Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-11


beside. With her all NY hopes, ny deEires,
ny ASPIRATIONS lie. and if could brig peace
and prosperity again to her if l could make
pIsd the beart, and brighten the eye Of every
son and daughter Of my loved Old Common
wealth by laying down my life. Sir, speak
from the bottom of my heart and not from the
tin Of my tongue, when | say would do it
willingly, cbeerfuIly, gladly, proudly.
And Cow. sir, come to the Barbour bill,
which has excited all this discussion.
lcsme here, sir, an extremist, and What 10
known as last dollar man l came With the
intention Of listening to 90 compromise short
Of keeping faith with the creditors, but, slr,.
my views since have bad the honor Of being
member Of this House, have undergone radical
change. | have seen many things | bad &c idea
of before | have seen tba. the management
of the treasury is all wrong; | have seen that
the treasury of the proud cid State is absolutely
bankrupt | have seen member alter member
get up on this floor and denounce the funding
act as the Had Of all our woes, aud have
seen every conservative member Of this douse.
with the exception OF two, get up and vote
against any increase CT taxation. This being
the case, bow do We stand? What position do
We occupy? Dolly this if the debt must be
settled and the funding act regarded, then the
taxation must be increased if taxation is not
increased then the whole contract Of the fund.
irg act falls to the ground. "Fa!sus 10 700,
faIsus 10 omnum," is good cid motto which
suits cur case exactly. Ii We don't Increase
taxation to meet our obligations then what 10
the name of God are We to do sit down. walt
and cover before The storm |, for oue,- say
never, and believing that the salvation OF the
conservative party 10 this State (which is
being divided into two hostile casses,) de-
Ponds 90 speedy adjustment Of the debt q1es-
lion, shall vote for the Barbour bill as the
only one which is likely to accomplish that
object. Three per cent. is guaranteed, certain,
and all the Increased revenue goes 10 the sink
Jog fund. | must confess | would rather the
rate Of interest would be four per cent, but as
the distinguished gentlemen from Cutpeper,
who is chairman Of the Finance Committee, re.
ports that the State cannot pay more, then |
accept bis word and the words OF the rest Of
the committee as facts, and shall support the
bill.
[ do 80 all the more williogy because if the
boudhoders are not satisfied they can abrogate
and Dullify the entire legislative proceedings
by applying to the Supreme Court Of the State
and OF the United States.
The gentleman from Matthew, 10 an eloquent
and effective speech, bids US pause before We
take step forward, for fear We would slide
dowo a declivity. Sir, We have been pausiog
for ten years. ADD slowly sliding down to the
black depths of utter population all the while.
We are like sick patient slowly sinking into
death, aud the cry is don't give him any medl'
cine for fear it will kill him. Or rather, like
the sick patient described by Gil Bias, who,
fallen into chronic invalid, sent for the two
most famous physicians 10 all Spain. lthappen.
ed that the surgeons we're rival doctors, and on
arriving at the house of the Sufferer, and being
shown to his room, they, instead OF examining
the sick man, fell into violent dispute as to
the method Of treatment, and both being law
yers once, they kept up the Wordy and scientific
contest uotil the patient died.
I intend to support bill No. 3d. what is
koown as the Barbour bill. Some of its features
| do not like. If the interest was fixed at four
per OF. would vote for it gladly, but as the
State declares, through its Finance Committee,
it cannot afford to pay but three per Co., then
| will support it reluctantly, but still support
it. for | know that uoless the Barbour bill is
passed, no bill looking to the relief of the State
will be-, aud affairs will 20 on from bad to
worse.
hear gentlemen on the other side use as
their strong argument. what the world, and
what the North will say about Virgiua's honor
if she scales the debt Why, sir. what dc we
care about what the world says, 50 that our
people are prosperous and happy. When We
were struggling through the fiery furnace of
civil war, when our people were beseaching the
car Of heaven, and invoking the help of the
world for assistance. did their friendly sym.
patty, or what they thought. so much as iced
our starving soldiers think not, | know not,
| am certain not. And for the North. what do
they care whether or not, we are pros
porous and happy. When we were strug.
Cling through the fiery furnace of civil war;
heaven, and invoking the help Of tho world for
assistance, did their friendly sympathy or what
they thoughts much as feed one starving sold
Ter. l think not know not; am certrin not.
And as for the North, what do we care about
what the New York Tribune says about us
whose articles are copied with so much satisfac.
do we care? Alb, Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen.
low indeed have we sunk when such organs are
quoted 10 us as authority. The New York Tri-
bune prsting to US to keep the honor of Virgin
is unsullied The sublime impudence of check
can no further 90 than that The New York
Tribune, that bounded US down for years; and
when the bsrn-burner Sheridan devastated the
Shenandoah Valley it came out in double loaded
types, in fendish, devilish e1ultstion, and said
that if Sheridan's work was done that crow
flying over the once fairest portion of Virginia
would, because the land wss q desert and a waste,
be forced to take haversack along with him.
Sir, you may as well attempt to find shame in
charlstsn, honor among thieves. or virtue in q
brothel, as to find sympathy for Virginia outside
of her geographical limits.
Sir, shall vote for the bill. If events provo
afterwardsthat it's unfortunate step the nthere
will be one more regret added to my life but
still would have The proud consciousness of
knowing that l acted from the highest, purest
motives, and if erred it was Al error Of the
head, and not, thank God, the error Of the heart.
Letters from Richmond.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette.
RICHMOND. February 9. 1878.
This afternoon the argument in the case of
Lewis, MoComb &c., W. the Washington &
Ohio Railroad Company was concluded. Mr.
Mckenzie, the President of the road, was in
good spirits. Indeed he laughed at the idea