The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-05
THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
Assembling Of the Members-The Iron.
Clad Oath-The Wells Members De-
nouncing the PrOgramme--Caucus.
ing for the Senatorship.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4. 1869.
| The following has been received from Rich
| mond:-
| About one hundred members or the Legislature
which conyenes tomorrow under the proclamation
| OF General Candy, have arrived. BY instruction OF
the General, members have to call on Brevet Lieu
tenant Colonel Mallory the Acting Secre
tary OF state. for their certificates OF cleo
| ton, and be qualified. In the performance
OF this ceremony most singular proceeding was
enacted. The military Secretary OF State has lis,
OF the members elect opposite some OF whose names
Ia mark, and to these he refused to issue certin
Gates, in all about twenty, because OF some alleged
ineligiblty under the fourteenth amendment which
the member must explain to General CANDY
before receiving the official document OF
election. Besides this the officer has on
his table four printed oaths NAKED respectively A.,
B, and D, all Of which the member can take II he
thinks proper The oath A declares the afiant will
support the constitution Of Virginia. the constitution
OF the United States and that he is not opposed to
the laws Of Virginia against duelling The oaths
addition the civil and political equality o. ali
men before the law and containing declaration OF
se hh ns s corn p as
decided was not to be required. Ten OF the radicals
took this latter oath, but the Walker members even
those who could invariably declined The object OF
General Candy in presenting the ironclad oath TO
be taken voluntarily is surrnised to be In accord
ance with radical programme to defeat the ad-
the officers of the Legislature to take 1t is strength
ened by to-day's proceedings.
Both parties held caucuses tontght-the eonserv.
ayes at the Exchange and the radicals IN the House
OF Delegates at the Capitol building. The radical
members OF the Senate and House, numbering about
thirty, were addressed by the Hon. Charles
Porter, radical Congressman elect from the
meeting 81 lie arsna Under Opposed s tns
programme and argued that the body was
not legal one and was witn0ut authority to trans
act business. A protest was drawn up declaring
that unless the test oath requirement was compiled
with the Legislature had no power to act, denounc-
ing the opinion OF Attorney General Hoar as illegal,
sustaining General Canbys construction OF
sress on behalf Of the republicans of the the
state. This was referred to committee, with In
structions to report tomorrow. The members then
went into caucus OF Senate and House separately
plan to defeat the admission OF the state is about
being developed. After short discussion the con-
sentative caucus OF the House adjourned until
tomorrow without nominations OF officers. The
caucus OF the conservative Senators is still in
sion for that purpose. The greatest interest mani
tested by conservative members, who seem to be
extremely anxious for the early restoration OF the
State.
The indications are that John B. Crenshaw, a
member or the society OF Friends, viii be elected
Speaker OF the House. The only new name pre-.
sented in political circles for the Senatorshlp Is
Douglass Wallach, OF Washington, who Is now In
tins city. Much excitement was created in political
circles to-day by an erroneous report that Horace
Greeley, whose name has been mentioned in con-
nectlon with the Senatorship, had arrived in this
city.
or the members who applied for certificates of
election General Candy has refused twenty seven.
on the ground that they were charged with being
them afterwards received them upon making ALI
dayit that they were not SO disqualified.