Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-01-16
RICHMOND LETTER.
House OF DELEGATES,
RICHMOND, VA,
Ion IQth 1877

jan lOlll' lCi -
There are some who think that il
the snOw-storms of the past six weeks
had showed up each member OF the
Legislature at his home, so that the
General Assembly could not have met,
it would have been as well. / am not
80 sure of this. Some good may come
of it, and now think there will. Ex-
IRENE views have to be toned down,
and don't think of anything so well
calculated to do this as to take your
twO-edged delegate or senator and
stand him on his bifGrcated end, throw
his Unbelievable open and let him
blow awhile.
The bill to sweep out of operation
the whole constitutional bar against
duelsts has ELECTED an immense
amount of the dear commodity called
speech For days this unnecessary
measure has been pressed by its
friends. without, az it seems to me,
any reasonable hope of its passage.
To-day it was engrossed by vote of
90 to 40. 1t is not at all likely to Sc
cure the necessary two-thirds required
for its passage.
The bill to regulate the practice of
medicine went to its death, after a
protracted debate. 1t required all APP
plicants for license to practice medi-
cine to appear here in Richmond be-
fore a board of medical examiners,
whose consent should be necessary to
his obtaining license. 1 am sure
there are numbers Of promising young
men in South vest Virginia, who, af-
ter completing their preparation for
the practice of physic, have so far ex-
hausted their means that they could
not take three hundred mile journey,
pay fare, hotel bills ten dollar fee
and return for the mere chance of pass
ing that board. The advocates of the
measure are not willing to make the
diploma of some reputable medical
college pre- requisite on the part of
all new applicants. This could be OBJ
tanned. But the medical fraternity in
sist on setting their gauge too deep,
aud so the measure fails every year.
The dog tax Is another instance.
Gov. Letchcr's bill was amended by
exempting one dog FOR every family,
aud by making the oveIplus, after
payment for all sheep killed by dogs,
go to the county treasury instead Of
the State treasury. This would have
given the money back to the people
The bill intended that it should be ia
ken 10y the hondholder. These changes
50 much DISCUS ed the patron of the
bill that he moved its postponemen t
until the Fourth of July, evidently
thinking that this Legislature could
not sit until then, or that if Hayes
should he hoisted on bayouet to the
Presidential perch, there would be no
more Fourth of July.
The new road bill for Buckingham,
Rockbrdge, Washington, Smyth, Pu-
laski aud other counties, has been per
fected about "a far as its friends are
'A'NN ~ lNAANNh ~ AlAN iltAo 'NNAl SUM W
all the papers in our county for publ
cation. think it will give us an eff
Gent road system, and that in more
than'we now have. 1t Is generally
pronounced here the best road bill
that has ever been presented, aud 1t is
quite likely there will be quite a num-
Der of other counties that will adopt
il.
The Richmond meeting held last
Monday i'm the capitol, was very large.
~ attended, and some of the speeches
were very fine. Gov. Smiths is w0r-
thy of rank with those of the ollen
time. 1t was broad, comprehensive,
patriotic and bold though marked 10y
prudence and wisdom. The resolutions
ndouted were temperate but arm.
now LET US COME TO BUSINESS
have just interviewed Mr. j. Il.
Peyton, of Haddoniield, n j., six
miles out from Philadelphia. lie is a
very celebrated banker, who organized
the American Banking Association,
with O.. q. Coo as President, and he is
here as tho representative of COM
mitico'of liyo leading bankers, who
are nuSious 10 effect re adjustment
~ the public debt Of Virginia and
other Southern States. The commit
tno consists of Al,ssrs. q. n. Coo. Pre-.
iIyut ~ the American Exchange Ma
tlounl Bank Of New York, with "a cap.
ital Of hyo millions, J. ID. Vermylle,