The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-22
VIRGINIA.
INTERESTING PROCEEDINGS.
THE BILL PASSED-4S TO 10.
Special telegram to the Dispatch.

| IN great crowds to hear the discussion upon
the Virginia bill. Every nook and corner
was occupied, and hundreds we're unable
| to obtain entrance. A large portion of the
audience was composed of elegantly
dressed ladies. The floor of the Senate
was again crowded with members of the
House and persons of note among the lat
ter was General Rosecrans.
Nearly three out of the three and half
hours devoted to Virginia affairs were taken
up by Senators Trumbull and Sumner in
continuance of their controversy about their
several political acts and in elimination
and recrimination, in the course of which
these gentlemen dealt each other their
hardest blows.
Intense interest, bordering on excite
ment, was kept up until the vote was
| taken, and the manifestation of feeling
among the listeners was frequently given
in murmurs, and now and then in open
applause. The vote upon the various
| amendments of Messrs. Drake and Wilson,
and the final vote upon the passage Of the
bill, was taken in almost breathlcss silence,
broken only Us the result upon each was an
nounced by the Vice-Presidcnt.
Such raking down as Sumner suffered
at the hands Of Trumbull has not been
heard in the Senate chamber for many o
day. The gross misrepresentation made
by Sumner, ard repeated from day to day,
relative to the action of the Judiciary
Committee whilst considering the Vir-
ginia bill, and the falsehoods repeated
by Sumner as to the position of Governor
Walker, had go outraged the sense of fair
ness, and justice, and truth, that Mr..
Trumbull could no longer refrain from ex-
posing them and castigating the offender.
Mr.. Trumbull proved beyond possible
doubt that Summers assertion that the So
called loyalists had sought a hearing be-
fore the committee was falsehood out of
the whole cloth, and he turned to Sumner,
scorn and contempt depicted in his face,
and asked, "Could impudence 20 further p
Sumner felt this rebuke sensibly, and
moved about uneasily in his chair; End
then came from the audience general litter
of delight. The senator from Illinois ex-
claimed, mercilcssly, "And now [ propose
to strip from him this assumed infallibilty
and superiority" Here another sensation
in the audience.l Mr.. Trumbull proceeded
in whitening invectiye to describe the Mas
sachusctts senator's "practiced falschood
under sanity shew," and the deep malice
couchcd under holy garb. He repro
duced the occurrences in the Senate q
few days ago when garbled extracts
of Governor Walkers speeches were
read, and most admirably reproduced Sum-
ner's shout of Traitor; and then again the
audience fairly roared with laughter. Mr..
Trumbull then unearthcd "Loyal Porter's'
record, and had read the proceedings OF
: the court-martial which tried, convicted
and sentenced, him to six months impri-
sonment for reasonable language. Mr.
Trumbull exclaimed, "And this is the kind
Of loyal people the Massachusetts senator
has become the champion Of" He recited
the various sections of the Virginia Con-
stitution, showing that Walker had not op.
posed the education article, as charged By
Sumner, and that the latter could not have
been mistaken in the facts "and YETI
said Mr.. Trumbull, rsthe modest senator
insisted that Governor Walker wanted tc
break down the system of education. "This
was the gigantic fact about which the sena-
tor had rallied so loudly, and though ex'
planned by Senator Stewart so that no ono
could truthfully repeat the charge against
Governor Walker, the senator from Massa.
chusetts had again reiterated his gigantic
fact; and Trumbull asked, els that moi
modesto" Here another laugh and slight
applause.l Mr.. Trumbull read tho
names of those senators who Ioteo
for the reconstruction acts and the fiji.
teenth amendment, and asked, "Dt
!. you miss any name there 7" Wa
it possible that any such acts could be
passed without the vote Of the senator
Mr.. Summers name is not among those who
voted for those measures, and yet he hat
announced the other day that ne was
"always prcsent." Great laughter.] The
southern colored man owed Sumner
his thanks for these measures. MIR
Trumbull said, however, that Sumner
did vote for the bill after johnson
) vetoed it, and he argued that Sum
ner's malice and hatred for johnson
had proved to be more potential than the
necessities of the cclored race or the prin-
| ciple involved in the legislation; " so We
got his vote there" [rhis lunge was en-
ioyed hugely by the listeners.l Mr.. Trum,
bull said it was unpleasant to have to make
these exposures, but the assurance and Ell.
frontery of Sumner Here the Vice-Pre'
sident called Mr.. Trumbull to order, and
decided that effrontery" was unparlia'
mentary. Mr.. Trumbull respectfully beg
to differ with the Vice-President, but would
not appeal from his decision. With this
| Mr.. Trulhbull dessted. Having got his adj
versary Gin chancery" and polished hin
off, he magnanimously released his hold.
| When Sumner rose to reply there was
agitation all around. Everybody expected
one of the best efforts of the champion o.
loyalists, but it was failure. Sumner fel
his weakness too sensibly to handle his op
ponent. The facts were against him
The pure man would not be draw
aside from the great question to IN