may say that I wholly dissent from
them. I have not deemed it necessary to make a separate report. At a
suitable time I shall endeavor to make known to the Conference my
views upon the topics which have occupied the attention of the
committee.

Mr. CROWNINSHIELD:--I occupy substantially the same position as Mr.
FIELD, and shall make my views known at a proper time.

Mr. SEDDON:--The report presented by the majority, I think, is a wide
departure from the course we should have adopted. Virginia has
prepared and presented a plan, and has invited this Conference to
consider it. I think we ought to take up her propositions, amend and
perfect them, if need be, and then adopt or reject them. To avoid all
misconstruction as to my individual opinions or position, I have
reduced my views to writing, which, with the leave of the Conference,
I will now read.

No objection being made, Mr. SEDDON proceeded to read the following:

REPORT OF MR. SEDDON.

The undersigned, acting on the recommendation of the
Commissioners from the State of Virginia, as a member of the
committee appointed by this Convention to consider and
recommend propositions of adjustment, has not been so happy
as to accord with the report submitted by the majority; and
as he more widely dissents from the opinions entertained by
the other dissenting members, he feels constrained, in
vindication of his position and opinions, to present on his
part this brief report, recommending, as a substitute for
the report of the majority, a proposition subjoined. To this
course he feels the more impelled, by deference to the
resolutions of the General Assembly of his State, inviting
the assemblage of this Convention, and suggesting a basis of
adjustment.

These resolutions declare, that "in the opinion of the
General Assembly of Virginia the propositions embraced in
the resolutions presented to the Senate of the United States
by the Hon. JOHN J. CRITTENDEN, so modified as that the
first article proposed as an amendment to the Constitution
of the United States shall apply to all the territory of the
United States now held or hereafter acquired south of
latitude 36 deg. 30', and provided that slavery of the African
race shall be effectually protected as property therein
during the continuance of the territorial government, and
the fourth article