Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-03-26
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA
EXTRA SESSION
SEN ATE

SENATE.
Saturday, March 16th.-On motion OF Sen
ator Robinson, Senate bill No 26, to provide
Virginia seaboard to the Mississippi and Ohio
rivers, by facilitating the completion of the
Cumberland Gap Railroad, was taken up.
The bill was read third time, and the ques-
ton being on It's passage was lost for want Of
constitutional majority by the vote Of IA to IL.
It was reconsidered by the following vote: Is.
to 9.
The question recurring on the passage of the
bill on motion of Senator Robinson, it was laid
on the table.
On motion of Senator Boiling, the Senate
took UP the joint resolution for recess OF the
General Assembly.
On motion of Senator McRae, the resolution
was amended so as to provide for adjournment
from Thursday next, the 2lst inst, to Wednes-
day. the 10th of April.
The resolution as amended, was the agreed
to.
On motion of Senator Peck, the same was
forth-w communicated to the House of De-
legates, by him.
whom was referred Gen. Schofelds Order,
entitled General Orders No L. asked that
the same be referred to the Committee on Res
olutions The report was agreed to-
The Senate joint resolution in reference to
immigration to the State Of Virginia, was pass
ed
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
House bill %, to exempt the homesteads of
families from forced sales, coming up
Mr.. Garnett withdrew his pending substitute
and offered an amendment substituting ST 200
for $500 in the first section.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Woodson offered an amendment striking
out in section the words, and the husband
may claim homestead in the real estate of his
wife,
The amendment was adopted
Pending the discussion and examination of
the bill, the hour of II clock arriving, the bill
for the consideration of
THE STATE DEBT
coming up as unfinished business
Mr.. Woodson moved to postpone the latter
bill. The motion was rejected by a vote Of ayes
30; noes, AZ.
The Senate bill on the same subject, offered
on Friday by Mr.. Seawell as substitute for the
House BILL was read.
Mr.. 2. Turner opposed the substitute Vir-
ginia was not bound in law, honor or honesty
for the entire debt contracted by the State prior
to the war; and he would never sanction the idea,
nor consent to an attempt to pay the debt for a
large proportion of which West Virginia was
bound
Mr.. Herndon thought unless we voluntarily
took action on the subject we should ere many
months rolled by, be coerced into action The
State of Virginia owed the entire debt and was
legally bound to pay it no matter what might be
the moral obligation of West Virginia.
1t was evident that West Virginia never in
tended to pay one cent Of the principal or inter
est of the debt. Could we coerce her, and ifso,
should we wait until we could go through the
tedious process of coercion? Ifsome steps were
not taken to protect the credit of the State our
bonds would be hawked about in market at ten
cents on the dollar. He moved, therefore, to
recommit the bill with Instructions to the COM
mittee to report bill providing for the payment
of interest on the entire State debt-the first
payment to be made in July, 1867, and the
second in January, 1868.
Mr. Baldwin hoped the Assembly would not
adjourn without taking some action on the State
debt, and using some means to establish the
credit, and restore the public faith, which
should be held inviolate at all hazards. The pub
lie debt was held sacred by all civilized nations,
even in war and when due to enemies. Defalca-
ton on the part of State was even more dis
graceful than that of private individual, for
State obligations wore dobte of hUnur. Huuesty
was the best policy with States as we'll as indi-
out good characters than could the former Re-
pudiation on the part of State disgraced all of
its inhabitants, as bad conduct on the part of
one member of family cast a stigma upon all
his relatives. Policy as well as honesty required
us before the adjournment of the Assembly to
take some steps to pay six per cent. on every
dollar of the State debt. West Virginia as well
as Virginia was bound for the whole debt if not
paid by the other State, for the citizens Of both
were at the time of the contracting of the debt,
citizens of Virginia, and bound alike in honor
for the entire debt.
Mr.. Leonard inquired whether if West Vir-
ginia had embraced two-thirds of the territory,
resources, and population of the old State, the
weaker section should still be bound for the en-
tire debt in the event of the refusal of West Va.
to pay any portion Of it?
Mr. Baldwin replied that he had already sta
ted that he considered both States liable and
bound, legally and morally, for the payment of
the debt. Virginia was able to pay the interest
on the whole debt and no matter what action
was taken by West Virginia we were in honor
as well as in law bound for the payment of the
whole. A tax of 45 cents On each 500 worth
of property would pay the interest, and that
tax could be paid.
We could not afford to repudiate any part of
the debt of the State, when the interest could
be paid by the trifing tax of forty-five cents on
the 500.
Mr.. q. Turner said to pay the interest on the
State debt would require double that tax.
Mr.. Crump said a tax Of forty five cents would
pay the interest on the principal of the debt,
but would not touch the accumulated interest,
which would require an additional tax Of fifteen
cents on each 500 of property.
Mr.. Baldwin said that even allowing the ne
cessary tax to be sixty cents, the cry of inability
to pay the tax was ridiculous. The rate of tax
alton would then be less than in almost in any
State in the Union. The tax in West Virginia
was So 20 on each 500 worth of property It
was an insult to the people of Virginia to as
sert that they were unwilling to pay IS on the
81 900 worth Of property, for was there man
in Virginia, who to sustain the credit of the
Old Dominion, would refuse to pay a tax light
er than that paid by any State in the Union?
Mr.. Crump moved to postpone the bill, and
make it the special order for Monday at IL, NJ.
Agreed to-
RECESS.
A message from the Senate announced the
passage of joint resolution that the Assembly
take recess from Thursday next, the 2lst in
slant, to April 10, and that the members receive