The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-21
VIRGINIA..
FENIsg. VOTE TO BE TAKEN IN
TIE SENATE TODAY.
Special telegram to the Dispatch.

Special telegram TO the Dlspatcl.
WASHINGTON, January 20, 1870.
A prolonged, tedious session of the Senate
was that OF to-day upon the Virginia bill.
Not single incident occurred to enliven
the proceedings, but much Of the discus
sion was, nevertheless, of an exceedingly
interesting character to the few WHO con-
slider the legal aspects Of the controversy and
the practical working out Of the various
amendments and propositions looking to
the future. There was strong desire TO
bring the subject TO final vote this
evening. but Mr.. Sumner and others who
desire to be heard at length opposed the
determination of the matter to-day, and
the result, after Intellectual efforts to ad-
iourn or take q recess, was an agreement
that at I o'clock tomorrow final vote
shall be had.
The bill will 60 to the House loaded down
with conditions in the nature Of amend
mcnts to the orr ginal House bill, and the
probability is that prolonged debate upon
these additions to the bill will follow, so
that it is not unlikely that the senators and
representatives from Virginia may not take
their seats before the lst of March.
The shape, if shape it might be called,
that shape had none," that the argument
assumed this afternoon was that of the
right of Congress to impose fundamental
conditions upon State seeking admission.
The effect Of these conditions and the power
Of Congress to enforce them after the State
shall have taken her position in the Fedc-
raj Union and when her senators and re-
representatives. shall have been seated.
Senator Harlan made, by all odds, the
most compact, comprehensive, and rlausi-
bic, argument from the Radical stand
| point that has yet been presented upon this
subject. He luborcd to show that in the
case of the admission of Ohio, Nebraska, and
other northwestern States, and the southern
States, fundamental conditions, -exc cutory
| in their character, had been imposed, and
that no attempt had ever been made success.
| fully to set aside these conditions. He was
in favor of attaching conditions because
| the delegates from Virginia had expressed
in writing a willingness to comply with
them, and because, however sincere ano
honest Governor Walker and the delegates
may be in their protcstations and profes
sions, they would in time be succeeded BY
others in Office who would not probably fee
bound by the pledges of their predecessors
Senator Thurman Democracy, of Ohio
utterly battered down the premises of Har
lan's argument by showing that the funda
mental conditions $50 callcd) in the case o.
| Ohio and other States cited related to mat
tiers of taxation of public lands and like
property considerations, and that Congress!
had never until now assumed the power Il
atfix political fundamental conditions to thu
admission of State. He showed that il
the Ohio bill and others it was declared
that the State shall have the same rights as
other States as 10 sovereignty, freedom, and
independence that Virginia, in ceding ter.
ritory to build up northwestern States, had
accorded these sovereign rights to them
and now comes q senator from u nortk.
western State to deny to Virginia the rights
she had granted to them.
This was 30 forcibly put that the whole
batch of Radical intolerants WINGED under
the blow. The senator's nsw-fangled
notions had been laundering about for
some days IN endeavors to find an
answer to the query: "Has Congress
the power to enforce the conditions
after Virginia has become State ?" Mono
Of these political empires had been able
to find the remedy and finding in Senate
Thurman profound jurist and statesman,