The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-10
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, on VIRGINIA.
Tairsy.Fifss, Bay.
WEDNESDAY,, January 8, 1878.
SEN ATE.

,,tenapt.G Governor w ALKeR infhe chai
p.arer nv Rev. George w ooabridge. u. ID
ns the Monumental church.
.,,,s. &C, PRESENTED AND REFERRED.
", E.sE presented q series Of resolr
.;aas nassed by the Select and Commo
connciIs OF tue city OF Norfolk. In resatio
:" es.ablishsng a public hieh-school for To
city OF Norfolk. Il.
Tr puLYaAR presented a bin to incoi
,nr,te Montgomery Grange, Of Montgomer
county. ,n
RYE the county OF Rappahannock to unit
rs;tb the counties OF Cuipeper and Fauquie
IN constructing bridge across the Rapps
bannock river; which was passed unde
suspension OF t5e rules.
Mr.. SMITH OF Nelson presented q bill K
amend an act directing the Board OF Pub
HE works TO sell the States interest in TN
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potoma
Railroad Company.
Mr.. CHrIEs presented q biii to amend al
act 70 authorize the Board OF Supervisors o
Henrico county To hire conYicts for Inn
proving public roads in the county OF Hen
rico. and make provisions for meeting thu
expense thereof.
Mr.. WATSON presented petition To-
the relief OF Joseph Riggs.
nv Mr.. TYLER: A resolution for. a state
,nent OF the annua! grain-product OF the dit.
Ierent counties In the State for the last ten
wears as compared with the ten years pre-
rious to the war.
By Mr.. PHLEGAR: A resolution as to the
cypediencg OF reducing the mileage OF Cir
cult Judges to ten cents for each mile actu-
ally travelled.
By Mr.. sLEMp: A bill for the relief Of j.
3. Hilton, late treasurer OF Wise county.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Mr.. LEE, from the Committee on Roads,
reported Senate bill to prevent the obstruc-
ton OF Water-courses in Wise and Buchanan
counties. with substitute; also resolu-
ton rs TO what legislation is necessary to
keep in repair the public roads OF the Com
n,onwealth, with the request that the reso-
luton be referred to the Committee on
County, City, and Town Organization also
8 report declaring it inexpedicnt to legls-
late on resolution rs to sale OF the States
interest in the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Railroad Company.
Mr. GIIXsLEY, from the Committee on
Finance, reported Senate bill to allow the
treasurer OF the corporation OF winchester
further time to make bis return OF tile de-
linquent lists for 1876; also, Joint resolu-
ton directing the Auditor OF Public Ac-
counts TO collect statistical information, to
tabulate same, and to keep same ID prlnteo
form in his Office for public use; also, Dill
for the relief OF the Conference OF ST. Mary
OF the Society OF st. Vincent OF Pau, In
the city oil Alexandria, with substitute.
Mr., GRIMsLEY, from the Committee for
Courts OF Justice, reported with amend
al Is relation
|iudgment-iens.
Mr.. MARSHALL presented minority re-
mort in the shape of 4 substitute from the
icpecial committee to make certain lnVestl-
cations in reference to the enrolment and
Signing of House bill to provide for the
use of conyict-labor on the James River
and Kanawha canal; which was ordered TO
be printed.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Senate bill prescribing the manner in
which public free-school funds shall be col
lected, and requiring them to be paid to the
credit Of the literary fund and used only
for public iree-school purposes, being the
special order Of the day and the unfinished
business OF Yesterday, was taken up, ana
Mr.. FULKERsoN finished bis speech.
Mr.. KoINER said this bill was but the ad->
vance column OF an attack upon the public
debt. This is the strongest column, and
the attack is being made from the bushes.
TO hold out the idea that those who are OPP
posed to this bill was opposed to the free
schools was q very unfair idea--lt was
mask held I'D to deceive the minds OF the
simple. The free-school system Is a hX-
ture, and no one will deny it. we nave
been told by the gentleman from Washlng-
ton that this old State is the poorest IN the
land-that she is so poor she can hardly Duy
the Governors breakfast. The speaker
confessed to the poverty OF the State, but we
are not so poor as he (Mr. FULKBRsoNl
would have us believe. In the OPINION OF
the speaker the prime object OF this Dill IS SO
70 set apart the currency paid into the Trea-
sury for the support of free schools so that
the wheels OF the government must come to a
dead.stop, and induce the people to resort
TO revolution in opposition to the States
contract-to induce the State to make war
upon herself. He dwelt for some time on
this point.
He said the next step was in the direction
OF forcibIe reimbursement; TO set aside an
other portion Of the currency OF the state
to the support Of the government, and so
divert the money that comes into the treas
ury that the public creditor shall go unpro-
yided for, as we have promised. But the
main objection that the speaker had was the
manner in which it proposed to settle thls
question. Nearly every senator had come
here under the platform OF the great Conser-
yatiye PARTY to try and adjust and settle the
public debt In an honorable manner to the
State and the public creditor. He was OF
opinion thut these pioneer bills We're intend
ed to so circumvent the public creditors as to
compel them to submit. He urged economy
and honesty in the administration OF public
affairs and conciatory course towards the
creditors, and il this was done he believed
that we would overcome our difficulties.
He thought we should appeal to our credi-
tors to make us liberal proposition.
Mr.. PAUL, Of Rockingham, spoke more
directly to the bill under consideration
lie could not see what the bill which Mr.
MASSEY presented had to do with the pub
& lie debt. He thought the public-schoo
4 contract was SIS high and binding az any
4 that mortal could make. The Constitution
4 has decided the question OF the schools
3 fund, andno law which the General Assem-
3 bly, can pass can divert it. The Constitution
4 in broad, comprehensive, and clear IAN
guage, saws what fund shall be used for pub
q lc-school purposes. The convention which
a framed that Constitution was adverse to thu
y white people Of the State, and the public
s school law was so framed as TO provide fol
q the education Of the colored children Of TIT
4 Commonwealth. It was not the purpose o
his friends to stop the. wheels ofggovern
4 ment. ..ys5s.assf.
a BE hoped the billwouid not be committed
4 to the Committee for Courts Of Justice, bu
D be considered at once. $50
Mr.. SMITF, of Nelson, called attention q
the fact that the discussion had hereto
. fore been out OF order, but as the dis
8 cussion had been tolerated by the CHAIl