The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-17

IHTLleS ScOnceTneufeFIDeLnL 70 De GanQtu,A At1d
little bofdtlolGers made terms with tile
General AssemhIy why .then'ithe eenTen.
lion would doeD harm, whereas sim the
event OF, failure the. cSnxentfon would be
able: to- put all the machinery in motion ne.
eessary forYa successful appeali Co the peo-
pie. .74t-ftlS 81 sist, 81 tsttf no 7sfsi6f
|8l AlE. Ficklin, ;inlthB course ofTbig rer,arks,
said TINT the Governor had called the con-
bfereuce with the! bondhoiders for the 38th
OF January. 50 b9HifGoj styt f,t;s tiaT7|Y
On the rnotionto reconsider the vote by
which the convention was lordered npda call
directed 70 be prepared therefor, the vote
WaS:gEl II, 'i.:,si.Lla a;9 30 ssa5Fa73c -: j
.ft - z.gsis., oE2ysENAToRs.S 10 3ufIGassi.
Sgsssr: assisiG Siiss c,es Norton
Paul, Powell, Sienp. Ward, and Wooa-0.
Us sa.-{t12H =, tDELKGATEs.t tt2 ~ Stt5'
14Ayes.-Messrs.A Adams. Bernard, Dance Fowler,
aIon s9SS So ks
and Mr. speaker@IB. r!t - - -'AA'
1Noes.-Stessrs:, As.rs. Barbour. H.. r. Carter,
Evans. Fanntiero-, Fickin. Frasier, Fuikerson son,
Hamilton, II. H. Harr,son, Hersie, ". 7. Jap,es,
key E@yS
walsh, 5. j. (. Whae, Written. and Youns-sa.
n TotaEAyes. az: noes. 40. Several pairs were
announced numb Of readjusters didntvote.
The call was then adopted, and the date
of the Convention changed from the 1871 TO
the 9th 0f February. F,:, I. II ,.+e..1.
~ asefaest fof1the newspapers Of The; Stats
to publish the call was adopted, on motion
Of Mr.. Barbour, -" - ~.
q Adjourned to meet at the call Of. the chair
man.. .i-'t = ''s"1: - .,..,,,,,,r, mo-.
The Auditor and the Public schools.
The Auditor has replied to Senator Spit.
ler's resolution as; to 'tiwhy he paid the in.
terest on the bonds held by schools and col
leges," and did not set apart sufficient
sum for public-school purposes. He says
81 I know,ofa no revenue Ass essed and col
Iected for school purposes outside .of! that
assessed and collected under the general law
relating to the assessment :Oi> property and
The collection OF the tax thereonI one Eth OF
which the statute provides shall be applied
:. < tax 81 fifty cents at in il, the hundred dol
lars value Of property, has been the rate
imposed thereon since the adoption OF the
present Constitution, and out of the pro-
ceeds OF this tax the schools are to be paid.
:. 8. On the 30th March, 1871, an net was
passed authorizing the issuance Of certain
coupons receivable in payment of "all
taxes, debts, dues, and demands due to the
State."! Now, so far as. these coupons were
icessarily q corresponding failing-ofr In the
receipt of CURRENCY @.;su i's' f.-'i".'''T
a. The rate OF tax at so cents, as before
stated, did not yield the amount Of revenue
sufficient to defray the expenses Of Govern
ment, support the lunatics In the State
asylums, prisoners in the penitentiary, &C.,
and paw to the schools their full quota.
s.. The . a2, :""h1i' ..'.-'.' -
INsuFFIcIRNcY OF THE SUPPLY OF CURRENCY
which was required to discharge these obi.
cations rendered it impossible for me to pay
to the schools in full without virtually sus-
pending the operations OF the Government
and necessitating the discharge, to q great
extent, Of the unfortunate inmates of our
asylums as we'll as, the prisoners confined IN
the penitentiary. and jalls OF the. State. ..4
6. Iknow Of no order OF priority which
required me to pay to the schools their fnl)
quota in currency first and then to all other.
objects their ratable share OF the residue. :,
7. Taking the amount Of currency as, the
sum TO be divided, which WINS the only fund
that could control, the schools have re-
ceiyed more than one fifth OF it. But Ipass
to the resolutions: 80, .,.,'.,, T.. T., a,l
The second resolution calls upon me to
assign reasons for approving an act alleged
to have been committed by me several years
after the whole OF my official conduct had
passed under the eyes Of at least three sue
cessiye General Assemblies without GEN.
sure or even criticism. But, waving this
consideration, the allegation that approved
the application of the fund 10 the payment
OF interest cannot be shown, and, / affirm,
does not accord with the facts Of the case.
These facts are very briefly as follows: -.
Application was made to me by the Second
Auditor, who in conjunction with the Coy
ernor, the Treasurer, the Attorpey..Generai,
and myself were constituted board to de-
termine in the matter OF ..t}A'. ,!"'-A'.
| PAYING INTEREST ON THE PUBLIC DEBT,
(see Acts 1S74-,75, page 366, chapter 273) to
turn over to him sum sufficient to pay the
July, 1874, interest, sc. At a, meeting OF
the Board held in my. office January %,
1875, the application was presented IN form
by the Second Auditor, all the members be-
ing present. When the matter was up for
consideration I biected to the payment on
the ground that the condition OF the treasury
did not warrant, it, nor did I,,yield my as
sent until the Governor Kemper1 stated that
IL would he would replace the amount BY
temporary loan. Upon that assurance, and
yielding TO- the. wishes OF, my colleagues /
consented to the, arrangement, Accord
ingly, in December following a, loan was
made OF S2O0,O00 by the: Gov vernnr, which
more than replaced the amount Ls;had paid
out under heorder OF the Board. sea-? BE-"
I am called upon to assign my reasons
for Withholding THE revenue collected for
public ee-schoofpurposesu untiithe amount
has reached d million Of dollars, and for CIV
Ing the colleges preference over the public
free schools or I the. State, Notwithstanding
the Constitution makes special provision for
In respect 10 SO much Of this resolution as
relates to the amount alleged to be due to
the schools, I beg to refer to the appendlx
to my annual report, now in the hands OF all
the members OF the Senate, IN when nave
fully discussed this branch OF the Sub1ect.
/ can make it no palmer. AS to so mucE OF
the first and second resolutions as charge
me, in giving the preference to the colleges
over the free schools, notwithstanding the
Constitution makes special provision 1or
their support, / have tWo remarks 70 make :
First. As have often said, the Constitu-
ton imposes no duty on me. 1t imposes
duties on the General Assembly, ana de-
clares that, the powers and duties OF the
Treasurer and Auditor shall be such as now
are OF may hereafter be prescribed by law!
(See Constitution, article 4, section IA. -,
Second. On the 22d OF February, lS6e,
an act was: passed by the General Assembly
(sees Acts Of 1S65-'66, page 43S, -cnapter
330), three years, four months ana elgnt
days before The present -ljonstltn!lon was
adoptedby the people OF Virginia, ana iopr
wears, four months, and twelve days De1oFe
epassage OF the act to establish h and mann IN
thin an uniform .:.: t.,.:, - r.' u ),
=