The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-02-12
GTtERAL ASSEMBLY or VIRGINIA.
sixsy-ninth nay.
MONDAY, February II, 1873.
.s SENATE.

MONDAY, February II, 1873.
IS, SENATE. 81
President WALKER in the chair. Prayer by
Rev. Henry Med Donald, Dds OF the Second
Baptist church.
House bin imposing taxes for the support
OF the government. &c. {the BARBOUR billy,
was twice read and referred.
Senate bill to amend the act to provide
Tor working OF conyicts on the Danville
and New-River railroad, and to authorize
the Governor to fHrnish conyicts to work
upon various public improvements. DC,
WINS passed under suspension OF the rules.
Senate Joint resolution repeating the
Joint resolution transferring to the Orange
and Alexandria Railroad Company a claim
due,the State of Virginia by the United
States, amounting to S120,000. was taken
up, discussed, and passed.
A number OF Senate bills were engrossed
and read a third time.
Mr.. JOHNSON presented bill to author
ize the Freewill Baptist Home Association
to convey certain real estate in Richmond
city. Referred.
NEW PUBLIC-DEBT BILL.
Mr.. JOHNSON introduced bill to provide
for the adjustment OF the public debt. 1t
is a bill, said he, that / prepared before
the Legislature met, and which have twice
redrafted, and am still not satisfied with
the provisions OF either project. I intro
duce this now for the purpose OF killing a
fine, first-class canard which has been start
ed and circulated, attributing to me the au-
thorship of the bill introduced by the Sem
ator from Fauquier, and which has passed
the Senate. I never saw the BROOKE bill
until that Senator read it to me after he bad
written it. / knew nothing OF bis inten-
ton of writing such bill, and l did
not like il when L heard it read. had no
idea Of supporting it, and had never
read il after it was printed until the day
it passed here to its engrossment, when
two amendments were made In it, on my
motion, in consequence OF which | voted
for it. I have stated several times in con-
versation that had prepared bill before
the Legislature met containing a similar
idea to that in the BROOKE bill OF eXchang-
ing consols and peclers together for the new
bonds. I suggested such an addition to
the Senator from Fauquier when he read
me his bill, who insisted on requiring three
consols and one peeler to be exchanged to-
gether, which feature did not and do not
like. But he never saw my bill at all, nor
I. his until after it was written, and the
Senate will see how entirely dissimilar they
are in principle. and in detail.
MY bill provides for four per cent. gold
bond-irredeemabl for fifty years-princi-
pal and interest receivable after maturity for
taxes, and non. taxable; and that the Audi
tor of Public Accounts shall, out OF the first
money that comes into his hands, set aside
the funds due the public schools, and then
enough funds to pay the interest on these
bonds. The bill also provides for the sink
ing fund. The only point Of similarity be-
tween the two bills is that, mine requires
one consol and one peeler to be exchanged
together, and the BROOKE bill requires three
consols and one peeler to be exchanged
at the same time. This idea was not
original, but has been often discussed.
I should not have noticed this matter, eX-
cept that some importance has been attach
ed to it, and my reference to bill drawn
by me was misunderstood by my friends
the Senators from Washington and Rock
ingham to mean that had actually written
the BROOKE bill. This ! corrected to them
as soon as learned it, for neither tbe SEN
ator from Fauquier nor myself wish to
wear each others laurels, nor bear each
others sins. The country can compare the
two bills and see how dissimilar they are.
A subsequent and amended draft OF this
bill was submitted to the Senator from Mel
son, and is now in my possession, totally
dissimilar 10 the BROOKE bill and mate
rally different from the first draft submitted.
Adjourned.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Speaker ALLEN in the chair.
LEASE OF PENITENT1ARY.
Senate bill providing for the lease Of the
penitentiarv and the hiring Of the convict
labor was reported from the Committee on
Asylums with u substitute.
PAIRS.
Mr.. WALKER of Westmoreland stated that
on the passage OF the tax-bill be would have
voted "No," but had paired off with Mr..
HESKEL. Mr.. WALLACE would have voted
"No," but had paired off with Mr.. HUNTER.
Mr.. REESE would have voted "No," but
was paired off with Mr.. FULTON.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
was granted Messrs. BLAND and SHUMATE
for two days each.
BRIDGE BONDS. r
Senate amendment to House bill to au-
thorize the Board Of Supervisors Of Eliza
beth City county to issue certain amount
of county bonds to build a bridge, &C., was
agreed to.
Senate bill to incorporate the Virginia,
Kentucky and Ohio Railroad Company.
PRESENTED AND REFERRED.
BY Mr.. FAIR: Petitions of citizens OF
Mount Vernon district, Fairfax county, for
and against the repeal OF the fence-law in
said district.
By Mr.. EcHoLs: Petition of citizens Of
county asking that Middle river,
between certain points, may be declared
lawful fence.
BY Mr.. JOHNSON OF Accomac Petition
Of citizens of Accomac county asking for
the enactment of q law for the especial pro-
lection OF oysters in the waters OF SAID
county.
By Mr.. TAYLOR Of Fluvanna:
Resolved, That the Committee OF Finance
be instructed to provide for reducing the
license. tax on physicians from fifteen dol
airs to five dollars, and to provide for an
additional tax OF one per cent. on every
hundred dollars of professional income over
six hundred dollars.
BY Mr.. WITMER: Petition Of the citizens
Of Burkeyille asking an amendment to the
charter Of said town.
THE sALARY-REDUCTI0N BILL.
The bill proposing to reduce the salaries
OF officers Of goyernment and OF the Gene
raj Assembly to about the standard of 1860
came up as the special order. s
The amendment Of the committee pro-
posing to make the act operative on the list
Of July instead of from its passage was
adopted.
General ECHoLs said that ss he under
stood il the theory Of the bill was to effect q
reduction equal to about twenty per cent