The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-11-23

lhc ptiltIh Assembly VIII meet III Tcgu-
lar session on the first Wednesday in next
month-that is to say, December 9Th.
The first duty OF the House will be to
organize. As for the Senate, il will be
sufficiently organized FOR that day. Gene
raj James 4. Walker will he in Office ~
Lieutenant-Governor until January 1st.
But ,he Senate may determine, or ra-
ther the Rcadiusters may determine
1 for II, that It Is expcdient TO fill all the
! places right of. II seems conceded that
/ Wyatt NJ. Elliott, the President pro tenn; G..
/ II. Causcy, Clerk, and J. II. Hill (colored),
/ Doorkeepcr, will be reelected without op-
position. For Sergeant-at-Arms, Charles
NJ. Webber, OF Roanoke (who filled the po-
sition ut tie ,ast SESSION., and ex-senator
James G.. Cannon, Of King and Queen, are
mentioned.
/ All Of the committee clerks were Reid
! justers last session. so they will he at this
session. The pages will he appointed by
/ Lieutensnt-GOyernOr Walker, and VIII
serve until he goes out Then Lieutenant
Governor John f. Lewis will, il he pleases,
appoint z new set.
HON. JOHN +. LEWIS.
As to Mr.. John +. LewiS's intentions
nobody here seems TO be informed. IL is
/ incredible that he will resign the Office OF
/ United States marshal for the Western Dis
/ tIict, which is worth several thousand dol
/ lars q year, to take that OF Lieutenant
! Governor at tIiiling compensation. But
/ the Readj uSter party and the Federal Ad-
ministratiOn are on such good terms il can
/ hardly he doubted that Mr.. Lewis will have
everything possible done for his conye-
niencc. and so it has been sometimes sug-
gested that the President would let him
resign the marshalship and appoint thereto
/ his son, which would for all practical pur-
poses give him both offices. However that
may be-whether Mr.. Lewis concludes to
accept or decline the Office Of Lieutenant
GoyernOr-there will be plenty of time be-
tween this and the first OF January to make
necessary arrangements.
SPEAKER OF TIE HOUSE.
Mr.. I. c. Fowler, editor OF the Bristol
NeicS, i 10 be the Speaker OF the House.
He has served three or four terms in that
body, and is the best man the Readiusters
could pick out from their ranks for that
position. Mr.. Fowler is said to be slightly
deaf in one ear; but if so he will never
turn it TO the cry for mercy, which in
legislative halls generally comes in the
form OF a demand for the previous
question, after long and windy
speech. Pat. McCaull will be reelected
Clerk. For Sergeant-at- Arms Mr.. W.
Frank Humphrey is announced us a candi-
date. Mr.. a. j. Taylor, OF Fluvanna, was
the Sergeant-at-Arms last session, and
wants it again, unless he receives an ap-
pointmcnt at the penitentiary, which he
expects. Mr.. j. W. Southwark, OF Henrico,
and n colored man named Fields from
Hampton, were the doorSecpcrs last seS-
sion. No doubt they are willing to serve
again.
NEW PAGES.
In the Senate on the Democratic side will
be especially missed the faces OF John w.
Daniel, Writ Henry, and Henry w. Muir
ray The ReAdiusters will miss Abram
Fulkerson, John Paul, Joseph ii. Sher-
rard, Jr., and j. T. Stovall. Mr.. Riddle
berger is still on the roll. 1t is said that
he fought duel and has disqualified him.
self.
OLD AND NEW IN The HOUSE.
In the House MeSsrs. r. A. Coghill and
Marshall Hanger are the most distinguished
Of "the old stagers" who are returned.
B. johnson Barbour, II. II. W. Duke, John
Echols, William III. Payne, james B. Flick
len, and Roger Gregory are among those
out from our side of the House, and James
A. Frazier, John Il. Lady, l.. Linkenhoker,
NJ. L. Spessard, Henry j. Vale, Smith
White, and B. W. Lacy are missing from
the other side. Messrs. Fraziera and Lady are
contesting the seats Of Messrs. Lecch and
Dunlap, and the Readjusters have the
power to put them IN.
Mr.. Joseph A. Wingfield, of Hanover
county, is the only member OF either house
put down as Straightout Republican"
lie was elected to the Senate rs Debt
Payer in 1879 and held over.
THEHALLs.
The two legislative chambers have been
pretty thoroughly cleansed, entirely re-
painted, and freshly carpcted. They now
look better than at any time previous.
Lami's painting OF the Storming Of Re
doubt at Yorktown has been replaced in
position on the north wall OF the Senate
chamber, fronting the Presidents chair.
Elders picture of General Robert +. Lee
will be again hung on the east wall, from
which point this image OF our great chief
tain has for years looked calmly down upon
the bustling crowd of politicians and states
men.
HALL OFTHE 0USE--REM1NISCENCEs.
The hall of the House will LOOK quite nice
when finished; but il will never be thor
oughly comfortable. 1t is badly ventilated.
The draft from the rotunda will come in
alike upon Readjuster and Democrat. Pea
nuts will be eaten and tObacco-iuice spit
upon the carpet same as ever. Times
change and we change with them, some
times, but in peanuts and t0bacco-iuice the
legislative fashion remains the same year
after year.
Several generations Of Virginia le' islators
roasted their peanuts on "the old stove"
which is still standing unused in the ro-
tunda. and the Legislature has never been
ouitc the same since members were deprived
OF that innocent pastime.
In the days much blest and long gone,
the Senate got Il great big snufi-box, and
whenever any particularly knotty question
was under consideration the Clerk used TO
send il around and each member took a
ninch. That snul-bOX came down from
tbe time OF knee-breeches and rufled
fronts. and il yet remains part OF the
furniture, but Is little patronized.
After awhile IL will be thrown aside, and
with IL the memory OF the great Virgin
ians who dipped into its sneezy contents.
The snuf-box and the stove alike lag SUI
perlluous on the stage.
THE sENAToRsuIP.
All the indications point to the nomina-
tlon and election OF Mr.. II. ii. Riddleber-
ger as United States senator In place OF
Senator John w. Johnston, whose term eX-
pires March 4, 1883. General Malone
gives Il as his opinion that Mr.. Riddleber-
Ger will be the man. He ought to know.
Mn. John s. Wise has also been spoken oil
in this connection, but it is supposed, now
hat General Malone has spoken, that he
III -, -. n. -. :. c,nnncccfnl IL Is however. |