The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-03-01
peciai correspondence OF VALLEY VIRGIN
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.

LETTER FROM RICHMOND.
THE WHISKEY BELL TAXA TEST VOTE
| '1N TIE uOUSE-THE REGISTER TRI-
UMpIIANT-EFFoRTs TO KILL THE BILL
| -GENEROsITY OF THE AUTHOR--A
WIsHY-WASHY ENATE-PRoBABILITIEs
OF THE Observation-Disclosures COMMIT
TEE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. POLITICS, &C.
| In this, the first letter OF the series by
which hope hereafter to keep the VIRGIN
| IAN's readers Informed OF the acts and do
ings of our State Legislature, and the cur
rent events at the Capitol, cannot be very
prollx, at least, owing to the fact that have
Just arrived. But the proceedings in our
| two halls Of legislation are getting quite In
teresting, and afford something to ponder
on every day.
| In the House to-day The finishing touches
were put on the bill for the taxation of
whiskey. commonly known as Senator Nfof-
iett':' bill, but whose patron in the House is
Col. Armstrong. 1t is also called the wills
| key punch bill, from the original idea of
having ''blue trip Slip for one kind of
| drink and red slip for another. aud having
| the seller punch in the presence of the gay
| drinkaire."> But the in3entor's genius has
developed a much better machine. 1t is =
'sregister" contained in q small box having
an indicator in front similar to that of gas
meter, and q crank at the back ty which a
bell is sounded and the hand OF the intlea-
tor moved once at each turn or revolution.
This the bill requires every retail liquor seller
to have fastened to his counter. and the
Commissioner Of the Revenue to visit MONTH
| ly and take the RETURNS ;" then set again.
I lock and seal And the dealer pays one
cent for every drink of alcoholic liquor or
+ half cent for every pint, &c.
A number Of amendments we're passed,
leokinst to the practical working of the plan,
which is guarded and carefully prepared
After AL the sections had been thus perfect
ed to-day, an amendment was proposed by
| Mr.. Eohannon, Of Mathews. approprlatillg
| 5000 for the construction of the registers.
This may lool to the uninitiated like II
| friendly act, but it. was meant to kill the
Dill, since anything requiring an appropra
ton OF money requires maj erity vote of all
the members elect 90, and as the House is
now very thin, it would be hard to get. This
was explained by several members. among
them lion. A. II. H. Stuart who, in a very
eloquent speech. explained the advantages
I to flow from taxes which would constantly
grow ou- of ~ conviv;al anJ coo,,}- ouetoc,
The amendment was defeated by Il vote OF
50 to A, which seems to indicate the sure
passage Of the bill.
Thereupon Gov. fletcher, who is opposed
to the whole scheme, offered a substitute,
which, with the amended bill. will be print
ed and come up again in few days.
When the kind of register to be used was
under discussion, the facetious member from
Tazeweil, Judge Cecil, moved that, in honor
to the patron, the Rockingham Register be
selected, but his motion did not pass and
the House dubbed the new machine "The
Mofiett Register A contract WAS read by
which DIR. Moffett, and Mr.. Dean 1.-THE manu-
facturer) agreed to furnish the State all she
needs or may hereafter need, free OF any
charge for patent, provided only that the
State Will pay the costs OF careat This is
certainly generous and noble In these gen.
tlemen and indicates also their faith in the
future Of the register.
The Senate, after passing last week
resolution that this is the first. or unlimi-
ted, session after The late Constitutional
Amendments, and that the re-arportion-
ment could now be made, to-day
undid that resolve. In fact it has been va
cillating and undecided on this question to
the very verge Of absurdity. 1t is probable |
this House will hold them TO the reappor-
tionment. however, and that this will be a |
long session. ~
The Republican Committee meets here to- /
morrow, and it s said there will probably |
be lively squabble over the leadership by
the several parties now desiring TO be recog-
nized as leaders, since good luck has befallen |
them. The opinion among democratic MEM
beers and other leading men here is very de-
cided that the decision Of the Commission in |
the Presidential matter must be honorably |
adhered to. There is great uncertainty still
felt, however, as to the result, and the power
OF the fillibusters to prevent the count and |
plunge the country into deeper troubles.
Vnnrs Raw