Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-02-01


apply to the reconciliation which ne
meant, but the House referred it back to
the committee on Federal Relations. IL
was amended in committee and then passed
by the House. Then came the bill cutting
down the pay of legislators and officers OF
the government. Economy would seem I'M
important, as clause having been inserted
making the law 90 into effect Oh its pas
sage, Mr.. Moffett and other adJuSters
urged that the bill should be sent back TO
the committee for revision. Messrs. Hang
er. : ogbiil, and others urged that the Dill
a, it stood should be made the order OF the
day for Friday, but that motion was de
feated. Messrs. EchOls and Hanger voting
for it ana MI Vanlear in the negative.
TIE bill WIS then recommltted (about
.oual to It's defeat) 10y vote of GO to Sc
but tae pap. rs do not give the ayes aud
noes. II, Z Senate bill reducing members
pay to i a day was then laid on the table
(puual to its defeat) 10y n vote of 81 to u.
Gen. Anderson introduced a resolution
locking to submitting to a vote of the peo-
Ole an amendment to the Constitution snb-
sts. uting capitation tax of 50 for
the present sch oil tax on property. MIR.
Eci,ols presen, ed a petition OF John W..
A|by and ether merchants of StauntOn for
III amendment TO the sample merchant
iicense law. MI Mushback of Alexandria
introduced bill authorizing Alexandria
to reduce her debt so cents in the dollar if
the creditors assent, and providing meas
ures for collecting tax to pay the interest
on the remaining half. The bill was en-
crossed. Indefinite leave of absence was
granted Mr.. Hiner, the efficient member
from Highland, on account OF ill health.
A resolution was introduced looking to
taking the sense of voters on holding a
convention. The bill for working the
roads in Page and Shenandoah is now a law.
A bill was reported thanking Mr.. Nc
Cormick for the $4,000 telescope for the
University of Va, but saying that owing
to the financial condition of the State she
could not appropriate 900 to erect a
building for it, but if he would let her have
it now she would house it when she got
the money. This bill gave rise to a dis
cussion as to whether the telescope had
been given to Washington and Lee Uni
versity or to the University of Virginia.
Messrs. Bocock and Fowler were certain
from facts in their possession that it had
been given to the U. of Va. Mr.. Lady of
Rockbrldge was sure it had been given to
ahe W. & L. and Gen. Echols was Trus-
tee Of W. u L. and well acquainted with
Mr.. Mccormick, but was not sure that
Mr.. Nee. had given it to the W. & L. The
circumstantialev evidence he thought favor
ed W. & L., as Mr.. Mccormick was born
near there and if he had changed the di-
rection of the gift, it was probably because
he concluded W. Il L. could not provide
for housing and operating he instrument.
The report on behalf of the University of
Virginia was then adopted. Lexington
will get right down mad about this.
A Till was reported for working the
roads of Augusta county, and one for the
protection of deer in Rockingham county
A resolution was introduced looking to ar
income tax of not more than 10 nor less
than per cent, and another looking tC
the establishment of State female semi
nary in connection with the public schools
A dill proposing to furnish Superintendent
Ruffner (salary So ,500) with coal for his
office, was rejected. A bill reported to re-
peal the game laws WAS dismissed by an
overwhelmingly majority. A bill was
passed requiring county or olporation
sealers to inspect scales end weights every
year instead of every three years as for
merly. A bill was introduced incorpora
ting the trustees Of the Grand Division
Sons Of Temperance. Mr.. Echols offered
bill for the reassessment of a tract Of
land belonging to James A. Frazier Of
Reckbridge and for refunding taxes er
roneousIy assessed thereon.
A LEPER GovERNoR.-Our Hon olulu
exchanges announce in brief the death OF
William 2. Ragsdale, Governor of the
Leper Settlement On the Island of Molo-
kai, Sandwich Island. chill Ragsdale, ,
as he was popularity known, was an Haw.
dlltt ny I'LL ulO llCtbCl uQNlliS USCu d
native and his father an American. BY
profession he was a lawyer speaking Eng
lish fluently as Hawaiian. and the most
noted orator of the Hawaiian kingdom.
The deceased resided for number of
years on the Island of Hawaii, and had
an Office at Hilo, capital Of the Is
land.
One night he was studying up law
case in which he was deeply interested,
when the chimney of his lamp fell on the
tatle. Although the chimney was hot as
| fire, "Bill,' in his excitement, picked it
up and set it in it's place without exper-
fencing the least Inconvenience, such as
would naturally result to really sound
person. He reflected for moment, look
ed at his hand, but could not discover
the least sign that it had been burned.
| chimney with the same result. This
experience convinced him that he was
among the afflicted and he lost no
time in communicating with the author
tiles An examination was made, and
medical authority declared that he was
affi cted with leprosy. The police did not
arrest him, however, owing to his exalted
position, as was common with those suS-
pected. of being lepers, so he voluntarily
delivered himself up to a victim Of the
terrible disease. He was then sent to
Molokai and installed as Governor of the
Leper Settlement, which position he
held for number of years up to the time
of his death last month. Soon after his
isolation from the world and his friends,
the disease made itself more apparent, and
there Was none 50 incredulous as to believe
that he was not forever afflicted with the
leprosy. During his administration of
affairs he was as successful as he was pop
ular. There were and are about eight
hundred lepers on the settlement, but by
his tact ahd kindheartedness Ragsdale
made the most raordinary and saddest
community on the face Of the earth as