The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-02-02

KEPT mere night after usS4p w 80 - - - Il
Ieonabe speeches. He suggesfe0 iDa6 lnsIi-
beTs, Instead Of taking up precious gu. l.Iie
uselessiy in this way, md better prlns .hen
constituents.
MIR. GRAVES proposed that the chair De
vacated daily from a TO ~ O'clock
Thewhoic subject was laid upon the ta-
bic. g
THE BARBOUR TAX BILL.
MIR. PopHAM moved to postpone the tax
bill for five minutes in order 10 pass reso-
Tuition limiting speeches to TWO hours. MOI
agreed TO-.
Speaker ALLEN resumed the noof at. l
O'Clock (Mr. w. b. TALIAFERRoln tue 4ialrJ
/ in advocacy OF the BARBOUR tax Di'i, winch
| sets forth that it is impracticable to increase
taxation, and proposes to collect thlrty-hVe
out OF the fifty cents now levied on the Slo0
IN rnoneu for support OF government anu 10
carry on the public free schools.
| Mr.. ALLEN argued that the Legislative de-
claration of this morning In opposition TO
! increased taxation had gone forth almost
unanimously in support of the preamble OF
the bill under consideration, and made fur
Their discussion on that point unnecessary
| made so by the vote OF the House to-day.
1t was now settled that increased taxation
is inpracticable.
Mr.. ALLEN next addressed himself to
/ showing the wrong which, he said, had
1 been perpetrated by the funding bill; by
the funding 81 war interest ana the COM
pounding Of interest. He contended tnat
we did not owe cent OF the interest on
the principal held by northern creditors:
) On this point he dwell at some length, ana
! quoted from Judge Pendieton's opinion,
LIST Call, in case following upon the heVolu-
tionary war, the circumstances being almost
4 Identical with our own, rs he said. There
it was held thatno interest was due on oD-
LEGATIONS OF Americans held during the war
by British citizens. Whether or not religion
is transgressed by the proposed readIust--
ment of our debt, as Judge Pendleton SAID
in that case, we must leave TO more uner-
, ring tribunal than any here on earth, Alr.
ALLEN contended.. He then read letter
from jefferson to Hammond, the then Eng
Iish Minister, reviewing the whole question,
and occupying the same position. Patrick
Henry (Wirt's Life was quoted to the same
effect-Henry holding every individual in
the whole British kingdom chargeable with
! the outrages and excuses perpetrated by
the British upon Americans.
Mr.. ALLEN, therefore, held that we ala
not owe these northern creditors any cent
OF interest for the period covered by the
war. Yet this war interest had been crowded
into the funding bill, and interest funded
upon interest. In that way grieyOus wrong
/. entered into the funding bill. That wrong
should be undone by readjustment. Under
the law and Constitution it is our duty to
get rid Of this wrong. Outside OF the law
and Constitution he did not propose we
should go.
And right here, on the threshold Of his re:
marks, Mr.. ALLEN was met by the case OF
Antoni rerSus Wright. He laid down the
proposition that the case OF Antoni Us.
Wright did not touch this matter. He adj
, mitted that the reasoning of the Court did
to some extent, but denied that the points
decided did The history OF that celebrated
! case was reviewed. TIE act brought by it
under review by the Court was general
tax-bill. The conclusive presumption Oh
the Court was that the tax OF fifty cents on
the one hundred dollars levied was sufi-
Gent to meet all expenses OF government,
, nav all that was due to the schools, and
provide for the interest upon the debt. They
: knew nothing to the contrary. HereWc set
2 ont with the declaration that so cents on
the 800 is not sufficient to do all these
things, and we say,to the Court and to every
BODY that taxes cannot be increased. The
political department of the government says
80. and the Court cannot go behind that dec
. Iaration; they cannot trespasS upon our do
main any more than we can trespass upon
theirs, There is great difference between
the two questions presented. In the first
was the presumption Of the Court that the
tax acaS sufficient to meet all demands ;
here is the positive declaration that it is not.
Mr.. ALLEN further argued that the Con-
stitution requires the Legislature to state
specifically in the taX-bill the object OF the
tax; that this is the first tax-bil where the
! commandment is obeyed; that the school
money being dedicated to that fund by the
Constitution, no coupons or funding Dill
could lawfully divert it; that il this held
true as to the school fund it will hold good
applied to governmental expenses, for the
life Of the government it is the paramount
duty for the Legislature to secure.
But gentlemen will say that the reasoning
OF the Court in the Antoni case estops us.
Mr. ALLEN held that they could hardly
avail themselves OF that plea after the eX-
) pressions from the members from Glouces-
ter and Amherst, who few days ago said
thew believed the Antoni decision wrong.
and must therefore believe the reasoning
wrong.
Mr.. COGHILL said that his position was
that that case decided the whole matter. the
Court having held that there was 4 contract.
Mir. ALLEN did not consider Mr.. COG
HILLS opinion as responsive to his point.
But any way he proceeded to argue that the
reasoning OF the Court was not correct; that
the Anton case had been imperfectly az
cued, and was decided by divided court;
that the Judges, able and pure as they are,
like all men, are falliblc. and may have erred
here: that the Court had reversed its opin-
ions in several instances. and were right to
do so: and that even il gentlemen do be-
lieye that Aatoni rs. Wright covers the
ground, here, where so many grave interests
are involved, there can be no good reason
for refusing to give the Court opportunity
to review its opinion.
Mr.. ALLEN did not agree that the OPINION
Of the Court was right. On the contrary, he
thought it wrong, and the position or Judge
STABLES right. He thought the courts Of
this land had gone far enough in trammel-
ling the representatives OF the people, and IN
giving utterance to that sentiment Mr.. AL
len expressly stated bis great respect for
tbe Supreme Court Of Appeals.
He closed with thanks to the House for
its attention; and well he might, for very
close attention was given the speaker from
the beginning to the end OF his argument.
He talked right straight to the question,
and his speech was wholly devoid OF extra
neous matter. He-spoke fifty minutes on
Thursday and an hour and ten minutes to-
day friday.
MR. BoHANN0N.
With unusual difiidence, Dlr. BOHANSoN,
Of Matthews, said he arose to claim the atten-
tion of the House, and in doing so he confess