Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-05-05
TUESDAY, MAY, 5, 1874.
OUR RICHMOND LETTER.
RICHMOND, VA.
April %. 1874.

RICHMOND, VA.
April %, 1874. !
Another day and Richmond will,
for while, be as dry as has for several
davs been her reservoir The Sena-
tors and Delegates drawn from every
quarter of the State have invested the
city with life and an interest which
it cannot again possess until Decem-
Der shall bring them back again. AL
ready / see them at every spare mo-
lnent packing their trunksa and making
their purchases for their RETURN
The last hours of the session have been
hours of work. Vast numbers of bills
are rushed to their destiny in the two
houses, and talk is no more the rule
but the exception. Yet rapid as has
been, and is, the process, the various
bills are scanned closely, as it is well
known that some of them have ser
Deuts coiled beReath their surface
The appropriation, bill has probably
been the work of too much haste.
The Penitentiary gets lightweight
thousand, besides the amount yet un-
exhausted. This institution is GER
tainly self-sustaining, in this, that 1t
has become so strong and its beneti-
Charles are so well fed that it canrot be
abated IS a nuisance. The Senate
agreed to lease it to responsible par
tiss. but the House proved subservient
70 the ring and the bill failed. Thus
the State must be saddled with this
drain. as il has been i'm the past. The
discussion alone of this question was
prolonged and costs us an additional
sum. TIE time spent upon the tax
bill is said to have cost the State
$4,000.
Yesterday the House spent S4OO in
reducing the appropriation bill $500,
which was much after the fashion OF
the man who ran fourteen miles in
fifteen days and never looked behind
him.
The Cumberland Gap r. r. question
has consumed much time and unless
the question be set at rest, once for all,
it bids fair to cost as much in the dis
cussion as i'm the construction. Both
houses are a unit almost, in the deter
mination to forbid its being built un-
less a connec Jon with Kentucky roads
be first assured. Such a bill has al
ready passed both houses, but in the
House of Delegates, Guilds amend
ment was tacked on 10y majority OF
but one vote, but the Senate defeated
it by aE overwhelming vote and sub
stituted therefor the authC riZation OF
the a. NJ. & o. Co., on the event OF q
failure of assurance of being met by
kentucky within about two and a
half Years, TO use, as last ana only
proper resort, the three and a halt
million in otherwise developing and
extending the line. In this shape the
hil goes back TO the House, where il
will probably be reached to-day, and il
is very likely TO pass and become
law. The matter will stand thus
kentucky has notice that unless with
in two and a half years she will give
us the opportunity Uf spending this
money in reaching her. We empow-
er the Company TO spend it in reach
ing other people. How we could dc
either less or more than this am un-
able 10 see, and think time will de,
velope and display the wisdom and
propriety of this course.
Coz Kemper is over run with bills
which be must examine and either
approve or veto, presume the veto
will be snsringly used, but Petersburg
seems now very anxious that be should
use it On the Tax bile He has been
dining the merlbers of the legislature,
taking a portion of them each day.
The Speaker announced .Messrs.
Richmond, Long3ey, and Brooks OF
Chesterfield, as the committee on the
part Of the Houe, TO go TO Kentucky
for the purpose of ascertaining the
prospect for a connection at Cumber-
land Gap with our proposed Va. & KY.
r. r. Me5srs. Pridemore, of Lee,
and Penn, of Patrick, were appointed
on the part of the Senate. These five
gentleman will visit Kentucky during
the vacation and report at the next
2 session. They are to serve without
pay or expense to the State
The DanvilIe r. r. must pass under
the rod of taxation. Themeasure has
passed the House and will doubtless
pass the Seuate to-day. Both gauges
are preserved from this city to Burk-
vile and is narrowed from Burk lie
to Danville, but before doing so it
must submit TO taxation at the END OF
five years. The tax is said to amount
to about $1,000 per annum, and the
removal of the rail from Burkville to
Danville and the new one from Burk-
vile to Richmond will cost the COM
pany some $4,000. But as the Com
pany manevered the State out OF
over million and a aquarter of dol
lars, it can stand the tax.
AS this desultory letter progresses
the prospect of an extra session begins
to cloud or brighten the sky. The
pressure for a veto is very strong and,
terrible as may be the remedy, if the
tax bill is iniquitous in its discrimfna-
.tions, il had better be remedied.
/. SEE.