The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-12-21

Mr. DANIEL moved to postpone tne. peei'a,
order. the opinion Of the Attorney-Gene.al
nnt being before the House. [lt was ID the
hands Of the printer.l This motion was ae'
feated. -. a. ,,,d,.
tori and insert "auditors,' ana 70 su9ssl.
tute the words "respected by" for" olh9lng
Iupon." These amendments were agreeu W.
Mr.. DooLEY spoke against tho penang
proposition. Looking at 1t IN eonn 1.
| ton with the aclioD OF the house aas
week. he could not but regard IL as one VI It
series of attacks upon the leglslatlon Oh tlle
last General Assembly on the sucJecL VI
| finance, and as measure calculated W nnl+iia
the credit of the State. In THIS view, do =
representative Of the great commercial aii.,
notwithstanding metropolis Of the State-as
representative of a taN-paying people-hc
conld not withhold his voice from TINS dis-
c1,ssion. What do these gentlemen propose
to do? With a treasury filled to repietloD,
with million of dollars to spare after paying
the interest due next January, alter haVins
entered into a solemn contract with credl-
tors. and after the creditors have accepted
that contract, it is proposed to tell them tiat
we repudiate our solemn pledges, and' taklls
advantage of the high prerogatiycs of stately
| mower. will not nav our debts unless COM
neiled TO do so by the courts. Upon no
| a,round can such action be defended IN the
ewes of riyht-mindcd men, or i'll the eye
| of that Providence who looks VIII! inc s1lilc
raze 1pon the acts Of states ana OF men.
| The debt which it is proposed TO fep,'Gtlte
| is one which we owe TO the llSt ao!Iai;
Time and again has this been recognized
and its prompt payment guarahteeo'
Even in the hour Of defeat and dlrest Oils.
| allowed
mace in Virginia Assembly. Nor did tie
Radicals in the State Convention entertain
the proposition. It remained for the LeSls-
latllre Of IS71-'72, in the hour Of our dawn
ing prosperity, to indicate a desire to eYade
yirginia's Just debts. The speaker denied
that we are unable to pay the interest. We
have the daily report of the State Treasurer
and the opinion Of the highest officers III tlle
State Government to prove the contrary. lie
denied, also, that the rate Of taxation was
oppressive, notwithstanding the poverty CT
| our people. The fault, he feared, was not in
our poverty but in our will. Besides, with
what grace does proposition Of this kind
come from Virginia when we consider what
her sister southern States have suffered in
comparison to her. They have lost all but
honor. Shall IRE sacrifice that before them:
Such propositions could not be justified by
public sentiment. He closed with spirited
and eloquent appeal to tic SONS Of the Old
Dominion not to place the foul blot Of reptI-
diation upon her fair forehead, OF by one act
such as this to h,nl her from the high and
cnviable position which she now occupies III
the sisterhood OF States.
Mr.. DANIEL followed his colleague, lie
begged to know what reasons could be as
signed for the proposed legislation. Why
the silence of its advocates! Have they no
arguments which will stand up long enough
to be knocked down? In the absence OF
such argument. he proceeded TO discuss llrSt
whether we have the Tight to force the
| opinion of the Attorney-Gencral, asked 7
ourselves. and not by the Auditor, upon him
as an imperative rule Of conduct. He denied
the right of the House to ask the Attorney
Generals opinion. 1t was his duty to fur
nish such an opinion only to the "Doard-
and officers at the seat Of government"
Such an opinion has no binding force, even
were it well considered; which the Attorney
General himself says it was not. The Auditor
can himself ask an opinion and then act COIL
trary to it. lie is sworn to fulfil the duties
Of his Office rs he understands them, and not
according to anybody clScS conscience or
understanding Of law. But il the object is
to prohibit the payment Of the interest, why
| not do it in q fair and honest Way--by the
passage of a joint resolution? Why do it
under the cover CT this opinion? He cor
tended, too, that the payment Of the interest
was provided for by the general law. When
| there had been special legislation it had been
! to authorize tic payment Of less than the
whole amount of interest due. The AttOl-
ney-Gcneral was wrong, with all respect to
| him, in his hasty opinion.
Nh DANIEL ttl th2r urged that the question
now at issue was not one Of rctrcnchmcnt,
and was not one Of reduced taxation, but was
simply one of whether the money already
paid into the treasury should he used for tie
purpose for which it was colected-Whether
the peoples money should be applied to the
payment of the peoples debts. Not only Is
a matter Of justice but rs matter OF economy
this money should be paid TO our creditors.
But as matter OF morality it would be base
to take any other course. Having seductd
our creditors into an acceptance Of the con-
tract which we ourselves proposed, having
| induced them to take sixty-SiX cents for their
dollar, it is proposed, notwithstanding the
fact that we haze the money in bank, TO post
ponc indefinitely the payment Of interest.
| This would simply be to refuse to pay an
honest debt with the money III our hands.
Such Il course would place Virginia high On
the roll of inlamy, and degrade her il the
eyes Of all the nations Of the world.
Mr.. BEAToS gave his reasons for voting
against the suspension OF the payment Of in
terest. He had voted with the friends Of this
measure the other day because they said they
only wished time TO look into the question.
Time had been given, and they had not yet
shown any disposition to bring in 4 substi-
tute for the funding bill, Or any proposition
which could meet the views Of those who,
while opposed TO that bill, were honestly in
favor OF paying the debt. He should there
fore vote against the resolution Of the gentle
man from Pulaski CIR. WALEER).
Mr.. HEAD, Of Loudoun, was unequiVocaliy
opposed to the funding bill, and would vote
for suspension Of its operation, but believed
that the money collected from the people to
Day the interest should be applied to that
purpose. Any other application OF those
funds would he unjust alike to taxpayers and
bondholderS. He also thought the opinion
of the Attorney General wrong, and was sur
prised that those who, like him, were op-
posed to the funding bill should now show
the white feather and fight under cover Of
that opinion.
Mr.. SUrnERLIs offered the following sub
stitute to the pending propositions:
"Be ii enacted By The General assembly,
That it shall be the duty Of the Auditor OF
Public Accounts to pay into the public
treasury, from time to time, subject to the
warrant Of the Second Auditor, so much O:
the public revenue as the said Second Audi
tor may certify to be necessary to pay the in
tcrcst OH the public debt, rs provided for b.
an act approved March so, 1871, entitled IAN
act to provide for the funding and payment