The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-27

The first act Of the friends Of the bill on
morning was the withdrawal of
the appeal from the decision Of the Chair,
which was pending when the uouse ad-
journcd on Friday evening.
EVERYTHING MUST GIVE WAY.
Mr.. HUDaIS, Of Caroline, moved to pass
by the special order Nhe oyster tax billy for
the day. The motion was agreed to on
division.
The next business in order was The con-
sideration of House bills reported from the
Senate with amendments. The first on this
list was House bill in relation to partition
of lands. Of course this had to give way;
so motion to pass it by was made by Mr..
Budd, and adopted-ayes, 6S; noes, SO.
THE BILL UP.
The desire Of the hearts of the Bucktails
was then accomplished. House bill 46,
with Senate amendments,) to amend the
charter and change the name Of the Alex
andria and Fredericksburg railroad, was
called. 1t was reported from the Commit
tee on Roads, with recommendation that
the House agree to the Senate amendments.
Mr.. THURMAN presented the following
protest of the minority of the committee:
AN ABLE PROTEST.
" The undersigned, minority of the
Committee Of this House ON Roads and In
ternal Navigation, protest against the man.
ner in which the Senate amendments to
House bill No. 46 have been forced through
said committee, without an opportunity
afforded them to consider, examine, and
discuss questions Of State policy and grave
constitutional doubts, raised thereby, and
respectfully submit the following facts:
Said committee met on Friday morning
at its regular meeting, and will meet regu-
larly again on Monday next. During the
session Of the House on Friday said amend
ments were reported from the Senate, and
on that very day, after the close Of the ses-
sion of the House, the committee was re-
auired forthwith to assemble IN the Hall of
the House, and said amendments were pre-
sented for their action Before time had
been allowed tor some of the members
OF the committee to even read them,
and every proposition to give time
| for their examination was promptly voted
down by the majority, and even motion
| to postpone the consideration thereof until
| the next morning, by which no time would
be lost, was arbitrarily voted down by the
majority, and the minority OF the commit
| tee forced ut once and without time for re-
flaction or consideration to act upon ques.
! tion> Of the gravcst Importance, without
time or opportunity to present their objec-
tions or be heard in opposition to said
amendments. All of which is, in the opin.
| ion ofthe minority ofsaid committee, utterly
| subverSiye OF the rights OF said minority,
| inconsistent with every idea OF committee
| deliberations, contrary to all usages, Il dan
gerous precedent, unparalleled in the his
tory of Virginia legislation, and are unwar-
| ranted and tyranuical exercises Of power
by the majority against detenceless mi
| noritv, and having no other alternative left
US. we, for these reasons. respectfully but
most earnestly protest against what we
| regard MS an unusual, improper, and tyran-
nral exercise of power by the majority of
said committee.
Respectfully submitted,
[Signed,l JOHN L. THURMAN,
j. G. HILL,
JOHN +. WALL,
ARTHUR S. SEGAR,
JOHN II. GUY.
February %. 1871.
The following minority report was also
presented
"The undersigned members, constituting
a minority OF the Committee on Roads and
Internal Navigation, respectfully present
to the House of Delegates this their report
upon the House bill No. 4G, referred to the
said committee, 'to amend the charter and
change the name of the Alexandria and
Fredericksburg Railroad Company to-
oether with the amendments thereto adopt
ed by the Senate:
They respectfully recommend that this
bill as so amended do not pass, because it
conflicts with section ID of article V. of the
Constitution, which provides that mo law
shall embrace more than one obj ject, which
shall be specified in its title But this bill
embraces the following multitarious and
discordant objects
l. 1t purports to amend the charter of
the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Rail-
road Company, which is distinct and
separate object from other objects of the
bill, the said railway having a course and
termini distinct from other railways author
lied by the bill.
=. 1t charters Il distinct and separate rail-
way from that first mentioned, having a
different course and termlni that is, from
Washington to Richmond.
3. 1t aids the construction of 81 railway
from DanyilIe to Bristol "a distinct and I'M
connected road) by requiring foreign cor
poration, the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
panv, to guarantee the bonds of the Nor
folk and Great Western Railroad Company,
to enable said company to construct said
road, which is in itself another distinct and
discordant object in the bill.
4. 1t aids the construction of the Pied
mont and Potomac railroad-a road distinct
and unconnected with the other roads en-
braced in the bill-by similar provisions
and guarantees.
5. It provides for the sale of the State
stock in the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Company, and in certain con-
for the subsection of its stock to
State taxation, and its charter to change
and amendment by the Legislature, and for
securing to the stockholders certain price
for their stock-objects dissimilar from each
other. as well as from the other objects of