

VIRGINIA. 



757 



shall U' employed iiiniv than till 

 liniirs in inn- i!:iy. A v'u.Ia'ion of tin--- provi- 

 sions in\ol\es :i line of tifly dollars. Tl. 



ire a'lj'Hirned mi iht- -l-t of November. 



.n; i- preeminently an agricultural " 



having thirteeo-twentiethi of its four millions 



-,-s under cultivation. iMiriiu: tlr 

 alniinlant harvests rewarded tin- labors of the 

 hiislmiiiliiinn. Mini L'ener.-d pro-peri'y prevailed 

 throughout tin- Stat.-. The value of ival and 

 pcr-onal c-t.-.ie is constantly increasing, and 

 \tension of new lines of railway odds 

 yearly to the value of property thus made ac- 

 ile to L'ood markets The increased value 

 of real and personal estate in Vermont from 

 1850 to 1800 was u little over thirty millions 

 of dollars, and the rate of increase is now still 

 larger. The manufacturing and mechanical 

 industries of the State have not been developed 

 in accordance with its facilities, \vliieh in many 

 superior, but favorable legislation 

 and other causes are directing attention to this 

 important source of wealth. The State election 

 was he'd on the first Tuesday in September, 

 and resulted in favor of the Republican candi- 

 dates. John !>. Page was chosen Governor by 

 a majority of 'Jujs-k The whole number of 

 B,226. 



VI lie IN' I A. While the Federal Congress 

 was engaged in framing measures " to provide 

 for the more efficient government of the rebel 

 States," the Legislature of Virginia was in ses- 

 sion at Richmond,, giving its attention chiefly 

 to mie-tions of local importance, looking to the 

 revival of the material interests of the State, 

 and the establishment of her finances on a firm 

 basis. The regular se.-Mon dosi-d ,,n the 3d of 

 March, but, in view of the importance to the 

 State of the congressional legislation then 

 pending, a joint resolution was adopted on the 

 1st, requesting Governor Peirpont to call an 

 extra session, to meet on the 4th of March, "to 

 !! and take action on such matters of 

 public interest as they in their wisdom may 

 deem best tor the welfare of the State." This 

 was accordingly oSme by proclamation on the 

 day following the adoption of the resolution. 



On the first day of the new session the Gov- 

 ernor transmitted a message to the Assembly, 

 communicating the Act of Congress of March 

 '2d. lie deplored the past action of the Legis- 

 lature in refusing to ratify the proposed 14th 

 Article of the Federal Constitution, and re- 

 garded the present action of Congress as a ne- 

 cessity forced upon that body by the course 

 pursued on the part of the Southern B 

 The closing paragraph of the message is in. 

 th(se words: 



I think the only proper mode of securing safety 



and tranquillity t- Mature, on 



the basis of the above act of Congress, in good faith 



-. out tin- requirements of tin- law, ;uid adapt 



I ves to the now state of affairs at one,-. I luivo 



confidence that our ..pie will quietly i 



,v privileges fniiti-iTi'd on them, ;md will aet 

 very mueh !' \v enjoy the 1'ninehNe, 



!'; !> 1-. It ;> proper that the pro- 



posed convention shall be ordered by the General 



Assembly. 1 be irreguh.; 



of disorder and result in the worst 



may be distasteful to the members 



y. But personal considera- 



,!:! and "u_'lit not to be allowed to have any 



intlii'-iiec in this ea-i- : vou are representative men ; 



tli-- individual finks in the rt-im-r. : :.a for- 



:;.| happiness of a million of people may de- 



,r promjit aetioii. The qu- 



;. -ant IT dihtiihti-ful to you, but what do 



mid \M Mure of your constituent* and 



1 at your hands? I hope you will not 



shrink from re-.pon*il>: ' promptly. May 



a iiicreit'iil (!od L 'rant. peace to our distracted State 



and <:'. :!:! 



(lovi-rnor I'eirpont more than once repeated 

 his earnest recommendation to the ( 



ihly to provide for calling the convention 

 to make the State constitution conform to the 

 requirements of the recent Act of Congress. A 

 bill was accordingly reported on the 6th of 

 March from a select committee of thirteen, to 

 whom the Governor's message had been re- 

 ferred, providing for an election, on the first 

 Thursday in May, to choose delegates to a con- 

 vention to be held at Richmond on the third 

 Monday of the same month. The intent of the 

 measure was to have the convention held and 

 the constitution framed in strict conformity 

 with the Reconstruction Act of Congress. This 

 bill passed the Senate by a vote of twenty-five 

 to four, but the subsequent action of Congress 

 placed the matter beyond the jurisdiction of 

 the State authorities. The Legislature con- 

 tinued in session until the 29th of April, and 

 made provision for the payment of interest on 

 the State debt, and adopted other measure.; 

 connected with local interests of the E 

 The following resolutions also were adopted by 

 a unanimous vote: 



Jiesolvedj That we hereby invite immigration, em- 

 bracing all classes of men, from all countries, to Vir- 

 ginia, to settle her surplus lands, and engage in all 

 great industrial pursuits. 



Kesolved } That we earnestly recommend the citi- 

 zens of Virginia to hold primary meetings in their 

 respective counties, inviting immigration within their 

 limits, and to appoint a principal agent in each, 

 through whom communication may be held respect- 

 iiiu r laud offered for sale. 



Resolved, That General Daniel Buggies, of Fred- 

 ericksburg, is hereby recommended as a gentleman 

 well qualified to iuduee immigration to the State, and 

 with whom communication By county agents is re- 

 spectfully requested. 



When the Act of Congress assuming the gov- 

 ernment of the ten Southern States through 

 the military power had become the law, Gen- 

 eral J. M. Schotield, of the old Department of 

 the Potomac, w:is assigned to the command of 

 the First Military I> : strict, which included the 

 one State of Virginia. He entered upon the 

 duties of his new position on the 13th of March. 

 :'"llowing is his Order No. 1 : 



HKADQUAKTEBfl FlRST DISTRICT, STATE OF VlOIXIA, t 



KI. IIMOICD, VA., ilarth 1 



1. In compliance with the order of the President, 

 the underM_riud hereby assumes command of the 



:ia, under the Act of 

 Congr h 2, 1867. 



2. All officers under the existing Provisional Qov- 



