The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-02-04

In this Important matter; l hsi ls 49,
ResoEued, That the Commune on : ~ .op .O
sitions and Grievances be tnstruc.ea " re-
port rs soon MS possible the ptopeI.
ton in regard to the preyention Oh sun
further dissemination OF this iatal disease.
Agreed to.
SENATE AMENDMENTS AGREED TO.
To amend House billto authorize w. L.
Ferp,,son Il, erect a Tier-head, or wharf, ut
Booths landing, on James river.
To amend the Code In relation TO 1udg-
ment liens.
To amend the Code in relation TO record
alton OF fiduciary accounts.
THE VOTE on THE TAx-BILL.
Mr.. GRAVES offered the following: -
RESOLVED, That the vote on House Dlii
No. 90 barbour tax-billl VIII, IL not taken a
sooner, be taken on THURSDAY next Ut
O'Clock P. NJ, and that the .chalr pc vacated
at 3 O'Clock P. NJ. each DAY, alter To-Day
and resumed again at half-past O'CLOCK I.
n. until the House commence 10 vote on
said bill (No. 92). =, !,
Mr.. HENRY said that this bill was one OF
the most imDortant. that had claimed the
attention OF the General Assembly in his
lifetime, and he protested against the pro-
position to choke off debate. He wanted
the bill thoroughly discussed, and under
such circumstances as would secure the
careful attention of members. , -.
Mr.. SOUTHWARK moved to pass by. he
iected.
The resolution was adopted.
THE FEDERAL coMPACT-PUBLIc DEBTS.
Dir. HARRISON OF Sussex offered the fol-
lowing. He asked that the House would
refuse to refer it, and said that he would then
| move for the appointment OF special COM
mittee OF the very best legal talent OF THIS
House:
RESOLVED, as the sense OF this House,
| That from the nature Of the Federal COM
pact, from the declarations made by Virginia
| and the other States III their acts OF accession
to the same, from the circumstances which
caused and explained their action, and
from the light of contemporaneous EXPOSE
ton, the clause Of the Constitution OF the
United States which forbids any State to
pass law impairing the obligation OF con-
tracts, was intended by the trainers and
ratifiers OF said Constitution to apply only
to the case of private contracts and not to
! the public debts Of this Commonwealth,
and that such should be taken and held to
be the proper meaning and Interpretation
Of the same.
The House, by vote, referred the resolu-
tion.
The SPEAKER decided that the resolution
would 90 to the Committee on Constltu-
tional Amendments.
PERSONAL.
It was announced that Mr.. MCCONNELL
was detained from his seat OH account Of
sickness.
Mr.. FULKERs0N said he had been uhwell
for two or three days past. Had he been IN
his seat Yesterday he would have voted
s.aye' on the adoption OF the report OF the
committee declaring it ineXpedient to IN
crease taxes.
NEW LAWS.
Mr.. MCCAULL, from the Committee on
Enrolled Bills, presented list OF bills ap-
proved by the Governor since his last report.
TOBACCO WAREHOUSES;.
Senate bill 100, "defning the status OF
tobacco warehouses of the Commonwealth"
restoring the warehouses to the position
they occupied before the legislation OF last
session, was discussed by DIcssrs. FICKLEN
and BERNARD.
On motion Of Mr.. FIcKLES, it was sent to
the Committee on Agriculture and Mining.
THE BARBOUR TAy-BILL.
at O'Clock The House resumed the con-
sideration OF the taN-bill-a bill setting
forth that the present revenues arc insuti-
cient: that further taxation is impractical
BILE, and providing that the rate shall be
kept at the present figure go cents on
the $780, and that 50 cents OF the 80 shall be
collected for governmental and school pur-
purposes in currency, and that the remain
ing 10 cents be collected to pay interest
upon the public debt, arrearages OF the
school fund, &c.
Mr.. BOHANNoN, OF Matthews, being en-
titled to the floor, proceeded to answer some
Of the arguments Speaker ALLEN advanced.
in support of the bill. Mr.. BOHANNoN
briefly reviewed the history OF the crea-
ton OF the debt. and argued that Virginia
received full value for her bonds, and
the money so obtained was honestly eX-
pended. The Legislature of 1S65-'GG, so
severely criticized by Mr.. ALLEN, he de-
tended, and claimed that it was as able
and pure Legislature as any that
his knowledge extended. In it were men
like Baldwin (Spcaker), Peachy r. Grattan,
Seawall OF Gloucester, Marshall Of Fred
erick, and they passed resolution setting
their face sterniy against reputation, and
declared that it would pass no such legisla-
tios, as to do so would be destructive OF
the States prosperity, honor, and integrity.
Than this no grandcr page OF Virginia his
tory was ever written. But the gentleman
from Shenandoah thinks those grand and
noble men were possessed with "some
strange infatuation in other words, did
not know what they were doing" Yes, it
was the strange infatuation and high sense
of honor which had been felt by our people
since first Anglo-SaXon feet trod these
shores, and such an infatuation as Mr.. b.
HARMON hoped they would possess to the
end of time.
Mr.. BoHANNOS thought that Mr.. ALLEN
had unnecessarily congratulated himself
upon the vote against the increase Of taxa
ton. The platform Of the dominant party
in this State had declared against increased
taxation, and all the members upon this
floor were elected here with that under
standing. Nothing else was to be expected.
He thought an increase OF taxation neces-
sary and practicable. but not eXpedient.
The preamble OF this (BARBoUR) bill de-
cIares that an increase is impracticable.
There Mr.. BoHANNoN differed from the gen.
tlemen on the other side, and he explained
his reasons therefor at some length.
In reference to the funding bill, Mr.. b.
HARMON said interest had been capitalized
in 1866, and the authors OF the funding
bill had only followed the precedent then
set.
As he understood Mr.. ALLEN, it was that
pentlemar's position that we owe no cred
itor any interest for the period of the war,
and that we owe no northern creditor
either principal or interest. And yet he
scorns the idea Of reputation Mr.. b.