A Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Secret Sessions of the Conference Convention / For Proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, Held at Washington, D.C., in February, A.D. 1861

by L. E. Chittenden

Mr. SMITH:—The argument of the gentleman from Kentucky seems to me very inconsistent with his report in other respects.

Mr. HOWARD:—The Border States are trying to get back the seceded States. We hope they will come back. We expect the adoption of this report to offer a strong inducement to them to return to the Union. It will not offer such inducement if its general effect is ruined by amendments.

The vote upon Mr. Vandever's amendment resulted as follows:

Ayes.—Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Indiana, and Iowa—7.

Noes.—New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, and Kansas—14.

So the amendment was not agreed to.

Mr. CLAY:—I have already stated that the State of Kentucky is prepared to adopt the Crittenden amendment; that amendment will be satisfactory to the Border States. The longer we remain here the more I become satisfied that the Crittenden amendment will meet with more general favor than any other; therefore I ask the consent of the Conference to introduce the Crittenden amendment as a substitute for the committee's report.

The consent of the Conference was not given to Mr. Clay's proposition.

Mr. GROESBECK:—I move to amend the third section by inserting after the words "in case of distress shall exist," the words "but not the right of transit in any other State or Territory without its consent."