illard's Hall, in the City of Washington, D.C., on the fourth day of
February, A.D. 1861, at 12 o'clock M., in pursuance of the following
preamble and resolutions, adopted by the General Assembly of the State
of Virginia, on the nineteenth day of January, A.D. 1861:

_Whereas_, It is the deliberate opinion of the General
Assembly of Virginia, that unless the unhappy controversy
which now divides the States of this confederacy, shall be
satisfactorily adjusted, a permanent dissolution of Union is
inevitable; and the General Assembly, representing the
wishes of the people of the commonwealth, is desirous of
employing every reasonable means to avert so dire a
calamity, and determined to make a final effort to restore
the Union and the Constitution, in the spirit in which they
were established by the fathers of the Republic: Therefore,

_Resolved_, That on behalf of the commonwealth of Virginia,
an invitation is hereby extended to all such States, whether
slaveholding or non-slaveholding, as are willing to unite
with Virginia in an earnest effort to adjust the present
unhappy controversies, in the spirit in which the
Constitution was originally formed, and consistently with
its principles, so as to afford to the people of the
slaveholding States adequate guarantees for the security of
their rights, to appoint commissioners to meet on the fourth
day of February next, in the City of Washington, similar
commissioners appointed by Virginia, to consider, and if
practicable, agree upon some suitable adjustment.

_Resolved_, That ex-President JOHN TYLER, WILLIAM C. RIVES,
Judge JOHN W. BROCKENBROUGH, GEORGE W. SUMMERS, and JAMES A.
SEDDON are hereby appointed commissioners, whose duty it
shall be to repair to the City of Washington, on the day
designated in the foregoing resolution, to meet such
commissioners as may be appointed by any of said States, in
accordance with the foregoing resolution.

_Resolved_, That if said commissioners, after full and free
conference, shall agree upon any plan of adjustment
requiring amendments to the Federal Constitution, for the
further security of the rights of the people of the
slaveholding States, they be requested to communicate the
proposed amendments to Congress, for the purpose of having
the same submitted