The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-30
Ioorcspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch.I

ICorrcspondcnce OF the Richmond Dispatch.
FRANKFORT. n.y., January %, 1884.
The writer having spent the last week at
this capital OF the Blue-G rass State. and the
Legislature being In session, and mean
time dead-locked on the United States sena-
forship, he has jotted down some things as
to the town, the people, the Legislature
and the capital, the deadlock, and the cam
didates, which ought 10 interest Dispatch
readers Is viewed from Virginian's
standpoint.
There are some particulars In which the
similarity between the Kentucky and the
Virginia Legislature Is very striking.
There are Just 100 members In the Ken
lucky House, as I'm ours, and there are 81
members In the Senate. The Democrats
have II all their own way, there being only
IL Republicans on joint ballot, but no ne
groes among them. The body Is largely
composed OF young men, but few gray
heads being seen as You glance over IT
from the lobby while 1t sits in joint
session, and q greater proportion OF those
appearing on the shoulders OF the members
than the senators. Quite number OF the
Legislators are under thirty. and one OF the
Youngest Is Speaker OF the House-Mr.
Offutt, a lawyer OF Paris, Bourbon county.
He Is only twenty-seven years old, tall,
slender, good.looking gentleman, with very
black hair and moustache, and is good
presiding officer. But there are several
members four or five years younger than
the Speaker, and some Of them are chair
men OF committees, all the other members
of which are older men. Ii thus happens
that the young Democracy OF Kentucky
are as prominent in shaping the legislation
here as they are in Virginia. The Capitol
building Is an old one, very dingy ana
rusty, and even less attractive externally
than the Virginia Capitol; but the hall OF
the House and the Senate chamber are
both handsomer, more roomy, and COM
Portable than ours. The Representatives
hall is handsomely papered and carpeted,
the ceiling heavily irescoed with panels
and huge water-lilies, and the walls 0rna-
mented with life-size and very old por-
traits OF Daniel Boone, Henry Clay, George
Washington, and several others, while
the hall Is warmed strangely enough
in this land Astounding with coal,
by two huge wood fires - one on
each side OF the Speakers chair. These
great fire places, six feet wide, carefully |
preserved relics Of the past, piled high |
with seasoned ash and birch logs, blazing |
around, which accords well with the dingy |
old portraits Of generations long past |
which look down upon the scene. The |
Hobbies on each side OF the entrance, under |
the long gallery which extends the whole
length Of the ball, are raised above the floor
of the audience-room, furnished with COM
Portable sofas and chairs. and facing the
speaker, as they do. afford an excellent
point OF observation for visitors to occupy. |
The Senate chamber has no gallery, but
"A very comfortable elevated lobby at one
end OF the hall. furnished with springy |
hair-clotb sofas, ranged one above the other.
For twelve nights past, during the ses-
sion OF the Democratic caucus, consisting
of 121 members OF the Senate and House,
the large hall OF the House has been packed
and damned on the floor and in the lobbies
and galleries with members and visitors,
interested while the BODY has
struggled through sixty-fve ballots over
the nomination Of United States senator.
The Court OF Appeals, consisting OF
three judges-Judge Hargis being the
chief justice and also the youngest-and
the Superior Court, consisting of four
judges, sits in roomy. comfortable apart
ment in the basement OF the Capitol. These
courts, one sitting In the morning and the
other In the afternoon. remain in session
ten months Of the year at this place, taking
a recess in the summer. A great deal of
business is transacted in the two courts,
there being one clerk and two deputies.
but the records are not printed but copied
principally by ladies resident in the city,
a much cheaper system for litigants, I'M
derstand, than We have In Virginia. but
also liable to It's inconvenience.
The State penitentiary is located here,
and has about LOO convicts, nearly half
OF whom are engaged in work on the pub
Tic works In the state, and the other half
are hired by contract and worked within
the walls OF the prison. The lessees are a
Virginia firm-C. Z. Mason & Co., consist
ing Of G. X. Mason, III. p. Mason. William
+. cambridge, and Charles +. IIoge-all
from your State. They are largely engaged
in working in hemp and manufacturing
chairs, wagons, harness, shoes, overalls,
aud furniture, and ill contracts from all ,
parts Of the country. 1t is one of the
busiest manufacturing establishments in
the South. .
All the VirginIans meet here like their
adopted home, and are extravagant in their
praise Of Frankfort hospitality and socia-
bility. NOX.