The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-02-19


TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 10, 1867,
speech of Csienel y. r. Keen, or Pits.
tEyivAnis, tn the Virginia HenRte. de-
HvereA on Saturday che leth OF fe'
bruAry, lses, ON che bill % provide
for the payment or interest ON tne
state debt.
or seG Reported By p. Kean.
The pending question was upon suost-
tute offered byaMr. LEE, OF orange, 10 Q
substitute for the original bill reported
from the Finance Committee.
Mr.. KEEN said: i believe, Mr.. Presi-
dent. there are two substitutes pending.
The President.-Yes, sir.
Mr.. KEES.-There are three plans pre-.
sented for paying the interest on .uo 1. Ill
OF the Commonwealth OF Virgins, 90
Amounting to about one ana the same
thing, and involving somewhat 'hc sa'he
principle. a., - -
,ha on. ar tho other scheme. i am op-
nosed 10 them all. l propose to consider
the question first, sir, if II was an admitted
fact even that the State Of Virginia was
able to pay to-day the interest upon that
State debt, that the legislation sought TO
De imposed upon her is inopportune, hasty,
and impracticable.
1t will be recolIected that some time IN
the year 1851 there was a member, limb,
or an arm of this Commonwealth taken
from rs aud erected into new and indie
pendent State, and, ] need scarcely say, BY
no bold stroke Of the sword, but by schem-
L.. L.. -,~I no
that State formed for themselves Consti-
tuition. and passed on the I'd day of Au-
gust, 1851, an ordinance that they would
settle whatever proportion OF the oeDI oi
Virginia was ascertained to De que aiaer
charging Virginia with all the expendi-
lures made In the State OF virginia com
pretending, as understand, all the outiays
upon railroads, canals, turnpikes, expendi-
lures for her State capitol, public grounds,
and everything that Virginia ever did or
now owns, and then to deduct therefrom
ell the taxes, &C., paid into the Treasury
OF Virginia by the counties now included
in West Virginia, suppose, for three
fourths of century.
The Constitution of East or Virginia
proper made at Alexandria on the 18th
day of February, 1864, provided that the
State of Virginia, in conjunction with West
Virginia, might provide for the adjustment
of the public debt, and provided in the
same clause that any ordinance Of the
convention which assembled at Wheeling
on the 18th June, 1861, adjusting the debt
of the State Of Virginia between the two
States should not be binding on the State
of Virginia. On the Sd day Of February
1863, however, the Legislature passed an
act transferring to the new State Of West
Virginia, whenever il should be admitted
as a new State into the United States, all
of the States interest lying within the
borders Of the new State inNWorks Of in
ternal improvements, banks, dividends,
uncollected taxes, &C., &C., and authorized
that suits might be brought in the name OF
the Commonwealth of Virginia to main
tain and hold the same and on the 4th, OF
February, 1868, passed an act appropriatiDg
out of any money in the treasury $4,000
(as bonus) to thus sever this old Com
monwealth.
The last session Of this General Assem-
bly, passed an act appointing three COM
missioners, in conformity with our Consti-
tuition, to settle and adjust the debt afore-
said, and directed the Governor of Vir-
GINA to inform the Governor of West Vir-
GINA of the aforesaid action. Until within
the last fifteen or twenty days, no response
had been made by the State of West Vir-
ginia. Since then, commissioners have
been appointed by that State, with in
structions to meet our commissioners and
settle according to the terms of the
ninth section of the ordinance of their
convention, passed the Sd day Of August,
1861. What is likely to be the result OF
this settlement do not now desire to yen-
ture an opinion.
Suffice it for me to say, sir, that it is
more than likely that settlement cannot
be obtained under six months, and per-
haps under twelve months. say, there
fore, that pending these negotiations,
hasty and complicated in their character,
1t should be the policy of this Legislature
to defer action in this matter Of the pay
ment of interest on the State debt. 1t
would be the policy of the Legislature to
do so, even if We were in condition to
pay this interest.
The legislation proposed here, sir, seems
to be justified upon the ground that the
honesty, integrity, and the faith of this
Commonwealth is to be imperilled by
failure topay the interest upon the public
debt now. This seems to be the reason
advanced in justification Of the pending
measure. | believe, sir, in peace and In
war, that the character Of Virginia and OF
Nirgnians, not only in the United States
but in the nations of the world, is SO well
established that she needs no hasty legis-
lation to maintain her character or pre-
serve its ancient purity.
But, sir, another of my objections to the
bill is that Virginians are not able to meet
the obligations which this measure i'm
poses. Sir, it is folly to presume that
people oppressed and embarrassed as the
people of Virginia are under the deyastas
ting influences of the late dreadful war
can now afford to meet the increased obli-
cations which are sought to be inn
posed upon them by this bill. / look upon
q man as mad, or certainly under the IN
fluence Of a capitol heated by steam, when
he comes here and declares that the earn
ings Of a people for three-quarters OF q
century, which had been snatched away at
one fell swoop, at the point Of the bayonet
and by one stroke Of the pen, can be re-
paired in one, two, three, or even five
years. Such is the declaration Of the
bill; and thus believing, / feel bound
to oppose it to the fullest extent Of
my humble ability. shall not now
dwell upon the argument which has
generally been made, in round numbers,
upon the loss Of slaves, although the dis
triet which represent was one Of the
largest slaveholding districts in the State.
Sir, our fields were desolated, and are de-
solated to-day; our mules and horses were
taken and stolen away our farms and sys-
tenn Of labor. disorganized; and are not