The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-15

CHAIR ORGANIZATION EEEECTED-vA.
RIOUs VIEWS AS TO WHAT THE EMER.
GENCY REQUIREs-A, PAINFUL EPISODE
THE GRAND OLD PARTY TO BE MAIN!
TAINED-s1XTY! TWO MEMBERS sTANtI
SOLID - -. - err il
The first caucus this session of the Con,
servative members OF the two houses OF the
General Assembly was held in the hall oi
the House last night. On motion OF Senator
Smith, General w. 81. F. Lee was elected
chairman. Upon assuming the position he
made brief address, counselling harmo-
NOUS action and .iberality OF spirit. Dele
gate Ficklen was chosen secretary.
The Chairman stated that the caucus was
held under the following. call, which had
been signed by q considerable number OF
Conservative members [whose names were
published in this paper yesterday.
|'The members OF the General Assembly
VINO have been elected as nominees OF the
Conservative party. and those who have been
elected as Conservatives by Conservative
voters in counties and cities where there
were no nominations by the Conservative
party, are requested to assemble in the ball
OF the House OF Delegates on Friday the
14th instant, at 7:30 P. NJ, to confer To-
gether and act on such matters as may be
considered necessary for the interests OF
the State and the preservation OF the organ
izatlon Of the party" .
The chairman requested those about
whose title as Conservative members there
was any question to retire. .. ... 4r
| Mr.. Ficklen, v no had been elected secre-
tary, said he had been member OF the Con-
servative party from its organization up to
the present time, and had given it the best
efforts OF his head aud heart. But be had
come here Us mere spectator, and did not
desire to act the prominent part OF secre.
tary. Still he hoped it would be his good
done here tonight. J..
| DR.. Jordan was then nominated, butNask-
ed to be excused, as he could fill any posi-
ton better than that OF secretary.
| Major George Walker, of Northumber-
land, was then elected, and accepted. -
The Chairman requested the sergeant-at-
arms Of the House to act in similar eapa-
city for this conference. :,
A TEST. -~
Mr.. Bohannon offered the following:
Resolved, That all members OF the Gene
raj Assembly who have heretofore signed
the call for this conference, and all who may
authorize the clerk to afiX their names to
the same, shall alone constitute this confer
ence, and that the clerk be directed to make
out roll of such members, which alone
shall be used whenever any vote in the con.
ference is recorded. .
Mr.. Bohannon said the purpose was to
| have conference Of Conservatives--true
party men-and to exclude all those who
might be inclined to carry information to
the enemy.
Senator Smith thought that the aim and
purport Of the resolution involved the verS
life of the party. This was the first regu-
lar meeting of the Conservative party OF
the General! Assembly. The meeting which
nominated Speaker. Allen was a House
meeting. The question Of admitting Inde-.
pendents, therefore, comes up now for the
first time before the regular Conservative
organization. It cannot be said that this
question has been once settled. d.,
Mr.. Smith said that in his county the
Conservative organization had been defeat
ed by gentleman who sat within the sound
OF his voice (Judge SteVens). Mr.. Smith
desired that the resolution OF the State Com
mittee should be borne in mind; and ne
for one was Of opinion that these Indepen-
dents should not be admitted into theparty
without, at least, giving signs Of repentance,
and binding themselves to stick to the party
in good faith hereafter. He besought the
members by the rccollections of the good
accomplished By tue party in the past, and
as they wished to preserve it for future
usefulness, to vote for the resolution of DIR.
Bohannon. .,-,... .ss.,rt,-g--s =,
THE ROLL. '' Il ~
Mr.. Hanger desired that the ayes and noes
be called. l'ers.--g. 20! 5E,gG- g.
Some question as to the propriety OF doing
that was raised. f--
The Chairman thought that if the roll was
called parties not entitled to might vote.
General w. B. Taliaferro proposed that
the roll first be called, and that all answer
ing "Here" would be considered as accept
ing the terms announced in the beginning
by the chairman. sf- TX .;0G1i
Mr.. Hanger stated that he proposed that
the ayes and noes be called supposiug that
none but those who intended to participate
in good faith would respond. 4 -
Mr.. Hiner, Of Bath, was opposed to all
systems OF bulldozing. He was not the
representative of King Caucus, but was as
good a Conservative as any man on this
floor. ..-/h>} II -
A MISAPPREHEEsIoS. Z
Mr.. Harrison, OF Sussex, said he had
been invited here by General Lee. 1t was
his understanding that this was not to be
called a Conservative caucus, and that no
gentleman was to be bound by its action.
General Lee said that the gentleman had
understood him; that he had said that
| it was a conference OF Conservatives about
whose title there was no question, and that
any gentleman who felt that he could not
participate would he at liberty toiretire at
any time. =. ..
4 Mr.. Harrison deprecated the course. sug-
gested in the resolution and warned the
conference that they were treading danger
Gus ground, and that the Conservatives OF
the Commonwealth would not sustain them.
He Ga regular nominee) could ut least speak
| for his own county. -------~-- -,
| PARTY UNITY. (-'s.,E
!. Mr. Bohannon was caucusing for the sake
| Of party supremacy-for nothing smaller,
for nothing else. That was his only desire.
He saw it seemingly divided, and he wanted
to rennite it and preserve it. He was not
ready to 60 into political bushwhacking,
nor did he believe there were any irrecon-
cilable questions at issue. He didn't want
the public-debt question settled here. No
thing could be accomplished by caucusing
on such matters. His sole purpose was to
maintain party supremacy, and there could
be no use Of caucus unless the action
bound the members.
s. ..ssEs - yMR.sFULKERsON.> 2tszS'1
Senator Fulkerson desired to. say word.
but didn't expect to participate.
THE Chair said that the gentleman bad
right to be here. . .;.l,~, l:..s,a,,l...,,L
Mr.. Fulkerson don't know whether
have or not. .,,Etii5s III.
MFR. Fulkerson had heard through the
city papers that the Conservative party was
Il &C .sk.IYn bod haafa q nnnnhnr of IL from It's