Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-02-08

WC'i ~S.s WV
The week has been spent in the legisla-
lure Chiefly in discussing the debt ques-
lion, as brought up in the Barbour tax
bill. The joint committee for re-arranging
tie judicial circuits reported on Tuesday,
making fourteen circuits-the 18th to con-
sist of Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Kappa
hammock, Madison and Greene; the 18th to
consist Of Rockingham, Page and Shenan-
doah, and the 18th to consist of Rock
III idge, augusta. Bath, Highland, ALE
si.any, Entetourt ana Roanoke. It is by
no ne MS certain that this arrangement
y III ,'e adopted. The Richmond CORES
sni dent OF the Petersburg Index" says
rat the is;ai boar bill will pass the House
ike II Slot out OF Shovel and then the
'iaili @iIl come UP in that body whether
He shall Fay 3 Or 4 per cent, and he might
ave added, or nothing. One piece of
economy las actually been adopted by the
House: it Las cut down the salary OF the
State vaccine agent from s720 to $500. We
from the Richmond papers the
for the week.
SENATE.
The committee on General Laws repOr-
ted it inexpedient to legislate in the matter
Of relief to the sufferers by the late freshet.
A leave Of absence for three days was
granted Mr.. Koiner Oh Thursday. A vote
was taken on Mr.. Hinton's tentative res
OlIrfin,, tn inc 10 low RI 40
debt and the resolution only received four
votes in its favor. Mr.. Koiner was ab-
sent. A resolution was introduced asking
congress to take off the tax on State banks.
In discussion about recommitting the
Brooke and Koiner bills to get rid of them.
MIR. Fulkerson said he was ssfOrcible
and was elected as such. A
resolution requesting our representatives
in congress to vote for the reconciliation
of silver was passed by vote of % to 7
and ordered to be communicated to the
House. Mr.. Barbour's bill now being de-
bated in the House was reported in the
Senate with the recommendation by the
committee that it do not pass. Mr.. Koi-
ner offered a resolution regarding an i'm
properly assessed tax on Rusmlsel & Beard
of Augusta.
Mr.. Grimsley introduced bill making
the provisions of the Moffett register law
more rigid, requiring the specific licence
tax to be paid in advance; filming the deal
er for not turning the crank, whether the
omission is ''wilful" or not sabjectine
wholesale dealers to the retail gallon tax,
and putting distillers on the same footing
with wholesale dealers. MI. Daniel offer.
ed resolution increasing the taxes one
mill in the dollar for school purposes.
On Wednesday Mr.. Brooke's bill was
adopted as a substitute for Mr.. Koiner's
by a vote of 20 to 10.
A bill was reported for the relief of Jno
B. Pitzer, Treasurer of Allegheny county
and a bill to require county judges to open
their courts at ali earlier hour in the day
A resolution was introduced instrueting
our representatives in Congress to vote fol
Tom Scott's Texas Pacific road in prefer
ence to Huntington's Southern Pacific. A
resolution was introduced looking to re
ducing grand juries from "a to r. of whom
9 agreeing shall be sufficient to form al
Indictment; and reducing petit juries from
II to s, except in trials for murder. One
petition from Rockingham, signed by 22(
citizens, asking a law to prohibit TIT
chasing of deer In that county with dogs
was presented, followed by another from
the same county, signed by 142 citize MS
asking that no change be made in the la W
The tentative resolution in favor of raising
the tax to pay the debt was defeated-a ayes
4, noes 110-Messrs. Echols and Vanleal
voting against the resolution and Mr.. Han
ger voting ior it. Mr.. Hanger in explain
ing his vote said he did not believe the
present rate of taxation sufficient to meet
the honest obligations of the State, ard be
didn't see any disposition to economic.
Therefore, it was, III his opinion, both ex-
pedient and practicable to raise taxation.
Mr.. Henry, of Richmond, said he voted
against the resolution, because he thought
the present tax bill would pay six per cent
on the debt, and all expenses of govern
ment. Mr.. Henkel. of Shenandoah, Of
fered a resolution looking to legislation to
prevent the further dissemination OF
CHAMBERS among horses-a large number
having died from that disease. Mr.. Har-
rison, of Sussex, offered resolution con-
STRUNG the clause in the U. s. Constitu-
ton, prohibiting States from legislation
lmpalring contracts, to mean impairing
prsvate contracts only. A resolution by
Mr.. Bohannon, asking Gov. Holiday to
communicate his views on the public debt,
to the legislature was opposed by Mr..
Harvie, who said he wanted 10 interfer-
ence by the Governor" and the resolution
Was rejected.
THE TAX BILL AND THE DISCUSSION
ON IT.
Mr.. Barbour's tax bill was taken up. 1t
sets forth that the people cannot bear a
higher rate of so cents on the 800 and di-
vldes out that so cents as follows Csc for
government expenses. to be paid in money;
Zoe for the schools to be paid in money and
l5c fol general school purposes and to
pay the interest on the public debt, of
which one-third shall be applied to pay the
due the literary fund and the
general school fund.- That is to say it
pays all government and public school ex-
penses and then leaves S475,OOO to let cred
ltors, to whom is due ss75,OOO, scramble
for.
Mr.. Allen, of Shenandoah, Speaker of
The House, commenced the debate in the
absence OF Messrs. Barbour and Moffett.
He said the bill was the forerunner of the
adjustment OF the debt. His argument