Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-02-14
AFFAIRS IN THE LEGISLAT URE
THE AUGUSTA AND RICH
MOND SENATORS.

MOND SENATOR'S.
In the Senate last week, Mr.. Connally,
one of the Senators from Richmond, an op.
ponent Of the Funding Bill, but since the
decision Of the Court Of Appeals. in favor Of
obeying the law selected, Judge Cochran,
the Senator from Augusta, as represen
tative of the anti funders in the Senate and
commenced airing his record. He was stop
ped by the Senate, or the ground that
reference to Senator Cochran's record as
member o. the 9th house was out of order,
though Judge C. was willing for him to
proceed. Mr.. Connally then put bis un-
spoken speech in full in the Richmond pa
pers. The animus and pith of his speech
may be found in the following extract:
Monday, the 9th of March, the funding
bi II came up. Mr.. Turner moved to insert in
the body Of the certificate given for one third
Of the debt. "That the State of Virginia is
not and will not be bound in any manner or
form for the payment now OF at any future
time of this certificate or any part thereof.
but this is without any prejudice to the
rights of the holders thereof to demand pav
ment Of the same of the State of West Vir-
ginia" Upon the resolution. under the
passage Of which Virginia would have been
released from the payment Of sixteen mil
lions of dollars. the Senator from Augusta
voted nav. and spoke as follows Wing, 9th
March. 1871 !: Judge Cochran advocated
the bill and opposed the amendment, saying
that be raised his voice for the last time Cd
the subject There should be no uncertain
voice on this subject Of pligbted faith. As
a representative Of the great county Of Au
gusta, which. under the new assessment,
would pay more taxes than any county in
the State, be wanted it understood that her
people were for paying the State debt to the
last farthiDg (and the national debt, too. be
added in reply to a question: He argued
that nothing could be gained by adopting
the amendment Of Speaker Turner. The
courts Of the country would intervene AID
enforce payment if the debt was due. Late
action of the Supreme Court showed this
This proposition was reputation without
any Of its fruits. How can it be ascertained
that we owe two.thirds and no more? He
glanced at statistics 10 show we owe more.
If we are going to repudiate we should Sc
cure its benefits He deplored that be who
had been elevated to the Speakership Of the
House should be the first TO tarnsh the fame
OF Virginia by proposition to repudiate
He spoke of Mississippi, the effect Of repu.
diatiea upon the standing and credit of that
State. and of the humiliation that still clings
to her people. The same fate will attend
every man who advocated reputation in
Virginia. He may gain temporary popu.
larity, but disaster and shame will eventu.
ally overtake him. The honor Of Virginia
must be protected /; it must not be bartered
away for gold One e au sold his birth
right for mess Of pottsge. The gentle.
man from Rappahannock seemed anxious to
follow his example. The honor Of Virgin
ia was the heritage of every one Of her sons,
and it must not be bartered away He spoke
OF the widows and orphans Of the State who
had nothing but State bonds. He appealed
to the colored members to 20 against repu-
diation should this question be car,ied into
the next canvass he, for one would choose
nolitical death rather than advocate it He
would do no such dirty work as Reputation,
even should he be chosen by the people to
DO it. Virginia must look to her credit
and maintain it. He regarded reputation
as the poorest means of escaping from obi.
cations. 1t we would attract immigration
and capital we must assume this debt and
pay to the last farthing
The next day Senator Cochran replied to
the published speech from his seat in the
Senate. The "Whig" says:
Mr.. Cochran rose to personal privilege,
aud requested the clerk to read card from
Mr.. Connally introducing speech of the lat.
ter published in the Enquirer" of this
MOI ming J after which reading, be proceed.
ed to vindicate himself from the attacks
made upon him in the published apsech of
Mr.. Connally. Mr.. Cochran acknowledged
that he had changed his opinions, bu. as
serted that he voted for, and approved the
Funding bill, when mem Der of the House.
because it was the best thing. in his judge
ment, then offered; he had said then that
under no circumstances would be vote to 10
crease taxes, and on this point, at least, had
not changed. He reviewed the. whola his
tory Of the Funding bill. the decision of the
Supreme Court Of Appeals. and the present
financial prospect, and maintained that be
was no repu iiationist, but was true Vir.
ginian, who loved her people better than
everything else, and would do nothing to
crush their life out, even to satisfy the de-
mands Of the bondholders.
Mr.. Gonnally said that inasmuch as Mr.:
Cochran had not assailed his record as he
had threatened in his remarks, he did not
conceive it necessary to reply to him. He
assured Mr.. Cochran that he had high
personal respect for him, though. as he be.
lieved it was his duty to, he had been COM
PEELED 10 examine his record on the public
debt question
A INDUSTRIOUS CHILD KILLER.-CoNFEs-
SION OF GRIMES A Boston dispatch reports
that Franklin B. Evans, who is now under
sentence of death for the murder of Georgi.
ana Lowering has confessed a friehtful serea
of crimes He says that in 1858 he stole
away and killed little niece in Derry, N.
H., aged five. In 1861 he cut the throat
of girl of fourteen years in Augusta, Me- :,
Qor which another man died in prison. y
La 1865 be killed Isabella Joyce aged four
teen. and her brother John. a boy Of twelve,
in Bussey's. woods, near Boston. In 1872,