Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-12-09
The New Legislature.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

The new Virginia legislature assembled
on Wednesday last. and AS the work OF BE-
lrcting it's officers had been done for it by
the Readjrster caucus the night before,
had little troubl. in organization. In the
Senate Mr.. Riddeberger took his seat and
voted. In both houses the Democrats paid
their old officers the compliment of nomi
nation. In the Senate they nominated Sea-
ator koiner for President. pro TEN, and he
received IA votes to is Given Gen. Wyatt
M. Elliot, the Readjuster nominee. In
the election for CLERK of tile Senate he
Democrats voted for ]. D. Pendleton. III
the House they voted for M rsha'l Hang.r
for Speaker, against Mr.. fowler, he r. :
adjuster nominee, who WAS elected by
vote of Sc to 80. Comment ng on the new
legislature the Dispatch" says:
AS for the members generally they MAKE
a more presen table appearance than do
those of lS79-'S0. In that Assembly ther,
were d great many who looked as if they
lad come to Richmond on Il sudden sum
mons-as If, indeed. thev had been hnrrit.
out Of bed, dressed in the DIRK, and di>
patched to the Capitol.
The Senate elected the caucus nOlni
ne es, received the Governors message. an
then adj urned At one time the interes
in the House proceeding were such that
ten Readjuster Senators were over there.
Just Then the vote fnr President prn tena
# the Senate WAS taken and resulted: Flo,
Elliott (iteadJus'er), is; for Kniner (Dem
oc,at), 1.-THE closeness of which rather
scared some of the breth ell. Not COM
inv an, fhic nAGQ il hQ
iActed as a general remark that new mem
hers are always TO be found in their seats.
1t is only the experienced statesman that
neglectS votes. drops in late, cocks his
heels on his desk, and has the question re-
stated for his benefit
Peter J. carter (coD who presided over
the State Republican Convention in Staun-
ton, IN 1851, was elected doorkeeper of the
Senate.
We received copy Of Governor Holli-
days message too late to give it in
full but shall give it next week. The ''Dis-
patch,'' in its summary of it, says !:
The Governor begins with the State debt
and comes very near ending with it. He
declares that evt ry dollar of it is justly OW-
ing 1t having been contracted by Virgin
ia IS officers, and being for money borrowed
10y them from c0nfiding CT edit Ors, and be-
ing debt acknowledged as just by all
departments of the State government
Our people are now using the railroads
built with this borrowed money.
The Governor mentions the Barbour
bill and its immediate successor. He gives
the history Of the McCulloch hill. Its de-
feat he regards as very serious calamity.
1t would it carried out have restored qul-
ct and brought prosperity to the Commol
wealth, and, we will add would have saved
the United States Senate to the DsmOcrS-
| tic party, and perhaps aided materially liz
the election of Democratic President in
| 1884, not to say that If Virginia had not
! been divided IN 1880, General Hancock
would have been ell. cted then.
The Governor next touches the Riddle
berger bill. lie grows eloquent over its
| enormities, and Repeats part of the indict-
| ment he drew up against that bill in his
! message vetoing it, of which indicf meiit
| he declares he is not willing to recall one
word He tells how that bill would have
| Jared in our couI is and in the Sup eme
| Court of the United States; and he asks
| significantly how the departments of the
| United States Govern ment other than the
I Supreme Court have acted on this subject
The Governor quotes interesting Stats
| tics furnished to him by the Auditor
| these HgureS Ougni TO pen the eyes OF
some people; for he proves the ability OF
| the State to meet her obligations without
any increase of taxation, though with
statesmanlike candor he says that If it
were necessary he would favor all increase
! in the taxes.
! ALI the State bonds bearing and 6 per
cent. are row redtemable This is fac
worth remembering. They can be subst-
! tuted by new bonds bearing lower rate
of interest. Therefore ''thera is no justi-
| fication or excuse for reputation. Vir-
gilia has paid $14 272,657 40 of interest
| upon her debt since 1867, and is now pay
ing more than million of dollars of IN
teiest annually. And again the Govern
or warns W with his subject and sounds
| a note OF alarm.
| The Governor here recounts in graphic
style some facts IN Virginia $ history we'll
calculated to excite pride in the SONS of
| her sons. He also sptaks encuuragingly of
| Der material prosperity now, and of her
cause for bright hopes of the future.
The Governor aludes 20 the interference
| of the Federal Government i'll our recent
elections His words ought to tell upon
the northern people. But will they? D.
those people realzo chat 1.-THE empire is al
most in sight?'