The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-08
THE WEATHER YESTERDAY was clear, cool, and
THE WEATHER To-DAY.-The probabilities
are hat IL ,oiH be partly cloudy.
LOCAL MATTERS.
Capitol NoHes.

There Is a bill before the House OF Dele.
gates, reported from the Committee on
Counties, Cities, and Towns, in response to
resolution of inquiry offered by Mr. Viii.
liams of Richmond city, which If adopted
will so amend the 18Th section OF the city
charter as to require two-thirds vote Of all
the members of each branch of the Council
in order to appropriate any sum exceeding
one hundred dollars, to impose taxes, or to
authorize the borrowing Of money by the
city.
Mr. R. De Mortie (colored), of Burke
vile, yesterday laid upon the desks of the
members q printed protest against the pro-
posed constitutional amendment which would
"make the first committal OF petit larceny
equal to felony crime punishable With
imprisonment in the penitentiary and tue
forfeiture Of the rights Of q citizen OF the
State"
AS an explanation of why colored people
have thievng propensity De Mortle says !;
cit is well-known fact that the training
and keeping of the colored Virginian has for
over two hundred years been that which the
white yirginian has given him; the colored
man was not free, his habits anG
customs have been such as his msster
either directed, or by circumstances
and surroundings have made true OF
him. In the days of slavery, when
he worked without compensation, when he
was made to believe he could commit petty
theft, take provisions and the like, without
committing heinous crime, as little notice
was taken of such offences"
For this reason, and several Others named,
De Mortie thinks, in justice TO the c0lored
map, the petit larceny amendment ought mol
70 he submitted to the people.
Colonel Rufin submitted to the Commit.
tee on Roads an outline Of his canal report
yesterday.
Or motion of Senator Smith, of Nelson,
the committee yesterday adopted the follow
ing:
Resolved, That in the opinion of the com.
mittee, the State owning eighty-three hum
dredths of the whole property, 1t is to the
Interest of all stockholders in the James
River and Kanawha canal to have said canal
completed to the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
| road at or near Clifton Forge, and that it Is
the true policy of the State TO contribute all
convict labor it can, on such terms as may
be hereafter agreed upon, to further the END
in view.
The trustees of the Second Baptist church
fco,ored), of Richmond, are asking to be au
| tborized to execute one or more deeds o.
| trust upon the church property situated or
Byrd street between First and SeconC
streets for the purpose Of raising sum
money. not to exceed FIVE thousand dollars
to defray the costs and charges OF certain i'm
proyements recently or now being put OF
said property, and 10 pay rate of interes
not exceeding ten per centum per annum.
Mr.. Hoenniger yesterday introduced oil
directing the Superintendent of Public Build
ines to remove the ponderous Capitol SQUARE
gates. and to authorize the impounding o
all stock and the killing of all unlicensed
dogs found withiu the enclosure. Referred
Five or six speeches were made in tn
House Yesterday on the Centennial bill. l
is generally conceded that the best was tina
of Mr.. Nicely, of Accomac, in favor OF tn
appropriation. 1t is hoped that sufticien
number of votes will be obtained to orde
the bill to engrossment and third reading to
day.
Senator Lawson yesterday received lette
from Senator Moffett, OF Rockingham, ~n'
is at home. Senator Moffett, though com
planning of sickness, has no apprehenslons 0
ihaving the smallpox.
| The whole etobacco.inspection question ha
been referred to a special committee OF hVe
senators and ten delegates.
i In view. of Judge Crump's perfect famill
Earity with the tobacco laws, it is expected
that he will be one of the members on tn
part of the House.
Colonel William Skeen received Telegram
lfrom Covington yesterday stating that Dele
gate Carpenter was able to walk about hi
iroom.
To-day is the thirty-ninth of the session.