The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-18
THE TWO CAUCUsEs..
One Under General lee; the Other
Under Senator Quescnbcrry.

One Under General lee; the Other
Under senator Quesenbcrry.
EACH BODY DEFINES ITS AIMS AND PUR-
POsEs-REPoRT OF PROCEEDINGs-THE
INDEPENDENTS EXPLAIN THEIR POSI-
TIoN-THEY ALL CLAIM TO BE CoNsER-
NATIVES ELECTED BY CONSERVATIVES
RESOLUTIONS PASSED.
The following notices were read by the
clerks OF both houses OF the General As
sembly yesterday just after adjournment:
"The members OF the Conservative party
Of the House OF Delegates will meet in cau-
Gus in the hall Of the House tonight at Il
o'clock. Conservative members Of the Sem
ate are respectfully invited to attend.
"E. G.. ROBINSON, Chairman"
. A meeting OF the Conservative caucus
which was held in the hall OF the House OF
Delegates on Friday night last will be held
in the same hall this evening at 4a O'Clock.
All Conservatives who were invited under
the call under which that caucus assembled
arc requested to attend.
"W. II. F.. LEE, Chairman"
The First Caucus.
Generel Lee yesterday evening, in calling
the caucus of the two houses Of the Gene
raj Assembly to order, stated that the OBJ
iect OF the meeting was to allow the confer
ence to define its position so unmistakably
that there might be by all clear under
standing OF its purposes; that already two
different constructions, equally erroneous
he thought, had been put on it. He didn't
see very well how the action OF Friday
night could be misconstrued. II he Gene
raj Leg was not very much mistaken, the
action OF the conference Of Friday night
was: First, that Independents would not
pri,nG .facie be admitted; second, that no
question OF State policy should be dis
cussed in the conferences.
Senator Sinclair proceeded to address the
caucus in favor OF maintaining the organ
ization Of the party. lie incidentally men
toned the State debt, which the Chairman
ruled out OF order. .'.
THE ROLL.
The Chairman ordered the roll to be
called. The secretary called it, and 81 gen
tlenen answered to their names. There
are 80 OF the 40 Conservative members on
the roll.l Some others came in later.
The Chairman said that he had been in
formed that there would be a House caucus
in this hall at 7:30 o'clock, aud therefore
would say that it would be courteous and
proper for this conference to conclude its
business and vacate the hall by 7:15.
General Echols believed it probable that
q number of members had not heard OF this
call. He had only heard Of it accidentally,
and was told that there were several others
who had no information about it.
The roll of absentees was, upon the sug-
gestion Of the chairman, called. Itappeared
that several members had gone home forthe
Christmas recess; the others were accounted
for as steadfast in the faith.
THE PURPOSE OF THESE CONFERENCES.
Major Daniel offered The following:
Resolved, !. That this caucus OF Conser-
vatives OF both houses OF the General AS
sembly, elected in accordance with the rules
OF the Conservative party, desires by its or
ganization to perpetuate the supremacy OF
the party, and to take such steps as may en-
able that party to discharge the trusts which
the Conservative constituencies Of the Com
monwealth have committed to their hands.
9. That we do not desire or design to bind
by caucus action the conscience or the
course Of any member respecting the proper
disposition OF the public debt, or respecting
any other question OF legislative or State
policy. a..,.-.-. ..... .sa..
d. L Hal we uSalu COIulully lDfltS ill lcso u
larly-elected Conservatives to participate
with us, to the end that our councils may be
harmonious and our party integrity pre-
served.
SETTLED QUESTION UNSETTLED.
Mr.. Brooke, OF Fauquier, said that as he
understood the Conservative party was or
ganized Of all the elements opposed to Rad
icaIism; that in several parts Of the State
Z bo Po6jooI p1rtp bo6 Iicanppora6 that in
counties the voice Of the people had
been stifled by conventions, and that in some
counties, where there was 10 danger from
Radicals, to have their voices heard in mat
ters of State policy the people had been
to vote for Independents, he
would not exclude an Independent in
case where his running did not endanger
the Conservative party and give opportu-
nifty to 4 Radical. He gave as an instance
the delegates sent here from Loudoun,
elected by Conservatives.
General Hurt asked if these delegates did
not receive the votes OF the Radicals Of LOU
doun. ... -......-
Senator Brooke said that it was probable
that they did; but bis information was that
they were elected by Conservative votes,
and he thought it hard that they should be
excluded. .-sE7 7'1 .i.-
THE INDEPENDENTS.
Mr.. Brooke asked that the conference
walk tenderly and circumspectly in this
matter, and remember that in dealing with
the twenty-five Independents. they were
dealing with many thousand Conservative
voters. -!
Mr.. Coghill said that if the argument OF
Mr.. Brooke were worth anything at all, it
was an argument against all party organi-
zation. 1t was a false idea to suppose that,
because these gentlemen didn't directly en-
danger the party organization they were TO
be permitted to come here and ask admit
tance to the party caucus. He maintained
that the party is not dead, and every gentle
man here in this caucus is here by its author
ity: The State Convention gave each county
the power TO decide whether nominations
should be made or not. Where the majority
so decided the candidate nominated became
the regular nominee, and ought, to have
been respected and supported as such. He
was not ready to assent to the proposition
that the Loudoun delegates were the real
choice OF the Conservatives of Loudoun.
He could not speak for Loudoun, but had
never yet known an Independent to obtain
one tenth OF the Conservative vote. They
depended upon the Radical vote. They ap-
pealed to the enemy.
Mr.. Brooke restated his position. 1t was
that nominations should be made in counties
where there is danger from the Radicals,
but that in other counties the largest liberty
should be given.
Mr.. Coghill replied that that had been left
to each county; that wherever nomina-
ton was made it was the voice OF the ma
iority OF. the party in the county. He had
never known these Independents to have
any respectable following. They are not
elected by Conservatives. They do not
represent Conservative constituencies. Mr..
GarhiIi:- yy-nS In fauor nf taking n decided