The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-10-12


,@~-ss~~y---1,.e-.
-hass Mating 1T tie CITY Hall One Of the
largest and most entLus ias.ie meetings which
has assembled iu this city ior ion, time,
was held at the City Hall On Saturday night
last. At 9 quarter to 5 O'Clock Mr. Benz amin
! Bragg, who had presided at The two previous
gatherings OF the mechanics of Richmond,
took the stand, and explained that, in con.
sequence Of lnulOr which prevailed that
Mr.. Geo. w. Rando lh, the Seuat or from fhc
| city Of Richmond. had Openly expressed his
determination not to vote tor the bill naw
pending before the Legislature. for the le.
iue.icn and general regulation Of prices,
unless instructed SO to Do hy his tonstl. Ii
! en.s, this meeting hal been convened in or
| der to obtain free xiiressiun CT the senti
/ mcnt of the people generally, and FOR the
purpose of adoptii & resolutions OF isstruc-
| tipn for their Senator aud incmbeis N tlc
| House Of Delegates. The mceting was for
| tie citizens Of Riehinond, and could no lonl,
| er be REGARDED IS coii.aed to the mechanics
| aud woihing men. The chairman concluded
| Gis remarks by calling for any report which
| the Committee OF Seven might have to make.
/ when
Mr.. Adolphus Gary, the Secretary of the
| meeting and chairman of the committee,
| presented the following resolutions, which
/
| mtusiy +f-e
Al. Resolved Thiy n tic opinion of thie
meet ing the true aim of all legislation is to
| benefit and protect the weak, and that when
| the rcprese sentative finds himself in q position
I in which he cannot, consistent with his own
/ sense Of right, SO lcglsiate, he should not
tiishonor the cause Of sclfgovernment by
| attempting any longer 10 exercise the right
| oi Il representative.
| tfs,st Of J, "a
have heard with surprise that their Senator
/ stood in need OF instructions i'll regard TO u
| subject Of vital Importance to this good old
| Commonwealth, TO wit : the supprl ssion OF
| eXtortion-a subject which interests every
nun and woman in this community that
have TO labor for their daily bread.
! ). Resolved, That our Senator and Dele.
| gates in the Virginia Legislature are hereby
Instructed to yotefor the bill reported by the
special committee of the House of Delegates,
OR Il bin OF similar import.
| 4 Resolved, That We do not consider our
Senator or Delegates, with all the good OF
evil that may betiJc them, in comparison
with the good or evil which may befll Il
! great country, in u crisis like this, and in the
midst Of great transs sctions that now concern
our country's fate, believing that the outside
| inilucnce Of the eXtortioner and Il foolish de-
| sire to make the laboring classes mendicaDts
arc operating upon some OF our representa-
| tiycs, We say to them that il they are capa
| bic Of being the victims Of artiticcs SO shall
| low-of tricks SO stale, SO thrcadbaro, so
| often practiccd, so much worn Out--thcy
ought TO keep their hands Off, and be true
| men to themselves at least. and resign.
| 5. Resolved, That Is the Legislature of this
| State have passed Il joint resolution to ad-
| journ OH the 18th Of the present month, we
| call the attention of the Governor to the fact
| that no subject of importance for which he
! called them together has been acted on, and
| we believe it to DC his duty to again call them
togethcr in case they adjourn at the time
stated in said resolution without ailording
| relief to the grievances of the people.
| g. Resolved, That awakened to sense OF
| the abject posture to which labor and we
| who labor have been reduced, and to the
| privileges which d. citizens and people the
| Institutions of onr country rest in US, we
will not sleep again until our grasp has firmly
| clcnchedtiIe rights and immunitirs which
! are ours as Americans aad men; until our
| just demands have been met by the conccs-
sions OF all opposing clements.
| Z. Resolved, That as ffcemcn we abhor
aud dctcst the idea that the rich mast take
| care of the poor, because We know that
without Labor and production the nan with
his money could not exist, from the tact that
i.c consumes all and produces nothing; and
| that such Il dependence would tend to de-
| grade rather than elevate the hEman race
). Resolved, That it is the duty of the
! Government TO take care OF the uutortuulte
| and not the rich.
| Mr.. Gary, subsequent to the reading of the
above resolutions, and before their passage,
| read the report Of the special committee Of
| the Legislature to regulate the prices of the
| ncceSshrlcs OF life, explaining some portions
| Which had been subject to miscoustruction.
| Upon the reading OF the 9TH resolution,
| calling the attention OF the Governor TO the
| fact that the Legislature WAS upon the exc
| Of adjournment without dispasing of the
most important subjects for which they
were called together,
Mr.. john IL. Aslew objected to its pas
sage upon tie ground that, as the Legslit urc
| had already iescindcd their determination to
| adjourn on the ETH inst, there was now no
| necessity for adopting any such resolution.
| He referred to the great cifo,ts which have
| been made Oh the part of the brokers aud
| spectators to induce an early adjournment
| of that body, before time was had to
| of provisions, and thought the re-
| cent financial feat practiced upon the
| money shavers of Richmond by one
| Livingston had diminished a great deal OF
| lobbying which otherwise would have been
| praeticed, rs many of them had been SO ex-
| tensively 1leeccd by that individual as to
! leave them but little cash on hand to expeli
l IlcUt WI III iu1iiitI ~ b aIlHDlCu
| to Livingston brought forth from some one
| in the crowd vehement and repeated de-
| mands to know what Livingston had to do
with the Objects of this meeting" and for
| some time there scemcdtO DC q fair prospect
| OF an unpleasant scene; hut, by the intcrposi-
| ton Of Mr.. Aiolphus Gary, who came to
| Mr.. AS relief, anu uttered some home
| thrusts at any oae who could so far forget
| himself as to create i disturbance in pub
| lie meeting, quiet and good order was soon
restored, and everything again went on har-
| moniOusly.
Nj. Thcophilus Reamas then made some
well timed remarks, q; did also Mr. f. L.
| Robinson, Mr.. English, OF Iienrico, Mr. Dy-
| erly, OF Roanoke, and Mr.. Burwell, CT Bed
| ford, the three latter members Of the Lcgisla-
ture Of Virginia. But the most popular
| speech made on the occasion seemed to be
| that OF gentleman from Kentucky, named
Mcdaniel, who voluntarily asked permission
| OF the meeting, as mechanic and refugee
| from Kentucky, and as one who had been in
the service ever since the war began, to oc-
| cupy about ten minutes OF their time. Some
portions Of this genfiemans remarks were
| wSli worthy the reputation Of our greatest
statesmen. He deprecated the very preya-
| lent disposition to underyalue our currency,
| and thought that the best thing which could
have been done in the start would have been
| to have made Confederate money a legal
| tender, and impose penalty OF confinement
! I'M tile peniseniiary en- any one who refused
| to recognize a Confederate or State note as
| Of equal value with gold and silver. The
practice of allowing Substitutes had been of
| incalculable injury to onr cause, and,
IN the speakers opinion, was un-
| just to the great mass Of the people
The extortioners were handled without