} The President laid before the Convention the St. Louis, Mo., March 11, 1861. following communications, which were read and laid on the table. Hon. W. S. Moseley, Auditor of Public Accounts : Sir:-In reply to inquiry as to your duties in St. Louis, March 11, 1861. relation to the accounts of members, officers and To the President of the Missouri Convention: assistants of the Convention now in session, I I beg leave to call the attention of the mem- would respectfully say that, in my opinion, as bers of the Convention to the enclosed opinion the act calling the Convention provides that of my legal adviser, and the law officers of this their compensation shall be the same as now State, as to my duties, as Auditor of the State, provided by law for members, officers and asin auditing and allowing the per diem and mile sistants of the House of Representatives, you age of the members and officers of your body, are authorized to audit their accounts and under the provisions of an act entitled “An Act issue certificates, as in other cases, where there to provide for the calling a State Convention, has been no appropriation; but where the apapproved January 21st, 1861.” propriation has been exhausted, or until an apI regret that I am unable, under the law, to propriation shall have been made you can not issue warrants for the payment of members, &c. draw warrants in their favor for the amounts I will be happy at any time, when it suits respectively due them. the pleasure and convenience of the Conven Respectfully, tion, to audit the claims and issue certificates JAS. PROCTOR KNOTT. to the members, believing that the present General Assembly will soon pass an appropria- On motion of Mr. DONIPHAN the Convention act for the pay of the Convention and its tion adjourned. officers. Very respectfully. Your obedient servant, WM. S. MOSELEY, TENTH DAY, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1861. The Convention met pursuant to adjourn- Mr. Douglass offered the following as a subment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. stitute for the amendment, which was rejected Mr. Monroe. by the following vote, the ayes and noes having The journal of the proceedings of yesterday | been called for by Mr. Douglass : was read and approved. “And, entertaining these views, we hereby Mr. Norton called up the amendments, of declare that Missouri will not countenance or fered by Mr. Moss, to the fifth resolution of aid a seceding State in making war on the Fedthe Committee on Federal Relations, and penderal Government, nor will she countenance or ing the consideration of which, aid the General Government in any attempt to On motion of Mr. Welch, the Convention coerce the submission of a seceding State by adjourned until two o'clock P. M. military force.” EVENING SESSION. Ares-Messrs. Birch, Chenault, Doniphan, Donnell, Douglass, Drake, Dunn, Gamble, GivThe Convention met pursuant to adjourn- ens, Gorin, Hatcher, Hough, Irwin, Knott, Marment, and resumed the consideration of the maduke, Noell, Norton, Phillips, Ray, Redd, amendments offered by Mr. Moss. Sayre, Shackelford of St. Louis, Shackelford of Howard, Watkins and Mr. President—25. Mr. RITCHEY offered to amend the first line Noes—Messrs. Allen, Bartlett, Bass, Bast, by adding the word "prosperity” in lieu of Bogy, Breckinridge, Broadhead, Bridge, Bush, * fate," which amendment was rejected. Brown, Calhoun, Cayce, Comingo, Crawford, Also, the following: In the third line after Eitzen, Frayser, Flood, Foster, Gantt, Grave ly, Hall of Buchanan, Harbin, Henderson, the word “never,” “while she stays in the Hendrick, Hill, Hitchcock, Holmes, Holt, How, Union," which was rejected. Howell, Hudgins, Isbell, Jackson, Jamison, Johnson, Kidd, Leeper, Linton, Long, Marvin, Mr. Howell offered the following amend- Amend the amendment by striking out the word “fate" in first line, and inserting the Linn, Stewart, Tindall, Turner, Waller, Wood- word "welfare,” in the place thereof; and by son, Woolfolk Wright, Vanbuskirk and Zim- striking out the word “never," in the third merman-68. line, and inserting the word “not” in place of Absent-Messrs. Collier, Hall of Randolph, the same, pending which, Ross, Welch and Wilson. On motion of Mr. Hudgins, the Convention Sick-Mr. Pipkin. adjourned. : ELEVENTH DAY, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1861. The Convention met pursuant to adjourn. St. Louis, March 12, 1861. ment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Messrs. BIRCH, ZIMMERMAN and DRAKE, Com. Mr. Monroe. mittee-Present : The journal of the proceedings was read and GENTLEMEN: I was summoned, yesterday, to approved. appear before you as a committee, appointed by the State Convention, now in session in this city, Mr. Moss accepted the amendment offered to testify to certain facts supposed to be within by Mr. Howell, on yesterday, to