Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-01-30
Legislature which was elected as Conserya-

Legislature which was elected as Conserva
tive
We do not mean to question the integrity OF
the majority of the Legislature. Far from it.
But we do question their wisdom. They have
been deluded and deceived by adroit mana
gers and seduced by unfortunate and Interested
outside influences.
Early in the session there was great out
CRY raised against the funding bill. 1t was rep
resented as hideous monster of iniquity. 1t
was called the "child of corruption. :" Both
Houses, month ago, by majorities OF largely
over two.thirds in each House, passed joint
| resolution suspending its operation. The Gov
| ernor, very properly, vetoed the resolution. 1t
was passed, in the House of Delegates, by a.
slightly reduced majority, but still exceeding
| two-thirds, over the Governors veto. 1t was
sent to the Senate, and there it quietly sleeps,
and the funding bill still remains in force, and
the funding still goes onI
| What is this but tacit admission that the
whole proceeding was ''humbug?" Ii SEN
atcrs believed really that the funding bill was
such an oppressive and wicked measure, why
did they not promptly stamp the life out OF 1t?
Their inaction gives strong ground for belev-
ing that the whole war on the funding bill was
a mere sham. The object, it would seem, was
not to stop the funding, but to discredit and
depreciate State bonds, in the interests of spec
ulators and greedy corporations.
Additional force is given to this impression
| by the reference of the whole matter to
cumbrous joint committee,-by the hardness
of its action-and by the secrecy of its sessions.
Of what their representatives are doing with
their money?
1t looks very much as if the managers thought
that the movement against the funding bill had
done its work. State bonds have been depre-
ciated to satisfactory extent: the necessary
amounts have been bought, and the whole mat
| ter will be held in abeyanee, until after the
| sale on the 9Th of February.
When that matter is closed the funding ques-
ton will probably be slurred over, and there
being 10 further motive for depreciating the
bonds. the payment ofinterest will be resumed,
and State bonds begin TO rise again and those
who have been in the secret, and bought when
they were at the lowest point of depression,
will realize handsome profit
A special telegram to the Richmond Dispatch,
dated 10th inst. says: The Constitutional
Convention and Legislature of West Virginia,
met at Charleston to-day Officers were elected
as follows Convention-Samue Price, OF
Greenbrier, president; G. j. Bucher, Of Lewis
u A &c rtrIor
president; J. s. Miller, of Cabell, clerk
House of Delegates-Dr 4. E. Summers, of
Kanawha, speaker; J. Bernard Peyton, of
Greenbrier, clerk.
The extension Of the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railroad is being pushed forward rapidly, the
track being completed to Bcownstown, some
ten miles east of Charleston.
Colonel James w. Massie Professor of Math-
ematics ia the Virginia Military Institute, died
on last Tuesday morning at o'clock aged
forty five years.
Colonel Massie has been suffering intensely
ever since 1862, from disease contracted at the
capture of Fort Doneson, where SO great was
his exposure and fatigue that he was prostra-
ted for weeks, and never entirely recovering. =
At that time he was Lieutenant Colonel in
command Of the Fifty-frst Virginia regiment.
Colonel Massie, as mathematician, ranked
deservedly high, and as teacher, he had few,
if any, superiors.
From the supplementary report of the Su-
, periotendent of Public INSTRUCT on, it appears
that the total number of schools in the State
is 2 1854, of which q 1873 are for whites. The
number of pupils enrolled is lbs, 288, of which
80, 1874 are whites. The whole cost of the sys-
ten fer the past year was 1857, 472 80. BY
the census Of 1870, it appears that there are
800, 9l3 persons in Virginia over the age Of ten
years, who cannot read, and AS, 1898 persons
over ten years Of age who cannot write. mostly
; coored
Per Diem.
The prosperous State of Maryland pays heI
members of the Legislature only FIVE dollars
per dem The rich State of New York only
three. The impoverished State of Virginia
gives sir I The Legislature which is thus paid
has the conscience to take Christmas recess,
and receive six dollars day for froicking. =
But it will not pay the States debt to the Wild
ows and orphans Is it not time for retrench-
ment and reform?
r The House Of Delegates. on Thursday, tllth
ultimo,) concurred in the Senate joint resolu-
ton proposing an amendment to the constitu-
, ton of the State of Virginia in respect to the
article entitled Usury, and it will, therefore,
in accordance with it's provisions, be submitted
to the qualified voters at the spring election fol
adoption or rejection. The amendment pro
poses six per cent. instead of twelve per cent.
t as the maximum rate of legal interest.
The famous Fisk letters to Miss Mansfield,
have been published Ia the New York
papers, but instead Of their containing dark and
complicated schemes relative to Erie, they are
; nothing more than batch of love epistles, in
which the writer processes the greatest solicl-
!, tude for the happiness of Miss Mansfield. =
; The letters were delivered By Miss Mansfield
into the hands of Stokes, who used them with
great effect against Fisk.
S The Northern Radical papers that chuckling-
ly told the story Of a negro man having pur-
! chased the ''Fort Hill property, once owned
t by John G. Calhoun, must ''take it all back -