The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-03
ANOTHER WAR.
The House Proceedings Yesterday.
~rF POOR LITTLE RICHMOND
AND PETERSBURG ROAD
ATTACKED.
1uE GIANTS ALLEsD AGAINST
THE PIeiNY.
&c.
&c. &c,

The morning opened placidly and prom
,>.nely Il, the Capitol yesterday. The sum
Shine was golden, the air haImy, the mock
,r,.,ird in the Clerks Office carollcd forth
- sweetest notes, the arple-women in the
ro,Dnda wore their most attractive smiles,
IN. incense from the cigars Of gathering
members was fragrant and grateful, the
manner Of the doorkccpcrS in receiving
visitors was inviting and bland. and the
,ountcnanrc OF the Speaker as he assumed
The venerable chair gave no sign or token of
N approaching storm.
APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE.
No sooner. however, had the call COM
lncnceG under the morning hour than the
>prir. skies became overcast, and an occa-
>;onal indStinct rumhing and intermittent
fishes Of faint lightning told the observers
that something was in the wind. and that
fncry was some real reason for the unusual
,il.. -cnliitv. and Importance OF the lob
hy. which about this time began to put III
~ appearance.
NO WARNING.
II the same time. nothing definite could
be determined as to the CaSMS bcH. The
lil! first under consideration seemed inno-
cent enough Of dragons teeth 1t was
about rs unpropitious Il seeding for 4 crop
Of armed men lis we have ever heard debated
oEthc legislative floors. \ simple PROPOSE
ton 10 sell 10 the Orange and Alexandra
Railroad Company the States interest in
il, stock. which had been substituted bya
hi TO extend the same privilege to al the
railroads of Virginia. There never seemed
presented a worse opportunity for fight
sKIRalsnING.
But suddenly the swapping fire of the ad-
vance began. The yidettes showed great
activity. There sharpshooter lodged from
tree to tree. and there Il lieht dragoon GAL
loped in with trenchant sabre. Still the
main lines lay quiescent. But each face
showed expectancy and it was now very
evident that some mysterious germ OF war
WIS concealed beneath the iunocency of the
apparent question, and that fact having
been generally established, spectators pro-
cccdrd to ask q universal question
WHAT is 1T? ..,..
Nobody seemed to know. Everybody
asked, and no one answered. At last gen.
cral intuition seemed to enlighten this mass
OF ignorance. In place OF the irregular pop
ping Of carbines and lodging of light troops
came the sullen roar Of artillery and the
tnrtyarf nlnpprnpnt of a romnnrt fhnIIUh
small column. Mr.. WOOD, of Halifax,
aimed and discharged his colupbiad ut Ma-
hoods substitute, offered an amendment,
and made speech to il Mr.. BELL, OF Au-
guSta. followed in opposition, then Mr.
THOMAS, of Henry, and last Mr.. PoPHAM,
of Bath. This amendment Of the distin-
yui>hed gentleman from Halifax looked to
the ratification by u subsequent Legislature
OF any contract which should be made un-
der the pending BILL,
Mr.. BELL showed that the effect of such
amendment would be to reduce the mar
ketabe value of the States interest by
creating doubt in the minds of purchasers.
Mr.. THOMAS deduced from the language
of the amendment that its operation would
be TO nullify the object sought by the mea-
sure. Either party might retire from the
lusubstantial contract; and so a bogus
bidder, in any interest, might indefinitely
prevent real sale. This presentation of
the subject was clear and pointed, and evil
dcntly had great effect upon the members.
Mr.. PoPHAM made remarks which We're
in admirable temper. He alluded to iucon-
sistencies which were glaring, without i'm
putting to their perpetrators dishonorable
motives and he accomplished by that
quiet satire, which is the best vehicle Of in
cisve reason, more than might have been
gained by labored eloquence or tedious ar
gument.
THE FINGER ON THE WALL.
Each of these three gentlemen limited that
MIR. WooD had an object in reserve. Mr
BELL very adroitly foreshadowed it by analy-
sis OF the possible results Of the proposed
amendment; Alr. THOMAS was still more
explicit. and Mr.. PoPHAM plainly stated
that there was ga cat in the meal tub"
and requested Mr.. WooD to release the
animal, that the length of its claws and the
malignty OF its nature and intentions might
be estimated. These hints were pregnant,
and safely delivered.
THE HOUSE BEGAN TO "sMELL A MICE"
The cloud which had at first seemed no
larger than mans hand now overcast the
whole horizon. The "What is 1t 2" Was no
longer absolutely tncog,uto. The "windng
Ill and winding out,' tortuous and smart rs
IL WAS, lcf trail, and the House was not rs
much astonished as might have been ex-
pcrted When, si:nally defeated in all ut
tcmpts to overload MAuooD's substitute
with irrelevant and in>incere amendments,
the opposition, through Mr.. WooD, showed
their hands, and gave to their carefuliy-im.
prisoned eat the "freedom of the House."
DESCRIPTION OF THAT CAT.
He is smooth and sleek, and very play
ful-possessing all the characteristics of the
feline species. Paws velvety /; claws sharp;
exterior deceptive; disposition bad. Like
all Of his race, from the pole to the tiger
kind, he squats in concealment, and at
lacks by surprise. Hinged, streaked, and
striped, he illustrates the deception and
fraud of the peeled wands of JACOB and
his whole object, ike Jacobs was, is to cap
ture Laban's sheep.
ggvENoNs A NOS MoNToEs.
But, to come back, Mr.. WooD supported
his amendment in a speech, Of which here
after. The amendment was, in brief, this
"To give the privilege of purchasing the
states interest in their respective roads to |
every Virginia company /: Pr0r;ded, That |