The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-02-11
..rrru4I ~1MpnnYEMrNrs.

The following report OIL Tue C'oa1M.s,
on Internal Improvements was taken up
"The Committee on Internal improve
ments beg leaYe to submit the foilo"aps
report: ---ao.,d Tho
enb;ects TO them referred, and nave e1am-
ined carefully the relations at present On
;st;no between the State and its lnternai
improvements. They find that q large
norton of the present debt OF the S.ate
was contracted for the purpose OF aidlng
the construction. Of its public works, anu
that in nearly every instance e. IN WHICH SUI
aid has been extended the State mss De 1n
. loser to q large extent, and Una tne
bonds held by the State as indemnlty loi
money or bonds loaned to assist IN o
strnctipg her public works are to q great
deoree worthless, and that in oil prooa-
bility a large proportion is forever ioss:
Thew find that perhaps eight millions OF
dollars is held by the State in bonds ana
stocks that can probably at some early
period be disposed of at about the same
price at which bonds of the State are now
selling, and that by a prudent dlsposi1lon
of them a like amount Of the State deot
conld be cancelled, and thus an annual In
terest of four hundred and eighty tnou-
sand dollars saved to the State. They
therefore recommend the incorporation
into the Constitution of the following pro-
vision:
"sThe General Assembly shall provide,
at as early a day as practicable, for the
disposal of as much Of the States interest
in works of internal improvements as can
be exchanged for an equal amount OF the
bonds of the State, and shall authorize
and REQUIRE the Board Of Public Works to
effect such conversion as rapidly IS posi-
Bile and no money received from the sale
of any bonds now held by the State shall
be applied for any other purpose than inc
reduction of the debt Of the State.
"They further recommend the adoption
| of the twelfth clause contained IN the re.
port of the Committee on Taxation and
| Finance. restraining the State from a fur
Their contraction of liabilities of this kind
and also that the Board of Public Works
shall consist of the Governor, Treasurer,
and Auditor, as provided by the seven
teenth clause in the report of the Commit
tee on the Executive Department."
Mr.. Owens offered the following as a
substitute for the proposition of the com
%tnittee!
1923. The General Assembly may at any
time direct the sale Of the stocks held by
the Commonwealth in internal improve
ments, and other companies located within
the limits of this Commonwealth, but the
proceeds of such sale, if made before the
PAYMENT of the public debt, shall be ap-
propriated to the payment thereof"
Mr.. MCLAUGHt1N offered to amend the
above by adding the following: "But no
such sale shall be made until after due
notice, and no. such stock shall be sold at
less than it's market value" Accepted by
Mr.. OWENS.
The substitute was adopted, and the
| Committee on Internal improvements was
discharged.
SUFFRAGE.
1t was decided, after some discussion,
that the report on suffrage would be made
the special order Of the day for Monday
next.
HOUR FOR MEETING.
Mr.. ALLAN offered the following:
"Resotued, That Oil and after Tuesday,
February IL, 1868, the Convention will as.
semble at 10 O'Clock A. NJ, and that the
evening session be dispensed with from
this time.
"Resolved I'd, That the regular order Of
the day shall be taken up at II O'Clock
4. NJ"
Mr.. WILLIAMS offered as an amendment
that the Convention have but ono daily
session, meeting at 10 o'clock and adjourn
ing at 3.
Pending the consideration Of this, the
Convention adjourned.
NoTE.-LEwIs LINDSEY states that it
was not his intention to impeach the Sc
cond assistant doorkeeper for making dis
tinctions on account of color, in his resolu-
lions of last week. He was abiding to
the first assistant.