Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-09-07

He selects some one newspaper, and he
shall mail one copy to each of the officers
mentioned in sec. and 6 chap. IS, code
of Virginia.
What would lie the expense of such a
publication and which of the newspa-
pers in Richmond would derive the benefit
of it can readily be surmised.
The Agricultural Bill. H. B. No. 189,
Providing that the salary of theCOmmis.
sioner of Agriculture should be 81. 600 per
annum with clerks and employees whose
salaries should be fixed by the Legislature,
and who providing that for each separate
quality or brand or fertilizer sold on offered
FOR sale IN this State there shall be pad an
annual privilege td1 of s500,' which tax
would of course be added to the cost of
fertilizer and necessarily be paid by the
consumer
This novel notion of retrenchment and
economy was not confined to the expendi-
lures of public and private funds, it was
applied as well to the resources of the
Common wealth. A few assets had es-
capped the wreck of her fortune, and these
were eagerly seized upon to raise ready
cash, at what they might bring-e. g.:
i 1st. The Richaaond& Atleghnny r. r. Co.
owed the State 1920 900 with interest from
3Oth September, 1881. The stock of this
company was quoted at over 5000 per share.
The company enjoyed the rare immunity
of freedom from taxation by the State. 1t
came forward with the modest request
that it be allowed to pay this debt in Rid
dleberger bonds worth about SO cts on the
dollar.
There was no reason in morals, law or
equity why it should not be paid dollar
for dollar in money. The democrats pro-
posed first that the company should re-
tG Sr,av to- n
consideration for accepting the PROPOSE
ton. This was rejected. They then pro-
posed that the claim should be put on the
market and sold to the highest bidder.
this also was rejected, and the debt was
finally paid in Riddleberger bonds, as pro-
posed by the debtor. See Acts 1882,
p. 400
The Norfolk d Western r. r. Co. owed
the State $1,S00,000, and suit was then
pending to recover it. Able lawyers in
the State, of them Attorney Gen. Field,
had expressed the opinion that the claim
was good.
Messrs Kimball & Boyce had offered
the Board of Public Works 100000 for
the claim.
Gov. Holiday as member of that body
opposed the acceptance of this offer, and
in Senate Doc. No. V, communicated his
reasons to the Legislature. But that body
agreed to the sale of the 81 100000 for
$500 600. Acts, 8l2. p. rs, although At
orney-General Field in Senate Doc. No.
VII had expressed the opinion that there
was then in the hands of the Court $3.50 :
900 to VIII CHI the State of Virginia was
entitled, and which by this sale passed to
the purchaser.
8. The Upper Appomattoc Co. owed the
State $1,000 with interest from 90 March,
1881, and was allowed TO discharge their
Indebtedness in Riddleberger bonds at par,
they being then worth not over fifty cents
On the dollar. Acts 1611-82, p. 341.
REDUCTION OF TAXATION.
AS curious illustration of the heroic
stability of purpose and independence OF
! judgment of these patriotic statesmen;
When by the operation of the new Rid
dleberger bill some $13 600, 900 have been
eliminated from the amount of the public
| debt, it was considered by some of the
Democratic members of the House that
as $3.50, 900 of interest and so much of the
sinking fund as was intended to be ap
| piled to this principal, were no longer tC
be provided for-that corresponding re-
duction should be made in the amount
raised by taxation. When the motion
was made on the Democratic side of the
House to reduce the rate of taxation to 4(
cts on the dollar, upon the call of the roll
the Malone men voted mo-" and yet a
few days later when the same question
came up on the Senate amendment, upon
a call of the roll these same men voted
"Aye." An ardent follower of the Proph
ct in the House was accustomed to Op
pose with conspicuous zeal and energy in
| their earlier stages, every measure thai
was introduced for the benefit of railroad
(, corporations, but it was observed that
upon their subsequent progress and fna
passage he was uniformly their unwaver
ing champion.-Whenc challenged ON the
subject of his seeming inconsistency his
uuvarying solution of it was, that since
the early expressions of his immature
opinion he ''had been put in possession Of
facts" What and how many, and how
valuable they we're, or by whom or how ht
was put into possession of them did moi
appear. But these Facts so persuasive
and convincing were abundant and al
hand.
MEN AND MONEY.
The Prophets notion OF economy was .
good one it was only misapplied. Hi
believers were devoted, but the character
of their devotion was formed upon thI
principles that distinguished the redoubt
able Dugald Dalgetty-they had to b
paid He proposed that the Common
wealth should pay them. And hence BIZ
legislation was shaped to that end. Th,
public offices were to be filled with hi
creatures. that the power and occasion
thereby afforded might be directed tt
promote the aims of the party.
l. Comm 'ssioner of Sales Bill III. B
No. 59.-PrOvides that, the Governor Of
the State shall appoint for each county
and city in the State Commissioner Of
Sales. who shall sell all real estate de
creed or ordered to be sold by the court il
the county for WITCH he was appointed
and shall collect and disburse the proceeds
of sale and no consent of par
ties entered of record shall be authority
for any other person or persons to execute
such DEGREES.
Every general Commissioner shall be eX
officiO the general receiver of the Cour
for which he was appointed General Com
missioner. \ The compensation o
the General Commissioner shall be such
as is now provided by the Code.
The Democrats proposed an amend.
ment, viz: That the General Commits
sioner should be elected by the voters OF
the county or corporation for which be
was to act. AS the people elected the
sheriffs and constables who sold their per-
sonalty, they should elect the Commits
siOner who sold their land. the children oil
the Prophet voted as unit against it.
The democrats moved to strike out the
clause prohibiting selections by consent
On the ground that in suits fer partition
of land among heirs, frequently some OF
the heirs were selected as commissioner
to sell their own land. 1t was voted down
1t was then suggested that the Commits
sioners of Sale were usually the attorneys
of the several parties in interest. whose
respective interests were then represent.
ed, and that as the compensation of tina
general Commissioner of Sales was to be
the same as that of the present special
Commissioner of Sales, there could be nc
saving to the parties. But these sugges.
tious we're UNDECIDED.