The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-28
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA.
MONDAY, January y, 1870.
SENATE.


Lieutenant Governor WALKER presiding.
Prayer.by Rev. j. William Jones, D. D.
A number OF House bills were read and
referred. :. ......
Dir. DANIEL presented 4 bill to amend
and reenact the act to amend the charter OF
the city of Lynchbure; also, bill to in
corporate the Lynchburg Opera-House AS
ISOLATION. Referred.
BY Mr.. ,PHLEGAR 4 bill to amend the
law concerning petit juries. Referred.
By Mr.. MARSHALL: A bill to incorporate
and establish the Craig Agricultural and
Mechanical Association. Referred.
Mr.. SHERRARD presented a bill to amend
the charter Of the Valley Railroad Com
pany. Referred.
Mr.. FULKERsoN presented bill TO quiet
titles to land sold for taxes, &c. Referred.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
On motion of Mr.. Belts, Mr.. SMITH was
granted two days leave OF absence.
was granted four fa aays isS7s 81 absehes
On motion of Mr.. DANIEL, Mr.. GRIFFIN
was granted leave Of absence for seven
days.
REJECTED.
Senate engrossed bill to amend section 4
Of an act approved April 2, 1874, in relation
to Jurisdiction OF county courts, so as to au-
thorize them to grant iuiunctions, was re-
jected: the vote resulting-ayes, -; noes,
II. The CHAIR voted emo"
PASSED.
The following Senate bills were passed:
In relation to the hours for transactins
business in the Offices Of the Capitol.
To amend the law in reference to the re-
pair, &c., OF roads in the county OF Gray.
son.
To repeal an act for the protection of fish
in Powell's river.
TO tx the times for holding the courts in
the Fourteenth judicial circuit.
To amend section 81 OF chapter G1 Of the
Code of 1873, in relation TO subscriptions to
works Of internal Improvement b. coun.
ties, cities, and towns.
To amend section l Of chapter 90 Of the
Code, in relation to distractions and hin
ORANGES TO roads or public highways.
House bill to authorize the trustees oil
certain school property in the county Of
Roanoke to sell the property and reinvest
the proceeds.
| THE R1yES UsURPATI0N.
At I O'Clock the Senate took up Mr.. JOIN
SONS report and resolutions from the spe.
cial committee on the usurpation of author
| ity Of the Federal judiciary in Virginia.
| Mr. JOHNSON addressed the Senate in adj
yocacy OF the report aud resolutions accom-
panying it.
When the King of England, he said, had
become as despolic as the King OF France,
ruling absolutely by the high commission
and the star chamber, the effort to raise
taxes without consent Of the Commons OF
England was resisted by John Hampden, q
plain country gentleman, who refused to
pay ship-money and took the question be.
fore the EXcheqGer Chamber, who decided
against him. But it made the issue with
arbitrary power, which cost Charles his life
and the Stuarts the throne, aud founded
constitutional government in England.
SO it may be now that two ignorant fie.
groes have raised question in remote
county of Virginia on which the lovers oil
liberty over this whole land may unite in an
| issue against the arbitrary, unconstitutional
|usurpation which the party controlling the
Federal Government have been reiteratine
and repeating for the last eighteen years
| It may be that the issue we now make may
have the effect OF rousing the whole eoun
itry, and thereby securing repeal of uncon
Institutional legislation and protection agains
further usurpation by the Executive.
lin Patrick county; Va, two men were
| indicted, tried, and convicted OF murder
The verdict in the one case was set aside by
the Circuit Court of the State, and in ths
other by the Supreme Court Of Appeals
| On the new trials there was hung jury ir
one case, and verdict OF murder in tht
second degree in the other, on which there
| was Judgment and sentence by the Court
tThese men were not indicted, tried, or con
yicted as negroes, and the record nowher,
shows their race except where inserted by
themselves. They were 47s Is.
INDICTED, TRIED, AND CONVICTED AS MUIR
| DERERs,
and the law of Virginia makes no distinc
ton as to mode OF trial or punishment fol
crime on account Of face and color. Blu
| the parties themselves fled their petitions
claiming that they were negroes, and there
fore entitled to be tried by iuries composed
partly OF persons OF their own raceo or color
and upon the State court refusing to max,
distinction on account OF race or: color
prayed to have their cases removed to tn,
Federal court for trial. This beingrefused
1.-The Judge OF the Federal court, " being 81
opinion, that said pet toner's. hare been de
1 he'd such q trial as is secured to them b,
tie t6tps of tbs State, = rdered his marsha
Ito take possession oil. said pgis0ners5 bl
fneans OF The writ Of itabssaS corpus, amt
tthe clerk 10 Summon q Fenfre oft Jurors
without distinction Of race or color, Tor th
trial OF these prisoners. The Federal Judge
hp3t,ey NJ ~, fFa3 fha State oa,irf tvo