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Mr. Rider took the floor in support of the amendment,
and spoke at some length.
The amendment was lost—yeas 29, nays 59.
Section 26, which had been passed over informally, was
then again taken up and slightly amended.
Sections 31 and 32 were read and passed over.
Section 33 was read:
"The General Assembly shall pass no law nor make
any appropriation to compensate the masters or claimants
of slaves heretofore emancipated from servitude, but may
distribute any appropriations made by the United States
for that purpose. "
Mr. Lee moved to strike out the entire section, and
maintained that the State was jointly liable with the
United States for the slave property taken from the
State. The Congress of the United States had, in its joint
resolution, pledged the United States to co-operate with
any State in extinguishing slavery, not to bear the en-
tire expense.
Mr. Jones said he still entertained the convictions he
had expressed in the Convention of 1864, but in obedience
to an inexorable political necessity, he must vote against
the motion. It was a forgone conclusion that this Con-
vention could not have been called had there been any
prospect of the insertion of a provision looking to State
compensation, and the Legislature, in the act calling this
Convention, had, by a two-thirds vote, prohibited it, and,
in good faith, he must adhere to their mandate.
Mr. Rider would vote aye, because he was opposed to
tying up the hands of the Legislature for all time. He
had no idea of ever receiving any compensation from the
United States, and the people must look to the State.
Mr. Stoddert said the act by which the people had been
deprived of their property was one of the greatest felonies
ever committed. Mr. Schley had shown Governor Brad-
ford that the constitution now fastened upon us was de-
feated, but the Governor said he could not go behind the
returns of the election judges.
The motion to strike out was lost by yeas 26, nays 62.
273
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