620 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 10 



ously attended, and the proceedings were listened to with 

 apparent interest — and though the memorial was 

 not read until at the close of a sitting of three hours, 

 there remained present at the late hour of 10 o'clock 

 from one hundred and fifty to two hundred persons, 

 when the final, and unanimous, vote of adoption was ta- 

 ken. All persons present had been informed that their 

 participation was invited, and that unless dissent was 

 expressed, all present were considered as members of 

 the convention. If the object of the meeting should 

 be in any measure gained, by obtaining legislative en- 

 actments in aid of agriculture, it will be a novelty in 

 the policy and usual procedure of Virginia, that will 

 greatly surprise as well as gratify those who have 

 most zealously urged and aided this elibrt. But how- 

 ever feeble may be the hopes entertained forlegislative 

 action, there is better reason now for their being kept 

 alive, than merely the respectable character of the late 

 convention, and its wishes, alone would authorize. 

 This reason is, that it has become apparent to every 

 thinking man, that the agricultural and general inter- 

 ests of Virginia are in the utmost need of all the sup- 

 port that her government and her people can give. 

 That something must be done for relief, seems to be the 

 opinion entertained by every one — unless our legisla- 

 ture is to present an all -important exception. If this 

 should be the case indeed, the legislative history of 

 Virginia will present a parallel case to the closing 

 scenes of the Greek Empire — when the people, and their 

 rulers, seemingly forgetful that the Turks were thun- 

 dering at their gates, were divided into implacable op- 

 posing factions, and engaged in disputing on meta- 

 physical subtleties, or religious differences, of which 

 nobody could understand the meaning. 



The journal of the convention, and the memorial 

 adopted, are given below. The address of the Presi- 

 dent of the convention, (which was delivered at the re- 

 quest of the general committee in their meeting of the 

 previous day,) we hope to obtain a sketch of for future 

 publication. 



PnOCEEDIXGS OF THE AGRICULTURAL CON- 

 VENTION. 



At a Convention of delegates from the Agricul- 

 tural Societies of Albemarle and Fredericksburg, 

 and from public meetings in the counties of Albe- 

 marle and James City, and also of a number of 

 other individuals belonging to the agricultural in- 

 terest of Virginia — held in the Senate Chamber in 

 the City of Richmond, January 11th, 1S3G — 



On motion of Mr. Craven of Albemarle, James 

 Barbour ol Orange, was chosen President of the 

 Convention. 



On motion of Mr. Richardson of James City, 

 Edmund Ruflin ol Petersburg, was chosen Secre- 

 tary. 



On motion of Mr. Cabell of Nelson, 



Resolved, That a committee be appointed by 

 the President for the purpose of considering, and 

 recommending such measures as may be deemed 

 most proper tor the adoption of the Conven- 

 tion. 



Messrs. Cabell, Ru (Tin, Randolph of Albemarle, 

 Remple of Spottsylvania, Hairston of Henry, 

 Gooch of Henrico, ami Craven were named as the 

 Committee— to which, on motion of Mr. Cabell, 

 the President was added, as Chairman. 



On motion of Mr. Randolph, 



Resolved, That the President may add hereaf- 

 ter to the Committee any other names, so that the 

 whole number shall not exceed thirteen. 



To give time for ihe Committee to act the next 

 day, the Convention then adjourned to the evening 

 ol the 13th iust. at 7 o'clock. 



Wednesday, Dei. \Wi. 



The Committee met, according to adjournment, 

 in the Hall of the House of Delegates. Messrs. 

 Garnetl of Essex, Richardson of James City, and 

 Fontaine of King William, had been previously 

 added to the Committee. 



The President addressed the Convention at 

 length, in explanation and support of the general 

 measures proposed for legislative aid to agricul- 

 ture, and especially those recommended by the 

 Committee. 



Mr. Garnett presented the following Report and 

 Resolution from the Committee, together with a 

 Memorial to the Legislature, praying lor aid to the 

 increase and diffusion of agricultural knowledge — 

 which were read, and then severally adopted by 

 the Convention unanimously. 



The Committee to which was assigned the duty 

 of reporting on such measures as in their opinion 

 it would be proper lor the convention to act upon, 

 beg leave to recommend the accompanying memo- 

 rial to the favorable consideration of the conven- 

 tion, as containing just and general views of our 

 necessities, and the remedies it would be proper to 

 recommend; and should the memorial be approved 

 by the convention, that a committee of four be 

 appointed, to be composed of such members as 

 can perform the service, to take charge of the me- 

 morial, with a view to present it to the legislature, 

 and to attend on such committee as it may be re- 

 ferred to, to give the explanations that may be re- 

 quired. 



Resolved, That it is recommended by this body, 

 that an Agricultural Convention shall aprain meet 

 in the city of Richmond on the second Monday in 

 January 1837, to be composed of delegates from 

 the several Agricultural Societies in Virginia, and 

 from any public meetings of members of the ag- 

 ricultural interest, in counties and towns where 

 no such such societies have been organized. 



After the adoption of the memorial, Messrs. 

 Randolph of Albemarle, Gooch of Henrico, RufTin 

 of Petersburg, and Peyton of Richmond, were 

 appointed the Committee to lay the memorial be- 

 fore the Legislature. 



The Convention then adjourned sine die. 



The 3fe>norial of the Delegates frcm the j/gricul- 

 tural Societies of Albemarle and Fredericks- 

 burg, and many other persons interested in agri- 

 culture, from various parts of ihe Stale, to ihe 

 Legislature of Virginia, 



Respectfully siioweth — 



That the present condition of Virginia husban- 

 dry in general, and of her agriculture in particu- 

 lar, imperatively requires every effort which the 

 wisdom and patriotism of your honorable body can 

 exert in their behalf; that for want of legislative 

 aid, although biesscd with'* a soil, climate, and 



