The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-05
General Assembly Of Virginia.
MONDAY, April 4, 1870.
SENATE

chair. Prayer by Rev. Joshua Peterkln
D. D., of st. James's Episcopal church.
RICHMOND AND coALrIELD RAILROAD.
The Senate agreed to the House amend
mcnts proposed to the bill incorporating
the Richmond and Coalfcld railroad, nnt
the bill is now law.
LouDoUS TURNPIKE COMPANY.
The Senate also agreed to the amenu
ment proposed by the House to the Dill III
cornor atinc the Southwest Loudoun 1ufn
pike Company.
. communication was received from the
House announcing the passage by that eous
Of q bill for the relief Of Francis v "u''
ton. ST., of the city of Richmond.
RoCKpRIpGE COUNTY FAIR.
uonse bill No. %, incorporating the
ponlhr;dgo Comfy Fair, was taken up anu
passed by the Senate. A. rot,
pr On motion of Mr.. CAMPBELL, the vote
was reconsidcred by which the Dill "ae
Mr. ANDERSON requested that the bill be
referred to the Committee on General Laws
which was done.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Mr.. BlDDIcK, from the Committee on Ge-
neral Laws, reported o substitute for the
bill in relation to acts of incorporation.
He reported also in regard to joint reso:
luton relative to pauper immigrants, and
asked that the matter he referred to the
Committee on Immigration, and that the
Committee on General Laws be relieved
from further consideration of the subject.
He (fron the same committee) reported q
substitute for bill for the relief of the
sheriff of Pulaski county and his suretics.
Also, bill for the relief of John M. Fant.
RESOLUTIONS, ETC.
Mr.. Woop, of Petersburg, offered reso-
luton of regret Mt the death of General
George II. Thomas, United States army,
who died in San Francisco, Cal, recently,
and instructing that copy of the preamble
and resolutions be forwarded to the widow
of the late General.
On motion of Mr.. SNowDES, Of Alexan-
dria, the resolution was referred to the
Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr.. ROLLER, of Rockingham, offered the
following resolution, which WAS adopted
Resolved, That the Committee for
Courts of Justice be instructed to inquire
into the exrcdiency of amending and re-
cnacting the existing vagrant laws so as to
effect the end contemplated by its trainers,
and to make it conform to the Constltu-
ton.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Senate bill No. 90, to provide for gene
al oh 6ISnnSS1On
on Saturday when the Senate adjourned,
was taken up aud considered ut great
length.
The question was upon the third section
Of the 9Th chapter of the bill, which reads
"with the voters name written on the back
Of the ballot" the vote resulted-ayes, T. :;
noes. 81: and the Senate refused to strike
out the words.
Mr.. Penn hoped the words would not be
stricken out.
BLAND said that it was not fsir to impose
this on the colorc1 voters. He thought the
gentlemen on the other side ought to do
away with some of their prejudices, and
allow tie voters to come and vote Us freely
as they desired.
Mr.. PENDLEToN, Of Botetourt, said he
wished it were an open question for this
Senate to decide whether the ballot, either
secret or open, should now be substituted
for the good, honest Old Virginia system of
,iru r0ce voting. Old Jack Randolph, a
Virginian, native and to the manor born,
was once asked at dinner party in Lon
don whether the ballot prevailed in his
State, and his answer was characteristic :
81 scarcely believe" he said, "we have
such fool in all Virginia as to mention
even the vote by ballot, and l do not hest
tate to say that the adoption would make
any nation nation OF scoundrels, If 1t did
not find them so.' The whole idea of the
secret ballot is false in theory and corrupt
ing in practice The notiont that it protects
the INDEPENDENCE of the voter is mistaken
one; for how easy il it for those who have
the power to control votes to put ballots in
the hands of the voters to be intimidatcd
or cont, oiled, and stand by to see them de-
deposited in the box !?
Mr.. PENDLEToN stated that he was an
eyewitness Of just such scene at the last
election, when landlord handed tickets to
six of his tenants and followed them to the
ballot box to see that they did not evade his
dictation. Sidney Smith, in his usual pi-
quaint style, said: can abominable ty-
rainy exercised by the ballot is that it
compcl5 those persons to conceal their votes
WHO hate all conceaIment, and who glory
in the cause they support. If you are
AFRAID to 20 in at the front door and to say
in a clear voice what you have to say, 60 in
at the back door and say it in whisper.
But this is not enough for you you make
me, who is bold and honest, sneak in at
the back door as we'll as yourself. Because
you ore afraid Of selling dozen gloves less
than usual, you compel me, who have no
gloves to sell, or who would dare and des-
pisc the loss, if l had, to hide the best feel
ings of my heart and to lower myself down
to your mean morals"
He said he was in favor of compelling
the voter to write his name, because the
Convention which either wisely or unwisely,
framed the Constitution voted down the
proposition to make the ballot secret or
close, because the open ballot promotes
honesty and independence in the voter, and
because it affords the only means of throw
ing out fraudulent votes and properly de-
Gliding contested elections.
The bill was finally passed.
ABsENTEEs.
Mr.. COURTNEY offered the following,
which was lost:
"ReSolued, That at the opening OF each
days session of the Senate the clerk BIO in
structed to inform the Senate Of the num-
Der and names of members absent on the
previous day, and whether absent by leave
or otherwise"
CHARTERS.
By Mr.. COURTNEY. THAT the Committee
for Courts of Justice inquire what legisla-
ton is necessary to provide charters for the
n;tior nnl tnuns of this Common Henlth