Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-13
rIRGINIA COUPON CASES.
s,s,smest. OF Both sides BY As'evney-Dsn'
raj Blair and mr.. W. f. Resnif.

I'M ahb WIS W. -
A Washington special Of Wednesday
10 the Baltimore Sun says: Attorney
General Blair, Of Virginia, has filed his
brief in the coupon cases, which are set
for a hearing in the Supreme Court on
the 10th instant, but which may not be
reached until the day following. