The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-28
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
The House met at IL O'Clock. Prayer by
Raw Mr. peterkin


sented a native Virginian constituency.
His section had had the good fortune not
to have any carpet-baggers. he was tired
of military rule, and in the dread OF being
put back under military tyranny, and that
very same military satrap who had been go
we'll abused on the floor, he wished it to 90
forth to the country that the people Of
Virginia we're reconstructed.
The resolution was referred to the Com
mittee on Resolutions.
THE OATH.
Mr.. MADDOX offered resolution calling
on the Secretary of the Commonwealth for
list of the members and officers Of the
House who had or had not taken the oath
under the provisions of the act admitting
the State of Virginia. The resolution was
unanimously adopted under suspension of
the rules.
MI. KElLET's SPEECH.
Mr.. FRErz offered resolution requesting
Mr.. KELLEY to furnish the House with a
copy of his speech, and providing for the
printing of 100000 copies for the emigrant
agencies in the North and in Europe. Re-
ferred to Committee OH Printing.
MILITARY APPoINTEES.
Mr.. FILLER offered o resolution request
ing the Secretary Of the Commonwealth to
furnish the House with list of all the off,
GERS in the Commonwealth appointed by
the military who had taken and subscribed
to the oath, required by act of Congress.
Adopted under q suspension of the rules.
pur,rCrTr,py rnprr
The committee to whom was referred the
resolution inquiripg as to what additional
force, if any, is necessary to be employed by
the Superintendent of the Penitentiary, re-
ported, begging leave to be relieved from the
further consideration Of the subject. Con-
CURED in.
THE ENABLING BILL.
On motion, the enabling bill WAS taken
up az the order Of the day.
Mr.. CRESsHAW appealed to the House to
consider well its action before the bill was
passed, us he thought it would be viola
ton of the implied pledges upon which the
State was admitted.
Mr.. MCCArLI did not think that any
pledges were made that would conflict with
this bill. lie disclaimed that the committee
on the part Of the Legislature had made
any pledges to the Reconstr uction Commit
tee to keep men in Office who were obnox-
ious to the people of Virginia.
Mr.. Turner (Mr. MCLAUGHLIN in the
chair made some statements in regard to
the action Of the committee on the part Of
tue Legislature. lie was not present at the
time that Governor Walker made his
gpeech before the Reconstruction Commit
tee. Tie proceedings had previously be-
come 80 unworthy Of the occasion that he
had retired. lie had, however, heard one
Of the members Of the committee ask Mr..
Wardwell if he thought that he would be
turned out of Office if the bill then before
them were passed. Wa,dwell's reply was
that they would turn him out, of course,
and every other loyal man in the State.
The committee and Congress had therefore
acted with this warming before them. This
was all that lie (Mr. TURNER) had heard
said before the committee about turning
people out Of Office.
Hir. McCAULL, in the course of the de-
bate which followed, stated that he had
seen Governor Walker, and that he WAS
authorized to state that he 1.-THE Goyernor)
had made no pledge touching this case.
Mr.. JONES, Of Hanover, questioned the
powers of the committee and their right to
represent the Legislature at Washington.
Mr.. KELLY argued in favor of the bill.
Mr.. BUDD, in answer to the question Of
Mr.. JONES, stated that the committee had
been appointed by caucus of the Legisla-
ture. He himself was appointed chairman
of the committe but being unable to 90, he
asked the Speaker of the House to 60 in his
stead. The resolution authorizing the COM
mittee was to the effect that committee of
FIVE members be appointed by the Chair to
represent the State before Congress.
Mr.. STuBBs said that he was ready to
endorse everything that the committee had
done. but that he could not conceive that
any pledges had been made conflicting with
the provisions OF this bill.
Mr.. WooDsoS stated, as the original
mover of the resolution which cventuated
in the appointment of the committee, the
reasons that had moved linn to offer the re-
solution.
Mr.. WHITE asked MIR. WOoDsoN, in the
course of his remarks under this head, if
he thought that Congress would have adj
mitted the State if it had known that the
.
appointed under the reconstruction acts.
MIR. MADDOX asked if the committee had
not pledged that the provisions of the re-
construction acts should be carried out.
In answer to these questions Mr.. WooD-
son stated that not having been member
Of the committee he would not attempt to
answer The questions, as he did not know
what were the sentiments of Congress. He
would vote for this bill because he thought
it was necessity, and provided for the re-
moyal of officers who were totally unfit fol
the positions they filed.
Mr.. CRESsHAw, by leave, stated that he
did not mean that any pledge had been
made by Governor Walker before the Re-
construction Committee touching the case
in point. lie recollected that the chairman
of the Reconstruction Committee had asked
incidentally if the admission Of the State
without the iron-clad oath would not cause
the military appointees to be swept from
office. The Governor and himself had ex'
pressed the opinion that it would not
While no pledge had been given, he fell
himself in honor bound to act upon the
opinion he had expressed. General Butler
had stated that he could trust the word Of 6
Virgiuian, and he would not yield to his
sense OF honor in this case. In conclusion, he
appealed to the House to vote down this
bill and bring in another with restrictions
which would cover all the grounds.
Mr.. MCCRACKEN arose to q privileged
question, and spoke upon the action Of thu
committee in Washington.
Mr.. FAYERMAS moved to pass the bill by
Lost. - =
Under d Gull for the pending question
the bill was then passed with the following
vote:
YEAs.-Messrs. Aruett, Ashoy, Atkinson, At
lee, Bagwell, Henry Bell, Bodeker, Boiling, Bow