The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-24
ASSEMBLY or VIRGINIA.
Extra sess.oa.--Twenssesh Day.
SATURDAY, March %, 1879.
SENATE.

SATURDAY, March %, 1879.
/ SENATE.
| Senator ELLIOTT in the chair.
/ r;oi from the President OF the james River
| and Kanawha Company enclosing leso' "a
1 t;on of the stockholders asking the passage,
nf tho supplemental railroad bill, DC. Laid
~, The toble md ordered TO be printed, on
motion Of Mr. WOOD. ,ror,
number OF bills were reported from
committees.
THE sNITH-aAssET CONTROVERSY.
Mr.. MARSHALL, from the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, submitted the 1ol-
lowing report;
70 the President of the Senate: -
The committee to whom was referred the
following resolution, adopted on yesterday
by the Senate--to Wit:
Resoiued, That the stenographic reports
or the speech OF the Senator from Nelson OF
Tuesday last, OF the reply OF the Senator
from AlbemarIe, Of the reioinder OF Tue
Senator from AlDemarle, and OF the remarks
of This day made by each in reference 10
each other, be together referred to the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections, with IN
str,lclions to report tomorrow morning
what action respecting the same should DC
taken by the Senate
ber leave TO submit the following report:
Your committee examined the steno-
ororhic reports OF the speeches OF Senators
SMITH and MASSEY made on Tuesdav lasf,
and the remarks Of Senator'S MASSEY ana
SMITH on the floor of the Senate on ycster-
day. and beg leave to submit =,
THAT the Senator from AibcE1arle had
the RIGHT TO call attention to and to eXplaln.
corrocf. and contradict the article when
anncared in the aichmond Dispatch OF the
onih instant under the caption OF "Illt
Rntwcen Two Senator's" as newspaper
communication but as speech of Sena'
FOR made upon the floor OF the SENATE ne
had not the right to make any oDlectlons 10
The same at the time he did SO, for by Rule
Is the time had passed for taking cNcep-
tioG thereto.
2. That part of the remarks OF Senator
MASSEY on yesterday while he was speaking
10 a question Of personal privilege were IN
violation OF that privilege, much OF his SAID
remarks being unpariiamentary 80 de-
ciGed by the President OF the senate) and
insulting to the dignity Of the Senate; ana
we call especial attention to The following
anguage-to-wit. mis-
REPRESENTATION, defamation, and vlndlcllVe-
ness y IL 1 i'au ieplleu w enesn
in courteous and refined language, such rs
is generally used among gentlemen, the
Senator from Nelson would not nave ap-
nrccictcd il, and 1 should have been guilty
OF folly second only to tcat OF castinS peaf's
before swine
2 THAT the remarks OF the Senator from
Nelson. made BIZ way or interruption. were
ont Of order, unpariiamcntary, and so de-
ciled by the President, and were gross
violation OF The privileges. rules, ana deco
rum Of the Senate, and we call particular
attention to the following language insult
ing to its dignity: sit is faisehood, ana
dnIiherate lie.'' = IL denounce him
here and before the world as liar and
scoundrelv sit is base lie, and
comes from a dog" And we recommend
tho adontiou OF the following resolution:
Resoiyed, That the Sergeant-at-A Arms OF
the Senate take into custody Senator'S MAS
sry and SMITH and conduct them to the bar
Of the Senate. there to be publicly repr-
manded by the President Of the Senate.
J. W. MARSHALL, Chairman:
THOMAS G. WALsTcN,
j. HoGE TYLER,
X. r. GRIFFIN.
MINORITY REPORT.
Mr.. HURT Of Piusylvania presented the
following minority report:
In response to a resolution in these
words
There follows the rcsolution1
we beg leave to submit the following as q
minority report:
We find that the following language used
by the Senator from Albemarle upon the
floor Of the Senate yesterday, and read by
him from manuscript, was unparllamen-
tary--
riIere follow the words quoted in the ma
iority report
and the Senator from Albcmarle should re-
tract the same, apologize for having used
such language upon the floor OF the Senate,
aud be admonshed by the presiding officer.
| We also find that the language [SMITH's]
used upon the floor OF the Senate by the
Senator from Nelson on yesterday. and an-
piled to the Senator frGm Albemarle when
reading his statement, grossly unparlla-
men.ary, anG that the Senator from Nelson
should retract the same and net only apollo
gze for having used such language on the
| floor of the Senate. but that he should be
reprimauded by the presiding officer for
having done so.
We therefore recommend the adoption OF
the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the Senator from Abe
marie be required to rctract the language
above referred to, apologize to the Senate
for having used the same upon the floor OF
| the Senate, and be admonished by the pre-
siding officer.
Resolved, That the Senator from Nelson
be required to retract the language above
referred to as having been used by him, and
apologize for having used The same upon
the floor OF the Senate; and further, that
the SAID Senator from Nelson be reprimanded
| by the presiding officer OF the Senate for
having used said language upon the floor OF
| the Senate.
All Of which is respectfully submitted and
reported, JOHN l.. HURT,
Fl. &. WOOD.
THE DEBATE.
At tie conclusion OF the reading OF the
two reports Mr. MASSEY addressed the Sen
ate al some length on the ground that hls
personal explanation was Ju>1itiab!e under
the circumstances. and he either retracled
wholly or apologized to the Senate for the
language to which the committee objected.
Mr.. CHILES said it was impossible for him
to have been present at the meeting OF the
committee Yesterday or to-day, and he there
iOIe a>heu ltaFc w sign onc VI 'hc i0PoieS,
without indicating which report be would
sign.
Leave was granted Mr.. CHILEs, and he
signed the minority report.
Mr.. SMITH argued, in opposition to both
reports, that he was justified in bis course.
and that the Senate would be doing him q
great wrong to adopt either report, when
be had retracted the language deemed Of
fensiye TO the Senate, Mr., SMITH also again
retracted the offensive epithets to the Sen.