Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-02-19

never ran "wabbling" on this debt
question, and this House knows III
advance that L shall support House
Bill No. 90.
Before | proceed to its discussion,
Mr.. Speaker, / have a word for my
friend from beyond Alexandria, (Mr.
Mushbackl. ;. who comes here to declare
that Virginia has no sovereign right 10
call to her aid a tax payer hen heT
life is in peril. That gentleman was
pleased to dRnouncc On this floor last
evening what he calls FOrcihle Read
just. But, sir. as Nirginian L arise
here to call him before the bar of this
House, with the declaration that il
FOrcIhle REIMBURSEMENT be a mo steT
he is not the man to say so. Sir, |
charge him with being the author, as
he is known to he the patron, OF
HOuse Bill No l07. to authorize the
city of Alexandria, which he repre-
sents, to readjust her debt at so cents
In the dollar
MR.. MUsHBACK-Mr. Speaker, /
| informed the House last night this
bill contained no compulsory feature
that the creditors of the city have al
! ready agreed to this readjuStment of
its debt. ! can write bill. but | can
not furnish gentlemen with brains to
understand il. The gentleman from
! Washington knows that l explained
the bill last night.
Mr.. FOWLER. rtainly. you did.
Mr. MUSHBACK-Then why are
you not satisfied with explanation
Mr. FOWLFR-Becsuse your expla-
nation WAS neither complete nor cor
rect. / have the highest regard per
sOnally for the gentlemen f!om Alex
| dria, but, sir, | have the representa-
tive right. aud it is my representative
! duty, to challenge his political errors
when he attempts To pass the bar of the
! House with them. | charge here be-
! fore the people Of Virginia that he baa
! perprtrsted the most flagitious outrage
| of fOTcible readiustmCHt, and is in no
| position to cast q stone al those who
regard the Furcihle REIMBURSEMENT of
the debt Of this State necessity. He
ridiculed the preamble to our bill end
declared that if that preamble could,
by its declarations OF The absolute in
ability Of the S:ste 10 bear higher
rate of taxation, enable it to pass the
order of the Supreme Court, then ali
that any individual or any State need
do. to get rid Of the obligation OF
contract, would te merely to adopt
preamble. Now sir. turn to the
g-niIenan's own bill, No. 107 and
propose to read his preamble
Here it is:
Whereas il appears that the City
Council Of Alexandria is unable. ev-
"Cn at the present high rate of taxa
"tiUn upon Il full assessment Of the
property within the city Of A!eXan-
"dria, to meet the RCcruing interest
ION the dptt Of that city, and at the
"sanle time make provision for The or
"Ginsrv eXl enses of the municipal
government. and las asked itR cTedi
tors 10 assent to a comprt mise of raid
debt at the rute Of fifty cents in the
dollar of principal thereof. to the
"end that the municipal government
may he maiutsinpd. aud the debt so
arranged rs 10 bring the aggregate
"in'crest there on within the ability If
the tax payers to meet ii by reaEona-
"ble taxation therefore. &c
So the gentleman wished 10 readjust
ard to get rid of tie obligation of
contract, aud he concluded 10 try his
hand at the preamble business
(BauChter). Why, sir. | believe he
copied his preamble from our No. 81.
You pee our Bill No 81 numerically
preceded on the calendar his Bill No
l07. His bill provides for the issu-
ance of new bonds for half the
amount due each holder of the old
bonjs 1t provides that the new cou-
pops shall he receivable at their face
"vslue IN payment of all taxes, licen-
'ses, gas bills, fines, rents. debts aud
demands due said city council, and
the same shall he so expressed on
their face, aud said city is disallOwed
from discriminating against said cou-
pons or from offering "a rebate for
payment in current money" The |
5th section provides that, if fer any
cause the city council shall for 80 days |
at any time fail to provide The neces-
sary means TO pay said coupons, the |
courts Of the city, or any State court. |
shall, upon application of any of the |
owners of said new unTai' coupons |
compel by mGndGn1US the cour Gil to |
levy tax sufficient to psy them |
But it contains proviso that said tax |
shall not st any time exceed the rate /
of one dollar and seventy-five cents |
on the hundred. and right here, Mr.
Speaker. is a speck Of fOrcible adjust
ment.
Mr.. MUsHBACK. Mr. Speaker / |
wish to inform the gentleman that /
this prOviSO has heen, on my own mo-
ton. stricken from thu bill
MIR. i Ow LIE R-Yes. sir. 1t was |
out rO-da, in the Senate, but |
it wac put in the bill by you. and st
your request it WAS pressed through |
this House. On second thought il was
afterward cut out. Now, sir. desire
To read the 9th section of this AlexAn-
dria Bill:
None Of the provisions Of this act
shall "pply to any creditor Of said
''city who does not accept the terms Of
said compromise aud exchange his
securities hereunder. nor shall said
courts, or the judges thereof have
ANY jurisdiction under this act eX
'cept IN favor of those who are hold
'ers Of the coupons for interest on the
bonds hereby authorized to he is
'sued. -
Sir, there is your Forcihle Readjust-
ment which the gentleman denOun-
res No trouble about understanding
his bill The gentleman wrote it and
he made it as Uerspicuous as French
plate glass-as clear as summer air.
Mr. MUSHBACK.-l have several |
times informed the gentleman that the
creditors of the city of AleXandria
have previously assented TO the tenn
IF this bill, and there is and can be
no fnrcible resdjusiment in it.
Mr.. FOwLER.-Well, sir /! / mean
10 show this House that there is, and
ust here | call attention to tie fact
he gentleman has said this bill has
he assent of the creditors. If so,
Why these stringent provisions Has
here been brought TO hear against
hem the threat of force Have they
leen led to see that if they do not ac-
,ept these terms that force and RET u
iiation await them at the mex turn Of
lie screw? Was the gentleman in
N l.o..tl t. llnc.a I. AnrG n !