Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-01-22
TUESDAY, JANUARY q, 1878.
Our Richmond Letter.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES, /
RICHMOND, January IS. 1878. !

and are now occupying HE very elta-
del. After a long and heated debate,
the Senate to-day passed the bill re-
curing the school tax to be paid in
money. That the House will adopt
IL there is not a particle of doubt
The fear was as To the Senate, an q
this may be regarded az a test vote
Major John ". Daniel spoke yester-
terday; and DR.. Suilins, who is here,
aud 1 had the opportunity Of hearing
his closing remarks. He opposed
with all his power the passage of the
bill, which he declared 10 be the van
guard Of reputation. He said he
would rather see q bonfire made of
every free school in the State, and a
bonfire then made of his W home,
than that this bill and those that are
TO follow it should pass. He declared
that the friends Of Teadjustment had
chosen this bill to lead the way With,
80 is to have the women and children
in front, in order to keep its oPpo-
nents from firing on it. To-day he
moved to amend it, 80 as to make the
collecting officers receive coupons in
payment Of the school tax, as well az
money. Those who commended that
tbs Bristol Nelo8, last fall improperly
clRssed him with the Funders, should
have heard this speech. Yet he de-
cIsred that he voted against the
Funding Bill in 1871, because that
Legislature was simply sent to put
the State In accord with the new
constitution and not to fund the debt,
aud moreover, he saw with his own
eye that q powerful body was press
ing its passage, and the sight Of this
offended him.
He moreover declared that If the
Supreme Court were TO declare that
Virginia is bound for West Nirginia's
third of the debt. he would vote to
raise the taxes at once sufficiently to
meet It as well as the other two-lhirds.
| presume this speech Of Maj. Dan
iel will be regarded as decisive as to
his position on the debt question
His friends may apologize and modify
and explain his position, but be does
not, He certainly is bold aud frank
about It.
Mr. Barbour's bill is about ready to
go before the House. Il has under
gone no material modification in the
passage through the Finance Com
mi;tee.
The bill to readjust the bonded debt
with the public creditors is not yet
ready, but it will be on some such
basis as that Of discardiHg tie war
aud reconstruction interest and its
compromising and giving for the re
mAInder new bonds, bearing three
per cent. My W views would favor
four per cent. bonds for two thirds of
the principal, but I shall not be too
nice about terms, if can get a chance
to obtain substantially favorable ones.
Quite q debate. arose in the House day
before yesterday, over a bill of Mr..
Coghill to further reduce the salary
members to $3.50 per session, and to
take away the milisge and allow only
actual expenses. The House refused
to pass the bill because it was merely
another cry of the coupOn-bond men
for more money to the exclusion of
every other creditor. Under the bill
not one cent would have been saved to
the people, nor to the schools, nor to
the State Government, nor the holders
Of peeler bonds. In other words the
consol bondholders, having taken all
the money from the peeler holders,
and from the asylums. and S40o. 600
from the free schools, proposed to take
also a part of the salary of the MEM
bers. The bill was sen to the FL
nance Committees with instructions.
II the debt can be readjusted then the
pay of members will be further reduc-
ed in order to let the people have the
benefit or 1t.
DIR. Sullins arrived. here yesterday
morning, and has been very busily
engaged on the Board of Visitors of
the Blacksburg College, which is said
to need an infusion Of discipline and
order. He has made a fine impression
upon the many prominent men, of
whom he has been officially brought
into contact. He, together with Col.
Fulkerson and myself hada pleasant
carriage ride yesterday afternoon, far
out on the Grove Road, returning
ria the Reservoirs and Hollywood.
To-day the DIR. has been so busily
engaged That l have not had the
pleasure of seeing him.
TO DE CONTINUED ON 2ND PAGE.