The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-02-23
The Legislature.
SPICY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE Senate
RIAL DEADL0CK--A sTRAIGHToUT REPUBLI-
CAN CUTS THE GoRDIAN KNOT, AND TWO
OTHER SENATORS GO OVER TO MASSEY

|
session. The discussion was brought on b,
the following resolution introduced by Sena
tor Newberry, one of the boiling Readjusters
WHEREAS, The people of Virginia have by
| their votes shown their confidence in the abli
ty OF their Senators and Representatives tt
perform their legislative duties without thu
| interference With or dictatl0n of others anC
| whereas any interference with or dctation tC
the General Assembly by any other officer OF
representative of the State, whether such die
tation be direct or indirect, is reflection up
on its honesty, intelligence, and independence
and whereas the election of General William
Malone to the Senate of the United States in
| dlcated the belief that the State Of Virgins
needed his services in that body; and whereas
our said Senator has absented himself from
the sessions OF the Senate almost continuously
from the commencement of its present session
and whereas his protracted absence from his
post OF duty and his presence in the city OF
Richmond gives plausibility 10 the belief that
ne Is here for the purpose of debating to the
Legislature and controlling its legislation
therefore
| ResotDed, That General William Malone be-
and he is hereby, requested to return 10 and
| remain at his post OF duty in the Senate of the
| United States; and that copy OF this pre-
ambe and resolution be sent TO our saiG Sena-
| tor by the clerk of this body.
La place of requested" there was in the res
olution at first INSTRUCTED" but Mr. Newberry
after an objection that the two houses would
be required to concur in any instruction,
changed the word to requested
AS was doubtless expected the resolution
| created stir, and was the subject of an ami
mated and acrimonious debate, thus reported
by the State newspaper:
Mr. Wilcox desired to know what particu-
lar Senator rad been under the sublime in
fuence. He asked Mr.. Newberry as a man to
withdraw the resolution or at least to formu-
late his charges
MI Powell said: II regard the resolution as
personal insult to myself, and shall treat it
with the contempt which have for the source
from which it cometh. do not mean to say
1t comes from any S nator, but it comes
through the tool of another"
MIR. Newberry said he could hurl back Just
rs much contempt as they could hurl at him.
There was no offensive language in the resolu-
tlon. The contempt came from the other side
L can give stone for stone and hurl back con
tempt Tor contempt whenever it comes" he
SAID. His resolution had reflected upon no
one. He only asked the Senate to adopt the
resolution. If 1t had been introduced six
weeks ago legislation would have progressed
more tremendously than it has. Do we stand
to-day rs freemen, or are we ruled by one out
side this Senate chamber? | want to know if
| am the Senator from the Fifth district, am
representing my people or am representing
dictation? That is the question am striking
at here now. What think you my constituents
would say, who sent me here to make laws to
govern Virginia and develop her wealth and
industries, if L would absent myself from this
Senate and go to Washington and stay there
all the winter? Am | doing the duty which
was sent here to do? They would rise up
and say so. Then, contend that q Senator
OF the United States is expected by his constit-
uent to fill that Office and discharge his duty
in t. How stands the case? THIS Senator of
the United States has spent the whole winter
in this city. What has he come here for :?
What right has he here? | say he has been
here shaping legislation, and | want the world
to know it. l have not charged fraud any
where. All want is fair play and fair dealing
and intend to stand here for it until am so
hoarse can talk no longer Iwant that reso-
luton passed by this Senate 1 want it to go
TO the world. | want the Liberal Readjuster
party of Virginia to know it, l want men who
love freedom, and the man who is opposed to
dctatlon to read it SO that it NAV be imprinted
upon his forehead as with the pen of fire.
We have been sitting here sixty days, and
what have we done? Revolution, said the
speaker, seemed TO be rampant in every direc-
ton. Is the One Man Power going to Jun the
whole machinery of this Commonwealth? Are
we to be slaves and bow down whenever he
says so? L want it understood that no man has
Il dog collar upon my neck. | come here
tree and independent Readjuster and a free
man, anu intend to exercise that freedom
Mr.. Rlddleberger rose to reply to Mr.. New
berry, and proceeded forthwith to defend Sena-
tor Malone. He said if the Senate of Vir-
gnla extended an invitation to Gen. Malone
to leave the State he was not going to accept
the invitation. Malone is here, and he chal-
enges the world the flesh, and the devil to ex-
pell him. II he bad exercised any undua in
Huence upon the members of the Legislature
then they ought to investigate it. If this reso-
luton was party measure then Malone
would stand here as he did in Washington and
answer as he did there when he was accused,
that he was representing the people who elect
ed him. Ii any gentleman questioned whether
Malone represented the people, then let the
Legislature adjourn and relegate this election
back to the people.
Malone could say:
Lay on Macduff
And damned be he who first cries
Hold enoughp'
He was not afraid of the question. Malone
he commended, represented his people at Wash
the Senate adopted this resolution Malone
would respect the voice of the seventeen who
would vote against it, and would stay in Rich
mOnd.
Mr.. Wilcox offered the following resolution
at this stage of the proceedings:
WHEREAS, There are Senators on this floor
who are under the impression that resolu-
ton offered by the Senator from Bland reflect
ed upon the honor of every Senator upon the
floor; therefore
Res0Ioed, That the Senator from Bland be
requested 20 formulate his charges in order
that they NAV be properly met
MIR. Riddleberger then proceeded with his
speech, and said those who were now in the
minority in the Senate liked Mahone's COM
pany. 1t would be just as becoming to invite
any Senator'S wife to go away as TO invite Ma
hone to leave Richmond. Ii he had not dis
charged his duty in Washington, then they
had a remedy. They could request him to
resign This thing of inviting Senator to
leave Virginia has never yet been attempted in
this State, and he hoped it would never be
done again He never would have supposed
this little contest could have dwindled down to
this thing that General Malone should be in
vited to leave the city because he had dictated
legislation.
Mr.. Newberry: The resolution does not say
he is debating, but that there is plausible be-
lief
Mr.. Riddleberger, continuing contendcd that
it was just as appropriate to invite the clergy
men from the pulpis of the city, because there
was plausible belief that they are exercising
influence over his funder friends. Or, it was
just as proper to expel young ladies from the
Senate chamber for exercising influence over
the young members of the Legislature. We
used to bring young gentlemen here from up
in the Valley, said Mr.. Riddleberger, dressed in
homespun clothes and wearing brogans, and
before they were here long, we found them
striding about with rattan canes and swallow
tails. He said this was the influence exercised
upon them by the young ladies of Richmond,
but did anybody propose to expel the young
ladies from Richmond because there was
plausible belief that they exercised this nflu-
ence upon the young members of the Legisla-
ture? The speaker was sorry to see this invi
tation to leave extended to Gen Malone, who
came back TO lend his council to his friends"
and whose services to the party he warmly de-
Tended.
In conclusion the speaker insisted that Gen
Malone would remain here, whether the reso-
luton was passed or not.
Senator Lybrook followed He said Mr..
him. He was sorry it had been offered, as it
was premature land yet" he said Il think it
tells the story" He would never had advised
as matter of political policy the injection of
that resolution now. He deprecated this per-
sonal quarrel.
This struggle for office and place ought to
stop. If they had done here what they prom
ised to do this subject would not be up In