The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-21
TIE ANTTFURDERs m SECRET SESSION
TIE CoLoREp TRoops FIRE AND RALL BACK.

The CoLoRED TROOPS FIRE AND AALL BACK
Another convention" or conference O
'anti-funders " and legislators opposed te
the payment of interest on the public deb
took place in the ball of the House of Dele
gates last night, Major j. Horace Lacy, o.
Spotsylvanfa, in the chair. There were only
about forty members present, counting the
white and colored Radicals. This shows q
diminution in strength since the second and
third meetings, and Is attributed to the IN.
wholesome reputation the movement has got.
ten by reason Of its secret proceedings, and
also because some have declined further par.
| ticipation, as the reputation speeches that
have been made by few and gone unre.
buked by the majority were not to their
| taste.
Soon after the " convention "-that is what
some of them call it-had commenced bu.
siness last night an enterprising reporter OF
the city press, finding the door halfway
open and unguarded, walked in and took
a position in the aisle. Major Lacy,
the chairman, arose in considerable
excitement and said, "Mr. Doorkeeper,
close that door," The doorkeeper proceeded
to execute the command, and the reporter
! fell back in good order, in consequence
| whereof some gems Of. eloquence that might
have been reported by him will not go
"sounding down the corridors of time."
The first thing that occurred to give in
terest to the proceedings, after the exclusion
Of the reporter, vas speech from Peter 4:
Jones (colored), member Of the House from
Greensylle county. 1t is not always that
Mr.. Jones can secure the undivided atten-
ton of his bearers, but he did last night, 1t
was, of course, expected that be would de-
| nounce the funding bill, deride the Court of
Appeals plead the utter impoyerishment OF
the State, the mercilessness of the creditors,
and the inability of the people to bear an
increase of taxation; but what was the sur
prise when he was beard to utter sentiments
quite to the contrary. The chairman
called him to order, and insisted that he
should take his seat. Mr.. Jones declined.
The chairman said that Mr.. Jones, enter.
taining the views he bad expressed, had no
right to be in the meeting. After a good
deal of squabbling, and after several points
of order had been raised, Dir. Peter K. Jones
and fellow.membcr, Mr.. Rufus X. Jones,
recognizing the fact that their room would
be. to the majority, preferable to their com
pany, shook the dust of the funding bill from
their feet and departed.
The report of the Committee of Business
was then presented. 1t consisted .of a reso'
luton recommending the passage by the
General Assembly Of bill introduced in the
Senate by Mr.. Penn, proposing to ask of the
United States Government the loan of Sl5
00O,G00. with which to buy up and retire the
| outstanding bonds Of the State.
There was no opposition to this resolu'
ton, and it was adopted. Dir. Round (Re
publican), of Prince William, urged that the
clerk should draft and all present should
sign pledge 10 support the action of the
meeting. On this proposition there was
| much discussion, and from the best sources
of information at our command it is be-
lieved the pledge was ordered to be drafted
though 1t was not signed last night.
Mr. Round seems to be leading spirit 10
this movement, and therefore the views eX-
pressed by him and understood to be sup
of public importance. They are, in brief
that the Constitution shall be amended so as
| to provide that the debt of the State shall be
funded in six per cent. bonds running twen.
ty years that no interest shall be allowed
| during the period of the late war that the
bonds issued under the operations Of the
| thereon, but the holders of those bonds may
| exchange Them iOr DOnus issued unuer Inls
amendment to the Constitution exclusive oi
the interest represented in the principal
of the funding-bill bonds; that these
bonds shall be issued at the market
value which prevailed on the day Virgins
was resdmitted to the Union; that neither
the Court of Appeals or any other court
shall have fower to construe this action un
constitutional; that there shall hereafter be
three judges of the Court of Appeals instead
of five, and they shall hold office for twelve
years.
Views almost as strong, so far as the debt
itself is concerned, have been expressed by
several Conservative members.
The conference adjourned to meet again
next Wednesday night at o'clock.