Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1882-06-13

how many estates have been settled with.
in a period of ten or twenty years
Again, how many court commissioner:
give bond before collections and how
many purchasers either surrender prop
erty or pay a second time. The Com
missioners bill provided that one man,
bonded like unto county treasurer
should attend to all such business, and
gave assurance to every industrious
working man that what his labor had
produced and his economy stored away
would be distributed by his State under
her laws, or his will, to those who should
be the recipients of his accumulations,
large or small, and to every person in
terested in the proceeds Of sales that q
second suit should not be necessary to
realize from the trusted agent of the
court.
Other States, more careful of the
rights and interests of the helpless, have
their "Orphans' Courts" specially pro.
yided with jurisdiction confined to the
proper administration of estates. The
Commissioners bill was designed to ef-
feet some reforms in ,his behalf without
incurring additional cost to the estate.
We leave this question for the consider
ation of men who realize the uncertain-
ties of life, and who know that a court
with its unrestrained clique will make
their wills and dispense their estates.
The re-districting of the State was an
imperative duty of the Legislature.
1t had been II subject of long discus
sion and close calculation IN Congress,
whether or not there should be an APP
portionment that would give us one
more representative under the new cen
sus. Shortly before the close of our
regular session such an apportlonment
was made. 1t was suggested that we
could elect q Congressman sat large"
that this Congress had said so. EXpe-
rience was our guide. Virginia had
twice elected Congressman "at large
since reconstruction to meet contingent
cy like the present, and both times they
were denied seats. That this Congress
had said so, was, and Is, met by the
Constitution which makes each house OF
each Congress the sole judge Of the quail
ilication of its members. A Republican
Congressman cat large" and Conserv-
n tive Congressman sat large" each
with unchallenged credentials from his
State, were refused admission. The
House of Representatives was then the
sole Judge of the qualifications of its
members, as II must be under the Con-
slilution ms it Is. Moreover, the Consti-
tuition of our State provides in section
~ OF Article ), that "fhc whole number
of Representatives to which the State
may at any time be entitled in the House
of Representatives of the United States,
shall be upportoned rs nearly as MAJ. be
amongst The several counties, cities and
towns of The State according to their
pOpuIatiou." And In section l3 of same
article, "lhe State shall be divided into
districts corresponding in number with
the Representatives to which 1t may be
entitled" &c. or such Importance was
this npportionment 10 States gaining
Representatives that Governors Convcn-
I'd Legislatures for The single purpose of
putting it into effect MS to their respect
i've. Vlrginl0's Legislature was already
In session, and remained In session long
enough for the discharge Of This public
duty; subsequently 1t was convened In
extra session, aud yet to-day the duty
remains unpertormcd by the Legislature,
because of the conspiracy of faithlcss
Rcndiustrrs with your enemies.
We had seen our State, once the first
hy the number of her seats In Congress,
rctrograde to the flftccCth In this respect,
and brheld one of her own daughters
casting six more electoral votes than the
mother. We knew that capital, enter
prise and industry measure the growth
or decay Of Stale by observation Of It's
political status and importance. From
every consideration and standpoint,
whether of solemn, sworn obligation or
interest, material or political, II was n
plain duty to rc-dlstrlrt the State to con-
form to the new apporIlonment. A
committee gave to this subject two weeks
of luborlous investigation, and Of n score
or more of plans one was ascerlHlncd TO
be acceptable to all the Rcadlustcrs but
three When this measure was put ON
ls passage no word Of objection w0s
made to IL; no competing proposition
was offered; no suggesti0n of change or
amendment; the roll was called and
four Rcndustcrs voted with the Bour-
bons, including him who had examined
the plan and had expressed his npproba-
ton of lt. The mystery of this pefIOr-
nance will bc ellcctuAly cleared up on
n proper occasion. It's discussion does
not beilt the serious aud dlgnlllcd pui-
pose Of this formal address OF rcprosen-
tatlyos TO their constituents.
There was no gcrrymnndcr to secure
n legitimate political advantage, which
should respond to The popular majority,
None was needed to make good 10 you
aud our party the certain power TO elect
IN eight of The ten districts. Fairly
formed that lot fell TO lounnd our putty
The districts were composed of contlgti-
ous counties, Compncty grouped, ana
without regard 10 any personal ronslugr-
ntlUns. II was In Our power to do thls, T,
N wna our right under Inv nnd pfocc-
dent; and II was 0urt duty 10 you mud TO
onr marty to DO II. We did or best TO
accomplish H.. We adopted the bill IN
the House (as we had also adopted there
the two other bills that we have llstuss-
cd ) but we found II Impossible with amy
modification 10 pass the bill IN the Scnnlc
10 which yoii had elected clear mniol-
~ of ak Rendlusleu. We, YOU, the
p.rty and this most vital measure were
defeated by nn lgnomnlous detection
~ every vote concerning II and The bills
relating TO the Commissioner of Salps
and the Judicial Cifcuits, four Senators
elected by YOU m Rrndluslcrs 10 oppose
nnd defeat iiourbona and Fundcts, cOted
inrdriabiy nth ne Bowjom ded Funder,
10 defeat ReddjusiotSi and as q sample OF
tlielr record on these measures Wd hcft
present The ayes and noes on The Con-
rrcssioOal Ile-apporilonmcnt bill ih the
Srnatri
AyEs,. .Msssn bailsy, rsfhss, Bliss, tllluii
rsL lidis Jones, Martin, Mayo, Norton. Powell
nawisi, iius, stevens, watsf wshb abd Woo'
10 a..
EOFs = Messfs. Atkinson. Christian blFrsi VI
tsetds, Fletcher, glasgow, int, iieaieu. Hat
Kni,sf, Lovsii, buvshsisin tLvbtost, Nithgtf
Thurman. Tvymsnt tniiiiHms, NinFneli ~ Han
otef, ard wihansidof Aibsmafle- W.
l,cadlustcfs not voting were pnlrcd'l
tyttt. tt...a t,.auaupHa ware not fUi