his amend my knowledge. ment to the fifth resolution of the Committee In appearing before you, I wish it distinctly unon Federal Relations. derstood that I do so voluntarily, as I deny both Mr. Birch, from the committee appointed the power of the Convention, or that of the comunder a resolution of the Convention, adopted, mittee appointed by it, to summon any citizen of to inquire into the conspiracy foreshadowed in the State to appear before it as a witness; this the article which appeared in the Republican power belongs to the Grand Juries of the counof the 11th inst., on leave of the Convention try, and is a power used to ferret out crime by made the following report: them; but entertaining as I do the greatest reReport of Committee on Conspiracy : spect for the Convention, as a body, called into The committee appointed under a resolution of existence under a law of the State, and also for the Convention, adopted on the 11th instant, to the members thereof personally, I waive what inquire into the conspiracy which was deemed to I consider my right as a citizen, and accordingly be foreshadowed in a communication that had appear. appeared in the “Republican,” of that morning, The publication which appeared in the “Misreport herewith a communication from Louis V. souri Republican" over the signature of “E," is Bogy and from William J. Chester, and respect- not substantially correct as containing the subfully submit themselves to such further directions stance of a conversation between me and the per(if any) as the Convention may see fit to give son who is supposed to be author of it. them. I have read the resolutions of the Convention If, however, it shall be believed from these and the speech of the mover of them, and I must statements that any purpose which may have ex- confess that I am at a loss to understand how isted to wrest the State from its legitimate rela- either could justify the charge made, based on this tions to the Federal Government, by illegal, per- communication. In justice, however, to the per verse, or revolutionary agencies, has been aban- sons who called on me, and who are charged with doned in deference to the unfaltering and over- the crime of treason, I must say that I know whelming public sentiment with which it has nothing whatever to sustain the charge. Certain been confronted, it is then further respectfully gentlemen of standing in this city, and who are submitted whether the interests of the public re- my personal and political friends, did call on me quire that any further steps be taken, or any fur- last week, with a paper which was very well ther investigations be prosecuted, under the reso- written, setting forth that the time had come-in lution of the Convention. view of the fact, that Virginia had or would soon JAMES H. BIRCH, join the Southern Confederacy, and carry with her CHARLES DRAKE, Kentucky and the other border States-for the GEORGE W. ZIMMERMAN. friends of Southern rights to come together for Committee. consultation, and with a view of agreeing on some line of policy required by the exigencies of the P. S. As the action of the Convention in rela. times. The conversation between these gentle. tion to this matter has been the occasion of a men and myself was of a desultory and general good deal of talk in this city to my prejudice, I character, and it is with hesitation that I consent have concluded to send a copy of this paper to to trouble you with it, for it really amounts to the “Missouri Republican" for publication to nothing beyond a legitimate purpose of party or- morrow morning, so that the matter may be set ganization, in which there was nothing improper right before this community at once. or wrong, and only with a view of making their LEWIS. V. BOGY, action efficient. Although I dissented from them St. Louis, March 13, 1861. as to the propriety of their course, yet my objec- To Messrs. Birch, Drake and Zimmerman, tion was not because there was anything wrong Committee of the Convention, &c.: or improper in the proposition, but because I GENTLEMEN: Having appeared before you in thought tie movement was calculated to do compliance with your subpæna, I proceed to make harm, in view of the efforts now being made to such a statement as you have requested of me, omitunite the Democratic and Bell parties on some ting the name of the person to whom I shall allude, common conservative ground, to defeat the Black and also declining to swear to my statement at Republicans at the next April election. the present time; but will not refuse to surrender I furthermore explained to them, that accord the name of the person, or to swear to what I ing to my understanding of the interests of Mis- shall here state, if required to do so by an order souri, with twenty millions of State bonds, and of the Convention. six to eight millions of city and county