Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-06-20
Recollections of the Virginia Legislature
of l8R5-Jno. B. Baldwin.
The Richmond Southern Iate1ligencer.

Kecollectl0ns OF the Virginia Legislature
of l865-Jno. B. Baldwin.
The Richmond Southern Intelhgencer.
On the 22d day of June, 1865, the Leg
islature known as the Alexandria Legisla-
ture, composed of less than dozen mem
bers, met in the capitol at Richmond and
passed an act authorizing an election to
be held on the End Thursday in October,
1865, for members of the Legislature in
counties and corporations in which cleo
tions had not been already held for MEM
bers of the General Assembly. The cleo
ton was held in accordance with the law,
and the Senate SO elected was composed Of
thirty-three members, and the House of
Delegates of one hundred members. In
the Senate were men of stnse aud expert
ence. Many OF these have died, among
the number being Geo. W. Boiling, John
II. Gilmer, Elisha F. Keen, JOHN FL. Lee.
Edmund G. Robinson, and Warner L.
Taliaferro. In the House of Delegates
were found John B. Baldwin. F. N. Wat
kins, J. T. Seawell, A. G. Pendleton. W.
I. Joynes. James Marshall, d. A. Wilson,
j. III. Jones, T. j. Evans, P. r. Grattan,
q. Turner, Chas. Herndnn and Muscoe
Garrett.
The General Assembly met on Monday,
December 4. 1865. Lie. P. Cowper, being
Lieutenant-GO Governor, WAS by virtue Of his
office president Of the Senate. No caucus
was held by either house of the General
Assembly.
The House then proceeded to the cleo
ton of Speaker.
FIN. Watkins, of Prince Edward, was
nominated by P. r. Grattan, OF Richmond
city.
(. John B. Baldwin, of Augusta, was NOM
mated by w. e. M. Word, of Botetourt.
On the first roll-can nInety-one votes
were Cast, Mr.. Watkins receiving forty
five and Mr. Baldwin forty-fve, Mr.. Kel-
lam from AccOmac, voting for Mr..
Joynes.
On the second roll-call ninety-two votes
were cast, Mr.. Baldwin receiving forty
nine and Mr.. W atkins forty two, Mr.. KEEL
lam still voting for Mr.. Joynes.
The message of Gov. PeirpOint was read
in both houses. In referring to voting by
ballot the Governor said: ''Ail legal voters
should be registered, ana the judges Of
ell ction furnished with list of all persons
not having paid their tdces of the previous
year, whose name should be stricken from
the register
After the expiration Of the session of
1865 '66, P. r. Grattan, one of the dele
gates from Richmond city, resigned, and
Judge VIM. W. Crump was elected to fill
cember 18th, 1866. He was appointed
Chairman of the Committee on Finance
formerly held by Mr.. Grattan). Judge
Crump is tlne laWer, and when he and
the late John B. Baldwin locked horns
in the discussion OF the criminal proce-
dure it was debate worth listening to.
Col. Baldwin was giant-Judge Crump
his peer. Col. Baldwin was very popular
IN the Honse, over which he presided with
such dignity, and he was so powerful i'll
debate and influential otherwise that the
General Assembly was often called the
BALDWIN Legislature" and it was almost
universally conceded that had there been
an election for Governor, as was then ex-
pected there would be at that time, John
B. Baldwin would have been Governor
without much, if any, opposition, and he
would have filled the position with grace
and dignity.
On the 22nd of February, 1866, the Gen.
eral Assembly proceeded to the coDfrma-
tion Of the judges nomination by Governor
PeirpOint. VIM. T. Joynes, r. q. l..
Moncure, and Lewis P. Thompson were
confirmed Judges of the Supreme Court OF
Appeals. Richard III. Baker, Edward R.
Chambers. Hunter H. Marshall, Gustavus
A. Wlngfeld, Jos. Christian, John A. Mer-
edith, John Crltcher, Eghert y. watson,
Hugh w. Sheffey, John T. Harris, Rich
ard II. Parker, Robert NJ. Hudson, An
drew s. Fulton, and John H. Campbell
were confirmed Circuit Judges. The Gov
ernor nominated Edward K. Snead, Of Ac-
comac, for Judge of the Ninth Judicia.
Circuit. Ninety-one votes were cast in
both houses, Edward K. Snead receiving
only nine; consequently Mr.. onead s nomi-
nation was not confirmed. Subsequently
the Governor nominated Henry W Thorn
as, of Fairfax, who was duly confirmed.
The General Assembly Of 1896 and
1866-'67 was composed of men of great
Iamerit. They were elected by white voters
alone, and the once master cast his vote
nnassociated in the proud privilege with
|{his former Saves; as no reconstruction
measures had THEN fallen heavily upon
IIthem, and the Caucasian race, then regu-
Hating the politics of the day, also sus
|ttained its high fitness for social govern
'ment. This General Assembly fully rep
resented the wealth, intelligence. and vir-
tue of the old Commonwealth.