should take precedence.

The SPEAKER:--The Chair decides that the gentleman from Illinois [Mr.

McCLERNAND] has the floor, and is ent.i.tled to make the motion to suspend the rules.

Mr. GROW:--Do I understand the Chair to decide that the business of the Territories does not come up to-day?