bonds on On the second or third day of the session of the markets of the world, and the great interests your Convention in this place, I met with a gentleof the mercantile, manufacturing, and industrial man residing in one of the interior counties of the portion of our people, we should move in a mat State, and whom I had known as a friend and ter of this magnitude with the greatest caution admirer of Mr. Yancey of Alabama, and, like that and prudence. Some of the gentlemen present gentleman, a thorough and undisguised secescharging me with inconsistency, and as a blind sionist. He told me that your Convention was follower of the Missouri Republican, I replied too conservative, and that, in case you passed no that the charge was not true; that I was a secession ordinance, there would be a concert of Southern man, and always had been, and was action agreed upon, throughout the State, whereas much opposed to Black Republicanism as any. by the State would nevertheless be got out of the body could possibly be; but, looking upon their Union. He further said that there were at that effort as calculated to bring defeat upon us again time delegates or committees in the city from at the next April election, I was opposed to their nearly all the principal towns in the State, and movement, and would do all in my power to that he understood there was to be a meeting of defeat them in their purpose. Much more them for the purpose of agreeing upon a defimight be repeated of the same nature, but the nite course and concert of action. He mentionmatter is too trivial to engage the attention of ed especially the name of a distinguished citizen anybody. I certainly did not understand that of this State who had encouraged the movement, any proposition was made to me, looking like but whose name, for the reason already stated, I treason or conspiracy, or that can by any distor decline to give at present. tion of language or confusion of ideas amount to Two days after this, I met the same gentleman the highest crime known to civilized nations. and the conversation was renewed. He then said The subject was fair and legitimate as a purpose that he believed the plan above stated had been for party organization by gentlemen of good stand abandoned, as it would be useless to attempt to ing, and as such I understood it and opposed it for carry it out at present, against what seemed to be the reasons already given. My object in speaking the strong Union sentiment that had taken hold of this occurrence to other parties was to get them of the public mind. to unite with me to prevent the proposed organi In this statement I have given but the substance zation, believing, if successful, it would again of the conversations alluded to, and do not prelead to our defeat. No one regrets this occur tend to have stated the words, but the substantial rence more than I do, as it is calculated to place facts. Very respectfully, other parties as well as myself in an unpleasant WM. J. CHESTER. position. The facts do not, in the least, justify The report was read and laid on the table, the action of the Convention, the speech of the and ordered to be printed. mover of the resolutions, or the comments of Mr. Welch moved that the Convention adone of the city papers. journ until three o'clock P. M., which motion Repeating my sentiments of respect for the was decided in the negative. Convention, I am, &c., On motion of Mr. Dunn the Convention adLEWIS V. BOGY. journed until two o'clock p. m. EVENING SESSION. The Convention met pursuant to adjournment, and resumed the consideration of the pending amendment. Mr. Gantt moved that, until otherwise or dered by the Convention, the hour of adjourn. ment be three o'clock P. u., which was adopted. On motion of Mr. GAMBLE the Convention adjourned. TWELFTH DAY, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1861. The Convention met pursuant to adjourn- | devise a plan for the amicable and equitable ment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. adjustment of all matters in difference between Mr. Monroe. the States of this Union. And the Delegates The Journal of the proceedings of yesterday appointed under this resolution, shall report was read and approved. their proceedings, in such conference, and any Mr. GAMBLE, from the Committee on Feder- plan that may there be agreed upon, to this al Relations, presented the following, which Convention, for its approval or rejection. being on the table, and ordered to be printed. the adoption of the amendment offered by Mr. WHEREAS, It is probable that the Conven. Moss, tion of the State of Virginia, now in session, When the President laid before the Convenwill request a meeting of Delegates from the tion the following communication : Border States, for the purpose of devising some OFFICE OF THE St. Louis AGRICULTUplan for the adjustment of our