Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1879-03-25
Our Richmond Letter.
RICHMOND, March %, 1879.

t.....' nlCHNOND, MhIch ~, 1919.
Saturday night is one of the blessed
heritages OF our race, but when
II Comes on the watery wings Of the
eqninoctial storm, II loses much of its
blessedness. My friend of the Dispatch
may shrug his shoulders and laugh at
the equinox, hut these storms ,cW come
and wash away, twice year, all of his
philosophy. Down comes the merciless
rain In flooding sheets and winged light
nings play like fiery serpents In the black
dep lbs Of the heavens. The winds blow,
the elements roar and man and brute
Zee to their shelters and wait for the
glad sunshine again.
Before this shall have been read by
the readers Of the NeWs the McCulloch
Bill will, In all likelihood have passed
the House, and then the Senate will
have to act on the few amendments
placed upon 1t. do not think we Gun
beat the bill. We have shaken the af-
lection some few of its friends had for
II, but they have checked their baggage
for the through trip think. | doubt If u
single vote has yet been changed against
1t. We have to vote on II on Monday at 3
p. m. Its friends declare II unamcnda-
BILE, savcat the demand of McCulloch. -
On yesterday my friend Henry of this
city proposed a small amendment to II,
and | could not refrain from asking him
humorously, If Mr.. McCulloch had con-
scented TO the change, telling him at
the same time was afraid |; might mar
the "harmony and symmetry" of the bill
an expression 80 often used by ia
friends.
The only amendment of any conse-
q,ience Is the one known as the Henry
Allen one. II was first offered by Mr..
Henry, and lastly by Speaker Allen, but
Ihave been told Il was furnished by Me-
Culloch, or this have no knowledge
myself. ! can see how some persons
might vote for the bill without this, but
with II, l am unable to see how the
strongest funder could favor Il. II pro-
yides that when there shall not be mon
ey enough to meet the interest of the
new bonds, the auditor shall issue IA
much tNx-recelvable scrip as he pleases,
and apportion II to the counties TO be
sold at minimum price of rs eta on the
dollar.
Now suppose the deficiency should be
100000, and presuming our county
should be an average one, there would
be sent TO Abingdon for sale, $4,000 Of
these notes, or certificates. This would
supply only about onc-thlrd of our peo-
Pile with II for tax-paying purposes, and
even half dozen or perhaps one man
could, or would buy II all up. The re-
moinder would have to pay their taxes
Mt 10 cts TO the dollar, and the heavy
shave Of $4,000, would have to be met
and made good by those who did not buy
any Of them. really see no reason
why the Treasurer himself should not
furnish the entire $4,000, IN money and
then cash the whole 5000 ont of his
next years txes and return the cerif-
Gates to the State Treasury ut par. lie
would thus make the neat little profit of
two thousand dollars. do say and
say emphaticnlly and deliberately this
amendment IL the browning objection to
this bill.
The debate on the bill " becoming
stale. Members are impatient TO leave
and few OF them will listen TO anything
that may be said by any one. ! believe
very little else will be done. There ARE
important bills that ought TO be consid-
ered, but doubt whether they have
much attention paid to them, and an
adjournment, sine die IL likely TO occur
near the close Of the week.
Senators Massey aud &. r. Smith had
duel Of very ugly words yesterday
aud were forced by the Senate to re-
tract and apologize TO day In public.
SIX.