Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-12-17

more will join. Some OF the =. p. r'adlusters
have also, it is said, determined to join the reg
ular organization. =,
IT. ia understood that the double funding
already discovered foots about SAT 900, and that
there are signs bat it will amount to s'O'Ooo'
RICHMOND, Dec. 16.-lt is, as matters no"
stand, almost impossible to stats with precision
the situation cf the public DEBT question, but
IN. develonments thus far indicate that the con-
s(r7ativc members of the Legislature are dlVld-
ed into two parties entertaining dlametrcally
opposito views with reference to the sutjact.-
| A considerable number of them, who, together
With the twenty independents, probably consti-
tute majority of the General Assembly, arc 10
favor of forcible readjustneDt of the debt,
and the passage by this Assembly of an act to
effect the same. With this party are nearly all
the members from the Southside, where the
Malone influence is most potent. They are
very aggressive 10 their acts and Opinions, and
have evidently determined not only to carry out
their policy if possible, but also 10 take posses.
sion of all the offices that the General Assembly
| under the Constitution and laws is authorz I'd
| to fill. 10 pursuance of that plan they appear
the 5th inst, after having had preliminary
| Y
| upou and voted soldy to permit twenty iDde.
pendents, two republicans, and the TWO green
| back workiogmen from Lynchburg to partiei
pate 10 the caucus. knowing that these persons
would vote for Allen for Speaker, and thereby
| secure for the forcible readiusters tho chair
| manship of the principal committees and large
| representation thereon. This party is known
here as the "Simou Pure" or Fukerson.Bar-
bour readjusters. They have been nightly for
a week past holding secret meetings 10 the
| Ballard House. for purpos, which they have
not yet avowcd, but which is believed to be to
| marshal their forces and settle upon some plan
| by which their intention to turn out all the
present officers Of the government ADD put 10
| their places those entertaining their views can
be accomplished. Some of them have gone 50
| far as to say that they propose to reorganz,
| the judiciary, and secure one, every member OF
| which will be committed to the policy Of forci.
BILE reimbursement, and that with this object in
view they will support at the coming election
for judges of the courts only those who are
known to be 10 accord with them on that ques
| ton. What measure they Intend to introduce
to accomplish their object with reference to the
| debt or how they expect to override and nullify
the decision of the Court of Appeals on the
Funding Act Of 1871, is not yet kuowo.
The remaining members of the General As
semby iOoluding your delegate, MIR. Mushbach,
stand upon the Conservative platform adopted
at the late Gubernatorial Convention, and are
utterly opposed to reputation, or its synonym,
| forcbe readjusment. They favor compro-
| of the State, and hold that any adjustment to
| which the creditors would be perfo1c, obliged
| to submit, would not only dshonor and tarnish
the good name and fame Of the Commonwealth
| but is impossible of accomplishment 10 view of
the decision Of the Court of Appeals 90 the
Funding Bill. That bill they agree was wrong
10 principle, and detrimental to the interests of
the Comm onWealth 10 that it took away from
| the State for thirty years to come the right to
control its own revenue. but as the high Court
| Of Appeals has. after full argument and careful
consideration, decided that the act is irrepeal-
able, and constitutes a contract between the
State and its creditors, they are willing to abide
by the law and accept that which they cannot
get rid of without the assent of the creditors.
They propose to favor all schemes that have
for their object rctrenchment in the expendl-
lures Of the government 80 as to bring the
sH AZ ana aeb ST. eSfRMso s ths naa poscn
without Increasing taxes. to meet its just ob-
gallons. should all attempts to coEn promise the
debt be unsuccessful.
Ga Thursday night, the 18th instant, an ad-
)urned meeting or conference of those mem.
bers Of the u ,neral Assembly who stand upon
the principles enunciated in the platform adopt
ed by the conservative convention which noni
mated Col. f. w. NJ. Holiday for Governor,
and who are opposed to reputation or forcibIe
REIMBURSEMENT of the public debt, was held 10
the hall of the House Of Delegates Senator e..
r. Smith chairman and Senator Hairston secre-
tary. The chairman stated that the object Of
the meeting was to bring about an interchange
Of views on the vital question Of the public debt
and devise if possible some measure to meet
the emergency.
Resolutions wore introduced by Mr.. Walker,
of Northumberland, Mr.. Bocock, Mr.. Edmunds,
Mr.. Bland and Mr.. Mushbach looking to a con-
ference between the creditors of the State and
joint committee of the General Assembly, but
they were all tabled at III suggestion OF General
Echols, who desired, before any action in the
matter was taken, to appoint a commttc, to
wait upon the Ballard House readjusters and
endeavor to bring about soma understanding
and secure harmony in the conservative ranks !
He offered resolution to that effect, which WAS
adopted AID the meeting adjourned.
Yesterday the following call was published in |
the Richmond papers:
THE members of the General Assembly who |
have been elected rs nominees of the conserva- !
tive party, and those who have been ell eeted as
COuseIYdLlVes w CousoIfhLlVo FoLoTs III COuQLleS
and cities where there were no nominations by |
the conservative party, arc requested to as.
semble in the hall of the House of Delegates on |
Friday, the II instant, at 730 p. M. to confer
together, and act on such msttsrs as may be
considered necessary for the interest of the State
and the preservation of the organization of the
party"
At the hour named about one hundred and |
twenty of the members assembled at the desig.
mated place. and Gen. w. 81. F. Lee wa, made
chairman Of the m aetiug. A number OF the for
chile readiusters were present. and it soon be.
came evident that they meant mischief, as they
knew that the object of TIL meeting was to con.
slider the question of excluding the independents
from further participation in Conservative eau.
cuses.
Mr.. Bohsnnon introduced resolution, the
effect OF which was to secure vote upon that
question, and Immediately the uproar began,
and for three hours or moro lively debate was
in progress.
John W. Daniel made mastery speech in
f1vor Of Mr.. Bohsnnon's resolution, and took
the ground that those who had been elected as
indeper dants and outside of the conservative
organization had no right TO sit in its csncusas