The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-08

of the General Assembly was held last night
in the hall OF the House Of Delegates Sen
ator Qaesesberry presiding. L 49,
Mr. Wall presented resolution excluding
all persons from the door Of the house ex.
cept ex. Conservative members Of the Gen-
eral Assembly. officers of the two houses,
and members Of the press. Agreed TO.
Mr.. Brooks presented the following: S
Reso.oed, That no one be admitted as D
member OF this conference who was elected
to the General Assembly In opposition TO
any regular nominee Of the Conservative
party aE the last election in any cotsnty 10
which there ;s In operation regular Con.
servative organization.a Laid Of, the table.
AN EFFORT TO POSTPONE NoaINATroNs.
Mr.. Sibert presented the following
Reselued, That this conference postpone
the nomination Of candidates for the difer-
ent State offices until the 17th instant. b.
MIR. Sibert addressed the conference at
some length urging the importance OF re-
trencbmepts aud reforms and OF examining
the reports of the State officers before any
nominations are made: He thought it due
to the State that Investigations should De
made. rigid and careful. Begin at the top
and 20 through every office Of the capitol,
including the hall of the House ana the
Senate Chamber.
! Mr.. Cri,z did not believe In. postponing
any longer the nominations. be tnousnt
that 1t was useless to talk about " reform !,
in that way. He deemed 1t was Unfair 10
cast suspicion upon these officers. he
could not understand the movement, which
seemed to him to be side wipe. -
Dir. Armistead Carter referred to the seye-
raj investigations that had been had IN the
last few years, and thought that every mem.
ber ought to be prepared to go into the
nominations now. Nothing syas reported
from those investigations calculated to cast
the slightest suspicion upon
TIE INTEGRITY OF ANY OF THE OFFICERS.
Mr.. Williams, of Richmond, moved as q
substitute that the caucus 60 into nomlna.
tions. ,.I,......-
Mr. Smith (ex.Governor) said there had
been public corruption that one OF the ON.
GERS whom he would have as soon suspected
as ary friend around him had been sent TO
the penitentiary. Now all these investiga-
tions referred to had reference only to that
defalcation, and the remarks made by the
gentleman from Rockingham were. not per.
tinent. he could not himself understand
Wby with diminished territory the State
should have such an increased force OF off1-
GERS. He thought 1t eminently proper that
there should be Investigations. He did not
think the resolution was at ali calculated 10
reflect on the basement affair. /
MIR. McMullau said that he had been on one
of the committees of inv estigatlon Tor the
basement offices, but the Investigation had
bpt one direction, aud was not thorough
Mr.. Shefey said thatff any member would
rise In his place and say he meant to prefer
charges against any officer he would vote to
POSTPONE but unless such statement was
contemplated he could see no reason why
the nominations should be postponed. lt
had been said that the expenses of the GOV
ernment were greatly increased. He thougnt
that many members present remembered
that in past years many State officers per-
formed duties gratultously. Now 1t was
different. He was IS. Il
UNWILLING TO STAY THE PROCEEDINGS
of this body uRle:s charges were preferred
against some officer. 1t would be idle to de.
lay unless such was the case.
Mr.. Armstrong stated that there had been
degree Of
NEGLIGENCE THAT WAS UNPARALLELED.
There has been degree Of looseness or
| the part of some of the officers below that
absolutely required investigation negligence
| which has driven Que of our best citizent
| into the walls of an asylum, and another
into the penitentiary. He then referred Il
the resolution which he had offered In ths
House yesterday. .r--s--.----s
Mr.. Critz: Will the gentleman say who
he has referred to? ,a... ssp. ;
/ MFR. Armstrong said he would do so, bu
in his OWE way. He then referred to th'
/" everlasting rumors which ore reaching
the ears of the people Of this Com
monwealth, of the negligence In tbt
basement offices, especially in the. Secont
Auditors Office" He thought this BODY
ought to inquire by what authors
ty certain registered bonds had been con
Yertei into coupon bonds. 1t is time tha
these matters were being looked into. 1
there is nothing wrong in the basement
WHY is there this indecent and hot haste u
20 into an election for Second Auditor! Ht
denied that there was any man who though
more of character than he; but be did mol
want any Whitewashing. The offices ln Var
ginia were unlike those in Washington
there sre no offices for stealsge here; and .he
felt sure that no mans character would 3be
injured by postponing the matter aao
having an investigation. y
~ GENERAL TERRY t.,
alluded TO the investigation last year when
he was chairman of the committee. He spoke
of Colonel MAYO as his friend and school.
mate. and his associate during the war |; that
when tie investigation was going on Colonel
Mayo said TO him, eff there is ANYTHING
wrong here. it is not due to Auditor ,Tay lor
or General Rogers. Tn the report that was
made these gentlemen were eXoneIated, Dut
there was a sentence In the report which al
Iuded TO neglig ence in the basement offices.
General Bagwell said the matter had been
sIf,ed as far as 1t was possible, and although
there had been q; defslcation, yet there was
not the slightest taint OF suspicion attached
to Auditor Taylor or General Rogers. Gene
raj Baswell then read the testimony OF Colo.
mel Mayo taken before the commitie when
the two. Auditors were -.aSf
FULLY IxoNERATED
in every way. He saw nothing even which
looked like negligence. Mr. Stegar, the ex-
nert. counted every bond. Not one charge
Of crininality did he bring. BE simply
made some suggestions as to bow some OF
the books should be kept Now, 10 view OF
all these things, he could see no reason Why
there should be any delay.
MIR. Clarke, Of Snrry, said that there Was
a laadable disposition to;scurtait expenses.
He believed there was movement on foot
10 cut down the pay Of the members to five
dollars per day, and the pay Of the officers 10
a like ratio. He wanted TO know whether 1t
was right to let these officers knoE what their
offices wonid be.Worth.
Mr.. Sibers said he had no charges 10 bring
against any officers In the capifoi bis :reso.
luton had been introduced WITH view OF
how Gar the clerical force could