The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-18

I the law nad the preservation OF all social
order-has convened in general meeting. fol
the purpose of making its solemn protest
, against any action upon the part Of the
Representatives OF the people which is in
consistent with the exact performance on
Ethe part OF the State OF all OF her obliga-
ttions, and, further, to call upon. tfe various
!trade organizations throughout Virginia,
aud ti,e debt-payins people in, each county,
feity, and town, to hold meetings for The
purpose Of taking counsel together as to the
best means to be adopted for the mainte-
nance Of our plighted faith and pubic
ihonor. stsesss5fgE /: q 4 - Il l7stf;is
The Chamber Of Commerce believes that
the debt Of Virginia was honestly incurred
BY sales of bonds bona .fde purchasers,
manvs Of them at price above their par
value; that the proceeds were applied to
the construction of our valuable works OF
internal improvement, our colleges, schools,
asyums, and even the monument commem-
oratiye OF the virtues OF Virginia's noblest
SON and Father OF bis Country; that what
ever losses we may have sustained since the
debt was contracted our creditors were in
nowise responsible therefor; that nothing
but inability to meet our obligations can
justify any call upon the creditors to abate
their claims; that it is difficult to conceive
how we can even pretend to be unable to
pay, with more than $500, 0,000,008 Of pro-
perty and the sovereign right OF taxation
in our hands; that whatever may have been
the objections to the passage of the law
known as the funding bill, Virginia was.
thereby relieved OF S15,000,000 OF debt, ex-
cept so far as she agreed TO become trustee
for so much thereof as the State of West
Virginia may hereafter pay to her on that
account; that whether its passage Was pro-
cured by fraud, as some allege, or not, the
representatives who passed it were those OF
the people, and not of the creditors; and
il mischief they did. ii should recoil on
those who put it in their power to do the
wrong.
II it were true, as has never been proven,
that some OF the creditors Of the. State pro-
cured by bribery the passage Of that law,
the many innocent creditors should not be
visited with the penalties Of their crime;
that an upright, intelligent judiciary is the
greatest safeguard for our liberties and pro-
perty; that a people worthy Of self-govern-
ment will acquiesce in the construction OF
law announced blythe court OF last resort,
respect, and obey it; that the failure OF the
State to levy the necessary taxation to meet
the interest on the public debt, the eXtraya-
CANT expenditures for the support OF gov
ernment, the machinery of which is far too
complex and costly; the liberal appropria-
tions to schools and colleges, the operation
OF that nominal corporation the "sinking
sund," into which has wellnigh sunk the
the honor of Virginia. which, with the
money Of the State that should go to her
creditors, buys the paper which Vir-
ginians have deprecated by their
own legislation; has imposed stain upon
our good name as people, which may, un-
less removed by timely reparation, oblite-
rate from the memory OF men the heroic
sacrifices which, for the sake OF principle,
we have made in the past, and the muniti-
cent character OF our former generosity.
,Resolued, That committee Of FIVE be
alpcinted by the president to prepare an
address to the people OF the State upon the
public debt, to be distributed throughout
Virginia, with copies Of these proceedings.
Adjourned.
The committee will be hereafter an
nounced.