The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-23
: flbi, General Assembly at the earliest prac.

tlcaDit lIIHt.
CHARACTER OF THE claiborne CHARGES
Mr.. Frazier opposed the resolution. III
cid not think II competent for the House e
send out committee to investigate tbt
character OF private gentleman. This cas-,
differs from The AlbemarIe one In this, tha
there the three members from AIbemarll
signed and preferred written charges
against the gentleman (Purvis) proposed FOL
Judge Of that county.
Mr. Hanger said that in the Albcmarle
case, too, Mr.. PurVis, the accused, asked
for the committee Of investigation.
Sir. Payne said here the charges were
made in writing by General Early. native
OF The county of Franklin-one OF the fore
most OF living Virginians. Surely be was
responsible enough. Bot whatever other
responsibility was needed, Dir. Payne him.
self would take.
GENERAL PAYyE's STANDING.
Mr.. Lyons, in arguing IN favor Of the
| resolution, said that The charges were now
certainly preferred on responsible authori-
Ity. Abiding to the high character Of Gen.
eral Payne, Mr. Lyons said IL was equal to
any three mems in the State.
Mr. VALE protested against that state
ment OF Mr. Lyons. Laughter lie would
admit that General Payne stood rs high as
any man on this floor or in this State, but
not as high as any three men.
Mr.. Lyons said the gentleman Mr.. WaleSl
misunderstood him. He meant 10 say that
Of any three high men in The state, General
Payne's character and reputation was equal
to their average.
Dir. Payne begged to withdraw his name
as a candidate for the position named.
Laughter
Mr.. Dickinson protested that Mr.. Lyons
had the right TO entertain whatever opinion
be pleased OF the character Of General
Payne. II he thought him equal to any
three men in the State it was his right.
Personal FEELING.
Mr. Parks spoke against the resolution,
and iniimated that perhaps General Early
had some personal feeling in the matter.
He reproached the other side with staylng
off action on this question and with seek
Ing for delay.
IMPUTATION AGAINST GENERAL EARLY.
Mr. Mcdonnell demanded the pending
question.
Mr. Payne asked him to withdraw it ior
a moment so that he might ask Mr.. Parks a
question rs 10 what he meant by hi, mpu
tation against General Early.
Mr.. Mcdonnell declined to Withdraw his
demand.
The pending question was ordered-ayes,
4J; noes, SO.
The resolution was rejected by the fol-
lowing vote:
AYEs.--Messrs. Adams. Barbour Chamberlayne,
Clayton. Dalton. cambridge Downs Duke. EdmOnGs.
Ellis, nckln. tinney. Fitzpatrick. FRAY. Gibson,
Or cory Hanger, Jewett Lyons. Meneiee Moer-
man. Morgan. Mu,hbich, Nelson. NIcol, Payne,
PittS, Pope, Rowe l.. H. Smith, & =. smith. Strb
Ing. Watson. Uickhdht, Wiz. and Iagcr-36.
NOES --Me,srs. Akcrs Bailey. Ben. BLAND. Buj-
nun. Burgess, Chapman. COLE. COLLINS. COliy,
ross, Dickinson, Dickerson. DUNGEE, EVANS,
Farr, Frazer. Grdy, Haden, HAMILTON. Harmon,
helly. Lady. LinkenhOker. Mcdonnell, Meme, NOR
1ON. OwLNS, PAIGE. Parks. Rcdd. Revere nab.
SaJ ers. SCOTT. Semp, II. ID. SMITH SpessIrd Htff-
ton, Turner, Waddiii, Waie, Watkins, and Whle-
Al.
Colored Republicans in SMALL CAPS; white Re.
puOcaus IL HGiicS.
COMMON DECENCY.
Mr.. Dandrdge said that the commonest
deccncy and self-respect on the part OF the
House demanded that there should be IN
investigation. Indeed, Mr.. Claiborne ought
TO have come forward and demanded Il stay
OF proceedings while there was let in upon
the case a flood Of light.
Mr.. Lady said that Mr.. Claiborne bad de-
mandcd an Investigation at the hands OF his
friends.
Mr.. cambridge thought that it WAS due TO
the whole country that there should be an
investigation. The charges are preferred
against Claiborne by General Early. one Of
the foremost, II not the foremost, citizens OF
the State. He Is backed by General Payne,
who stands quite as high as the gentleman
from Richmond has said. Indeed, in his
county Mr. Dandrdge would venture 10
say that General Payne stood rs high as al
most any five hundred men. Ir. Dandridge
went on TO show that from the evidence OF
General Early and Mr.. Callaway, Claiborne
is professional gambler. HIS friends
state that Claiborne had the lizard in his
hands ~ a curiosity. It was In the hands
OF blacksmith to be mended. How did it
get out OF ordery
Mr.. CALLAWAY.
Dir. Lady insisted that there is no eyl-
dence TO show that Claiborne Is 4 prOfeS-
siOnal gambler.
Mr. Dandridge then bad the letter from
Mr.. Galloway read, in which BE- doesn't re-
fer 10 the lizard, but states thar IN Frank
lin Claiborne is looked upon ~ gambler.
Mr.. cambridge would not say that because
a man plays cards he must necessarily be
damned. But when man plays cards he
ought To play fair. 1t ~ not the card, but
the method Of playing them.
Then, said Nr. DandIidge, in addition to
being cheating gambler, Claiborne Is
charged BY Commissioner Raum with theft
and forgery. tie defrauded the Govern
ment. and forged the names Of citizens TO
do it. Are these trivial charges The
magnitude OF these offences can hardly be
exceeded by the Imagination OF man.
WHAT ARE THE CHARGES
Now, said Mr.. DaadFldge, what are the
charges: They arethat Claiborne is COM
mon gambler; that he plies his avOcatiOn
for money that he is cheating gambler;
that he is a fOrger, and that he 6efravded
the United States GOycrument-tbe Govern
ment winch gave him place. SO. Mr.. Dan
dridge protested against having this man
fastened upon the people OF Virginia 10 adj
minister Justice. It would b. 4 shame and
mockery. He would not say that these
charges are true, but at least they ought to
be investigated. Claiborne ought not to he
fastened upon the people until l&s character
is Cleared OF these grave charges.
cLAIB0gNE ExoNERArED.
Mr.. Niche maintained That there had
been Il iull investigation on the pant OF the
caucus committee. and Claiborne had been
ex0neraied. Eurlher, the people OF h'
county who knew all about hm INSIST That
be snail be their Judge.
Mr Niche said that it j. an open secret
that General Early is tie political encmy 81
Tom Claiborne. lie may b. the personal
enemy Of Tom Cl,ibome. too; hut he IS
| certainly tie political enemy.
As TO the Raum letter, Nr. Niche cemem-
bered that Raum was the man who pat mp
the Van Aukcn CORES pOndence JOB, with
the intention o. controlling The negro vote
in the last campaign When NJ. Niche
first read that correspondence he thought II