The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-09

cial; that ii Jsasan address made 20 acres 9.
the people of Richmond, and tilat Il
It WINS to- be published it should be
published by them. Dir. TALIAFERR0
could not agree with these views; he
maintained TINT the contrary was the.
fact; that the address having been delivered
by Governor Holiday In the presence OF
| the members OF the General Assembly de-
puted to be present 1t would MOI. only
be matter OF discourtesy, but an insult 10
him not to print 1t. 1t was not question
| ernor's views. For himself he would say
that no matter what position the Governor
had taken he would have still voted as he
intended to do now. Mr. TALIArERRo was
free 10 say that with the views expressed
he agreed in great part. He maintained
that this address would have been sent to
the General assembly had not the General
Assembly sanctioned those other proceed
ings so novel in Virginia, and that 1t was
now too late to plead against the character
OF the Inauguration ceremonies.
/ Mr.. j.. d. JOHNSTON said the question is,
Shall we depart from the long-established
i custom OF Virginia and take stand that
! will hereafter be quoted as q precedent
/ We all know how hard it is to get rid OF q
precedent when once established. The
/ Committee for Courts of Justice did not
wish to cast q reflection upon the Governor
| far from it; they worded their report so as
to avoid that. But they.did not wish to
establish an undesirable precedent. 1t
would have been better to have stopped
this thing on the threshold; when the mo-
ton for the committee was made. 1t was
not done probably because the members
were mostly new. We already hear that
action quoted rs precedent. Four years
hence. il Mr.. TALIAFERRO's substitute ii
adopted, the resolution for the appointment
OF the committee will not only be quoted,
but the quasi official endorsement OF this
proposed action, too; and bold indeed VIII
be the man who can fight against such pre-
cedents.
Mr.. JOHNSTON earnestly argued that the
House should commit itself no farther; that
through the inexperience Of members it bad
already gone too far; that the proposed sub.
stitute II adopted would probably make cerc'
monious inaugurations fixture, which
would be abhorrent to the taste OF the peo-
ple; that the Governor had, in reply to the
committee which was sent by the two
houses TO wait upon him, informed the
General Assembly that he had no commune
cation to make; that it would be Unfair to
take that address now as his official utter.
ance; that while he (Mr. JoHSsTON) enter
tanned for Governor Holiday the highest
respect and goodwill, and would willingly
say so in any proper form, he could not con,
sent to vote to make the cercmonious inau'
guration a fixture in Virginia, which he
thought would be the effect OF the substi.
tute.
Mr. PoPHAM thought Governor Holiday
an honorable and heightened gentleman,
against whom naught could be said. While
he did not agree with all the Governor hao
said in his address, he was willing to dc
him the Justice and courtesy to print it. HI
(Mr. PoPHA,i) was not afraid to let it &C
forth to the country for what it was worth
The Governor occupies q middle ground
His views do not suit extremists OF either
! side. AS to establishing a precedent, ht
was not afraid Of that. On all such occa
sions the General Assembly will be fount
COMPOSED mostly of new members, who
don't look for precedents. Dir. PoPHAA
favored the printing OF the address because
it was {. matter OF high courtesy; it would
do no harm to any one; it would cost lat
tie. II printing was refused, the laSt-dolal
men would perhaps maintain that they Were
afraid to let the people read the other side
Altogether, he favored the substitute in :
spirit of good feeling and courtesy.
Mr.. CoGHILL declared that he did no
often differ with the Committee for CoNrt!
OF Justice, but was forced to do so in this
case in duty as representative. In lS7:
the Governor was waited upon by com
, mittee, and later, communicated to the Gen
eral Assembly his views in writing. 1t Wi:
really an inaugural address. Now we art
sticking for a mere matter OF form. Wher
the question OF Inauguration was raised TIT
house ought: to have voted down the reso
| luton for the appointment OF COMMITTEES
to participate, and that probably Woult
havn oraod tho whole r,uttcrj but in
stead OF that the House appointed ;
committee in connection with the othel
House. Was the Governor 10 ignore thi
action Of the General Assembly and the &C
! ton of the people OF this city and State
That was the time for you to speak, but you
| didn't do it! You encouraged the Governor
to 20 on. The House is to blame; tlIi
House is at fault il the Governor has dellv
cred an address which is not official. Th'
, President doesn't deliver Lis address to thu
t two houses of Congress, but to the people
| III LnC pEcSCUCC vi wv "lo thS.
J are always printed-printed as All act OF cour
/ tcsy and comfy, il for no other reason
Does any man suppose he is endorsing TIL
, inaugural by voting to have it printed? l
so, he is in error. There is no endorsement
implied.
Mr.. CoGHILL further commended that TIN
opposition to the printing was purely tech
meal; that the inaugura; was sufficient.
official; that the adoption Of the report o
the committee would be considered by man.
discourteous; that he would hesitate to d'
the dominant side the injustice to beliey'
that they were opposed to printing because
the views did not agree with theirs; that i
the Governor had chosen to comDunicat
this inaugural it would have been even b.
them regarded as official; that the Hous
, ought not to deprive the Governor and tn
. people OF the opportunity to read the docll
, ulent; that it would place the Governor il
position of embarrassment, for il tn
House had not endorsed the ceremoniou
Inauguration he would have sent his mes
sage in in the regular way; and that it wa
not establishing precedent, for that eacl
house hereafter would act for itself indie
pendent of what is now done.
Mr.. HARyIE was the last person wh
would do what he thought discourtesy t.
the Governor; the Governor had his entir
respect and confidence. Fir. HARy1E hat
read the address over and often. At frs
he thought it dissented from his own views
He had, however, called upon the Governo
and paid him his respects, and would DO l