The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-07


thg Republican party ii. so, what SHOW s|hlp
OF success would we. hayef Say we sue
ceeded in, ignoring law and in de0allchlng
Cur court. what OF it? The Republican
party has preceded and far surpassed Us
by filing the land with judges who were
known to have decided to make the law
70 conform to cases rather tbun with judges
who would decide cases in accordance with
law. Saw we succeeded In overturning our
vearling Constitution, what of that9 The
Republican party has demonstrated its
power in the, overthrow Of q consti-
tuition around +, which century hath
twined its hundred arms. Sir, q pigmy
might as well measure its puny step against
the giants stride as the Conservative party
hone to rival the Republican In the
rape of constitution and prostitution of
courts. In this contest we are already dis
tanced and ruled off the track. Let us,
then, fall back to those lines. Regard for the
onstitution-Fede and State-and re.
spect, and reverence, and obedience to judi
cial decision. Entertainments behind which
we have fought, been wounded, MANNED,
and defeated, but never utterly cast down.
The time has come for US to again lake posi-
ton. We have been on furlough long
enough. This General Assembly has not
done, and now cannot do, half the legislation
which it should have done and that which
II has done has been but half done. The
future historian may make our history very
short. and vet very accurate and complete.
Tins. In lS71-'72 passed dog law. In
1S72-,73 repealed dog law. And, sir, We
have hut twenty five working days in which
IN amend this record. Then, let lis 60 to
work and work in earnest, for we have much
to do in this short time. Think Of our hun.
bred Judges to eject; the interest question to
settle; the Constitution to amend the judi
ciary to reconstruct; the assessment bill to
pass; the appropriation bill to pass the free
railroad law to pass upon and very i'm
portant amendment of a charter, for the con-
sideration of which we have been paid five
thousand and forty-seven dollars cash. And
this debt questionable most important of
alive have spent more than tWepty-eight
days upon this debt question alone. think
it is high time 10 settle it one way or
another and be done with it. The Auditor
estimates our revenue at s., S15, 4S0.Sl. He
estimates our current expenses at 81 ,0G2,-
344.O0. This does not include $31, S45.S9
tor interest to colleges. nor $4,000
J
but these amounts, added TO the estimate for
current expenses, foot up sl,094, SS9.19. The
funded debt bearing coupons for taxes is
S2s,2IS,730, the interest upon which is
sl.2lG,T23.S0, which, added to the 81 ,09i,-
1928. make $3.50, 1880 necessary to pay
interest upon the funded debt and the cur
rent expenses of government. Tomcet this
we have above shown q revenue of S2,S15,-
..o
S504, 70. This exhibit shows that we
can pay our current expenses and our pre-
ferrcd creditors; or, in other words, the
amount which we are compelled to pay. This
done, we will do the best we can for the &C.
fsrred creditors, upon whom the arrange
ment will bear heavily; but We can't help it,
nor are majority of us responsible for it.
Let us, then, pass this resolution to-day and
have done with this business, except to ragu-
late the distribution of our surplus among
The deferred creditors. and, Mr.. President,
/ ask vote upon this resolution to-day.
Delay can do us no good. The courts will
compel us to pay. Iquote from the Senator
from Augusta and right here permit me to
say that have looked up and presented the
record of this Senator upon this funding
bill-not from any unkind feelings towards
him (this he knows, as does every one else
with whom am acquainted), but it has been
done purely from necessity. The Senator
having developed into the leader OF the Left,
I felt called upon to prove to his follow
ers that, having led his followers Of II
into this "SerhOnian bog" he might be
leading those of '73 into equal difficulties.
felt called upon to prove that he led them
in by the light of his own genius, end
natin. from n thorough consideration and
discussion of the whole subject-mattcr in Ill
its length and breadth and phases, and not
from the following after gubernatOriai jack
o'lanternS, because the same genius which ID
III multiplied Si,70O,0 900 Of revenue into the
paving of 81 800, 900 of interest and 81 ,G00,-
900 of current expenses is the very same &C.
Mus which to-day they are following. Again |
felt called upon to produce this record, because
after its publication no man may plead thlt
he was led captive by his eioquence or borne
down by bis reason since he who speaks
equally well upon both sides can be no au-
thorty upon either. And again, Mr.. Prc-i-
dent, felt called upon to produce this re-
cord because Of the Senator's remarks con-
corning our high Court OF Appeals-u court
as able as any in the land, and as pure.
Marshall has never had more worthy sue
ccssors. These judges are not to blame for
our trouble, and should not be censured.
You remember the fable of the teamSter
who drove his wagon off the high-road and
into the mire. When his team was Unable to
draw out lie got down, walked out on dry
land and then abused the horses because
they could not eXtricate themselves. When
the master came along noticed that instead
of joining the driver in his abuse Of tie
horses he rebuked the driver for having
driven them in. And now, DIR. President,
when think you the people (rnaster of botii
senator and judge will rebuke when they
come to decide between the Senator WHO
drove them in and the judges who simply
declare they are in and cannot get out !?
Our Judges arc not the ones who manacled
"virginia, hound aud IN rags, yet every inch
queen" .....
And now. Mr. President, let the people
decide as they may between Senator and
Judge. and let Senators vote as they will
between Senator and Judge, I, for one, ain
done with this question. Our delay is Viz
ginia's shame; but can't help it.; and hay
ing done my duty, my conscience is at rest.
All that / have said or done has been
with an eye and heart single to the best in
terests of the people and the honor OF the
Commonwealth. No man feels or can feel
a deeper solicitude for their veal than my
self; for, although not the son OF the Alham.
bra, yet am the grandson Of Virginia. The
bones of my ancestry make part OF her deep
foundations, and my own blood crimsoned
the crests OF her everlasting hills. Her name
/ revere above every earthly name, and l
would harbor this sentiment all the days Of
my life, and, dying, bequeath to my chill
dren; but, to do if, she must be held up, for
it is hot in my soul to worship downward.