National diffi- RAL AND MECHANICAL Association. culties,-and, Whereas, The State of Missouri St. Louis, March 14, 1861. participates strongly in the desire for such ad Hon. STERLING Price, justment, and, desiring to show respect for the President of the State Convention. wishes of Virginia, therefore, be it Sir: The Directors of the St. Louis AgriResolved, That this Convention will elect cultural and Mechanical Association, would be Delegates, whose duty it shall be to attend, at pleased to present to each member of the Missuch time and place as may be designated by souri State Convention, a copy of their Fifth the Convention of the State of Virginia, for the Annual Report. meeting of Delegates from the Border States ; If acceptable to the Convention, said report and if there should assemble then and there will be sent to the Secretary of the Conven. Delegates duly accredited from a majority of tion for delivery. Very respectfully, the States invited to such conference, then the CHAS. TODD, President. Delegates from this Convention shall enter into On motion of Mr. BROADHEAD, the Convenconference with them, and shall endeavor to tion adjourned. THIRTEENTH DAY, FRIDAY MORNING, March 15, 1861. The Convention met, pursuant to adjourn- , noon, which motion was decided in the negament, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. tive. Mr. Monroe. On motion of Mr. Wright, the Convention The Journal of the proceedings of yesterday adjourned until 3 o'clock, P. M. was read and approved. EVENING SESSION. The question before the Convention being on The Convention met, pursuant to adjournthe adoption of the amendment to the fifth res- ment, and resumed the consideration of the olution of the report of the Committee on Fed- question which was before them at the hour of eral Relations, adjournment. Mr. Gantt moved that the Convention do 03 motion of Mr. McCORMACK, the Convenadjourn until half past three o'clock this after- tion adjourned. FOURTEENTH DAY, SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 16, 1861. The Convention met, pursuant to adjourn: Noes-Messrs. Allen, Bartlett, Birch, Bogy, ment, and was opened with prayer by Rev. Mr. Breckinridge, Broadhead, Bridge, Bush, CalMonroe. houn, Cayce, Douglass, Drake, Foster, Gam ble, Gantt, Gravely, Hall of Buchanan, Hall of The Journal of proceedings of yesterday Randolph, Henderson, Hendrick, Hitchcock, was read and approved. Holmes, Holt, Hough, How, Irwin, Isbell, JackMr. SAYRE offered the following, as a sub- son, Jamison, Johnson, Kidd, Leeper, Linton, stitute for the pending amendment of Mr. Long, Marmaduke, Marvin, McClurg, McCor mack, McDowell, McFerran, Meyer, Morrow, Moss : Noell, Orr, Phillips, Pomeroy, Rankin, Ritchey, Add to fifth resolution, as follows: "That Rowland, Scott, Shackelford of Howard, Shackthe commencement of hostilities, by either, elford of St. Louis, Smith of Linn, Smith of must necessarily be regarded by Missouri as St. Louis, Tindall, Turner, Woolfolk, Wright, Vanbuskirk, Zimmerman and Mr. President unfriendly and offensive,” which was disa -61. greed to. ABSENT—Messrs. Doniphan, Eitzen, Mau. Mr. Redd offered the following amendment, pin, Ross, Stewart, Welch and Wilson. to the pending amendment, which was disa Sick—Mr. Pipkin. greed to : Amend the amendment by adding to the end Mr. Phillips offered the following resoluthereof, after the word “State,” the following tion, which was adopted : words : "while any hope of such adjustment Resolved, That the thanks of this Convention remains." are due, and are hereby tendered, to the offiThe question recurring upon agreeing to the cers of the St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanamendment of Mr. Moss, it was decided in the ical Association for their kindness and liberalinegative by the following vote, the ayes and noes having been previously demanded : ty in presenting to the Convention the St. Louis Fair report, for 1860. Mr. Wright moved the adoption of the first Convention adjourned. FIFTEENTH DAY, MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1861. The Convention met, pursuant to adjourn- reported by the Committee on Federal Relament, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. tions, when, Mr. Monroe. On motion of Mr. Welch, the Convention The Journal of the proceedings of Saturday adjourned until 2 o'clock, P. M. last, was read and approved. EVENING SESSION, Mr. DONIPHAN, by leave of the Convention, The Convention met, pursuant to adjourn. was allowed to record his vote in the affirma ment, and resumed the consideration of the tive, on the adoption of the amendment to the question which was before them at the hour of fifth resolution, as offered by Mr. Moss. adjournment, when, The question before the Convention, being On motion of Mr. Watkins, the Conventhe adoption of the first resolution of the series ' tion adjourned. |