The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-18

Enc FfnaHce HGommiftee reported OH
4 to-repeai.seetien 10 Of chapter "a of Session
! Acts OF special session convened March 4,
4 1879, approved Mareh %, 1879, entitled an
4 act to provide a, plan OF settlement. the
public debr. Goes on calendar.
INTRODUCED AND REFERRED.
/ By Mr.. CROSS: Bill asking the amend
ment Of section Is OF chapter Sin OF The
Code Of 1874, rproFiding an oath for persons
offering to vote.
By Mr. FRAZIER: Bill to refund to Be
thesda congregation taxes enormously as
sessed.
By Mr.. LINKESHoKER: Petition OF Ben
! iamin Reed and others from Botetourt
county for the protection Of game.
By Mr. OWENS: Bill to repeal so much
OF the 1st section of an act Of Assembly aH-
:, proved April 2. 1877, as requires payment
Ola capitation tax TO vote. -=
By DIR. C0GHILL: Petition OF r. Fl. Cox
asking for the privilege Of ferry at Big
Island.
I ii" JOINT ASSEMBLY.
| At II O'Clock the Senate, beaded by its
President pro tenn. CIR. ELLIOTT, entered
| the hall. aud was received by the members
OF the House standing. The senators were
Lgiven seats TO the right Of the Speaker.
/ The SPEAKER vacated the chair. and the
PRESIDENT pro tenn. Of the Senate took it.
The PRESIDENT pro tenn. called the Joint
Assembly 10 order, and said that the next
! business would be the reading OF the jour.
nails Of the two houses.
Mr.. Causey. Clerk of the Senate, read the
Journal OF the Senate.
Mr.. McCaull, Clerk OF the House, read the
! iouI nal OF the House.
] Tho ppEs1nENT nrn tom then said that IL
appearing from the journals OF the two
houses that William Malone had received
a majority OF all the votes cast in each
house be was declared duly elected senator
in the Congress OF the United States for
tue term OF six years, commencing March
4. 1881.
On motion Of Mr.. LADY, the joint assem-
bly, adjourned sine die.
| The Senate retired from the hail.
THE DoCRKEEPER-oH. WHERE IS HE?
Mr.. CHAMBERLAYNE offered the follow
ing:
| RESOLVED, That the Speaker be requested
| TO inform the House what parties, and how
and by whom authorized, have been block
ing the door OF this House and u>urping. to
| the Inconvenience OF this House, the rights
and functions OF the Doorkeeper George
w. Cook, colored,l duly elected by this
! House.
| Mr.. CHAMBERLAYNE said:
The rules OF the House provide for a Ser
gcant .at-Arms and two Doorkeepers, TO be
elected by the House.
Mr.. CHAMBERLAYNE recited the various
officers OF the House and their functions,
giving them In order-frSt the Speaker and
his duties, then the Clerk, and finally the
Sergeant-at Arms.
Rule 9th says:
g. A Sergeant-at-A Arms shall be elected by
the House, and shall continue in office
during its pleasure. lie shall have "a his
assistants two doorkeepers, who shall be
elected by the House. and six pages, TO be
appointed by the Speaker, who shall re-
ceive as compensation one half the amount
provided by law for 4 d0orkeeper.
10. He shall, with his assistants, attend
upon the House during its sittings, and
shall execute its commands, together with
all such process. issued by its authority, as
shall be directed to him by the Speaker.
49, He shall attend to receiving and dis
patching all mail or telegraphic matter In
tended for or sent by members, and shall
make such arrangements therefor as to pro-
mote the convenience OF the members.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, this resolution goes on
two grounds-tirst, the right and duty OF
this House to provide its own officers;
second, the convenience and comiort-nay,
sir, the safety-oi the members OF this
| House. These assistants, who should be
elected by the House, according to the rules
l have just read, could be, presumably,
trusted in their responsible duties. As
things now stand. who Is responsible TO the
members for their maii-matter, their money
letters, their kilograms?
Nobody.
We have here a party or parties, not
elected by this House, unknown TO this
House, arrogating usurped authority and
exercising rights and privileges never con-
ierred upon them by this House nor by any
other body or person. This party or these
parties are entrusted with our valuable and
our confidential letters, kilograms, and mail
matter. This party or these parties are al
lowed to shut the door OF this House
| against the citizens Of Virginia, and | ask
| the House, shall we have our outgoings
and ineomings, shall we have the incom-
| Jugs and the ousgoings OF our constltu-
ents, controlled with belt and bar and
cham by Il namelcSs nan, 4 person not
known to the Assembly, and appointed by
| no visible power above or below the Speak
er's chair: Is this House to have its ot-
GERS appointed by itself, under its own
rules. or BY some outsider, By no rules cX-
| cept his own rules!
He wanted to know where was the Door
keeper who was elected by the House!
Who commissioned these men 10 act as
dooykeepers ami block and bar the door OF
the House 10 prevent members and citizens
Of the Common wealth inSreSs and c@reSS
II we have Doorkeeper let Us see MN.
Where is the Dourkccper! Mr.. CHAMBER
LAYSE insisted that this was 4 S; rious mat
ter.
The House refused to refer the fcs0lu-
ton.
Mr. NORTON (colorcd) moved that it be
laid or the table.
Agreed TO on division.
MIR. CHAMBERLAYEE called for The ayes
and noes Ordered.
Result:
AyEs.-Mc5srs Akers. Bell. BLAND, BuLmGn.
Burgess. Chapman. COLE. COLLINS; C"iiy. Cross
Dickinson, Dlckcrson. DUSGEE. EVANS. Farr,
Frazier. GIBSON. gray. Green. iiaden. Hail HAM
ILToS. Harrison, Harwood- Kelly. Lady. LEWIS,
PAIGE, Parks Payne, PerGue. ReGd. fs=vcrcomb,
SaJ.rS, SCOTT. Slcma, E H. Smith, q. +. smith,
Fl. ID. SMITH, spc=saru etraycr, Stripping. Turner,
W4ddiIl. Vale. White. Written, and fsger-5i.
Clayt0r. Dalton. Dandridge. Downs, Duke. Echos,
Edlnonds, Ills. FIcken, Finney. Fitzpatrick, Fray,
Goodc, Hanger, Head Hopkins. Je"ett. l.oyen:tcin,
Lyons. Matthews, Mcnefce. Norman. Mushb1ch.
Nelson, kicOl. Palmer, Pits, Rowe, Watson, W.
knson, aud Wltl-34.
Colored Republicans In SMALL CAPS; white Re-
pub!icaus In itattcS.
After the resolution had been laid on the
table, the SPEAKER said he was charged by
the rules OF the House with the mainte-