Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-06-02
fCOMMUElCATED.

CoysTfTUT1oy OF NIRGINA-l propose TO
,-r;to , few articles touching the usury laws OF
NJ commonwealth. 1t is q subject, IN my
humble Judgment, Of paramount Importance 10
.Ln ,,oonlc Of Virginia. but which. strange to
w has attracted comparatively little attention
f!n, ,Lo nuhli, press. During the last session
nfthc legislature frequent APPEALS were made
W. The rcopc to their representatives Tor relief
,innn thi; subject. and the response was that
I'll would be right and that it was not necessary
far any one to give themselves any uncaslness
about it. Having felt the runous effects OF
rho law upon a man who had gone III dcht Tor
land and at the instance OF. sonIc OF my fellow
';t;gnns [ visited Richmond last winter 10 do
what [ could with the Legislature, without lee
or rnward. and 10 urge upon them tie import
,nc,. Of prompt action in the premises so that
,yp could get rid OF the L.. per cent clause by
thr first Of January next The attention OF
,hc General Assembly seemed To be entirely
oncrossci with railroad war;. and more than
ono-thirl Of their time was actually IN thai
i,rhaI;' expended They had time too 10 dis
Gus pisciculturr and to apl"lnt. tive years III
! ,,I,.,nrr \ centennial anniversary celebration
ra,nr,ittcy to Independence Hail. Philadcl rhla.
md tn alopt measures OF like pressing import
,ncr But discovered IN omInous lukcWarn!-
ness among :oinc OF the protested friends OF
hi, measure tn relieve Us from the present
r,,inn,ls rate ot interest and they had no time
to attend to that, though il WAS al! right
The best business men OF the country We're
satisfied that the law passed III pursuance OF
the II per cent clause was DESTROYING us: that
instead Of bringing III foreign capital
if WIS kcccping i: out from want
of confidence in debtors who would pay such i'll
trrr>t that it was depressing the prices Of our
lands. and putting the farmer who Was i'll debt.
in split stick. Compelled to pay runouS III
tcrc,t or sacrifice his property, and that It was
diScouraging capitalists from landed investments
and making money scarce. The ablc>t lawyer
in the county Of .Albemarlc, il rot IN the State.
who WAS 4 Judge Of the Court OF Appeals as
>llrrd me that he thought this clu:c was the
most ruinolls measure ever adopted III lr.na.
that it WAS eating ont the substance OF ctr PEG
pIc. and that the worst Oft WAS - many would
l., ruined bv it before it can he altered. \ cal
lant old cy-liovrrnnr. whose maine is stamped
mon one Of the c"lntics Of the State. and 4
tribune Of the people they delighted to honor.
said to me. in regard to it. Sir. it is the great
cs, cllrs>. that ever fell upon Virginia. Many
other, could be mentioned whose opinions are
entitled to rJunl weight. but il Is unnecessary.
The. grc:l, mass Of the people know and feel the
i'll effect; Of this law
Well. now for the result and the action Of
the Legislature after this Siren :ong. When
\ railroad bill was up in the House. they were
al thcrc--l4O Of them. Money wanted them
there thea: but when this E!ca:urc To relieve
the people of Virginia from Il rnlmou< clause IN
Constitution forced upon them. va II be
acted on. how vas it? No quorum tir>t. next
time no constitutional majority, and finally just
before The adjournment OF the Legislature 4
bare constitutional majority one more than
half the number Of member: elected to the
House Of Delegates. was obtained for the bill.
and n stated in Your Richmond correspondence
il VA BASED after a -truggIe. u Ii had not
PASSED then W, would have had this incubus
upon III !ir two years longer. for 1t must BE- re-
fcrrcd voil observe, to the General Assembly
to be elected next after the passage OF the till
and be bv them referred 10 the people. Mr.
Matthew Of Loudoun. was 4 jealous advocate
of the resolutions. and am clad to state that
Senators :%nowden. Latham and Taylor: OF Lou
| doun from this section OF the State. voted for
them. | don know whore III" abScntccS were
t what they were about. or what or who kept
them from voting, hut a The giri ,ad Of the
fellow who did not come up IN time ut the we'd
ding. II won abuse linn now, but unlcs* he has
+ a miQhtg 10od crcuSc for being away. IT,, "W
ncrc, hare q chance Ia marry NJ" uJnin.
The following arc the resolutions and the
axes and noes in the House taken from the
. journal was unable to Get the vote III the
,.,n.,,,
l. E''7'tV'' ny The 1"i;tt' ana ll""s' -! hrIr-
e-at": n jority of the members elected L. each
"1the tx" House, hgrSeIhg th:rct"' HAT the
following a"c"dihei!t bc an" = hrF'hE. pro-
posed t. the constitution Of virginia. and i: here"
by referred to the General Assembly IL hr che
on at the next general election Hl Senators ana
m""I2r. OF thr ll"u,r" .''rsHI III IT. con
[",.rituIi"r VIZ.
&tritc from the Constitution o. the tat, ii
virginia the claus in reference. t" n.urv: which
is in lhcs" words
Upon debt hereafter contracted II :haI: l''
lawful 10 reGei'r amy rate ., ."'GHrL, |D a.
r'"'s 'Ms. m ~. ,%,. nI i, 'I,n
r I'it in The bond. not, "r OTHER Writing cv-
lrncing tie debt. When ,hcrci- no such :,grrr-
rnrnt TIA" rat" of interest shall l." ~iN per r"tu'n
per 3"nnm far III" Us" and l"rh"ar"""" Of every
hund Re-, G I,,dI .,,.. ,,.,., u
Dcot',5 ~, ib clerk ." th. Snrot t h. antLnr
;znJ mi rn,ijrrJ or if y.r.,,,"v shall hHn,,.,
80 !,.I =, I'll ,,t,ir. ,I, rrn.iI,,,t ,i;nir! ;.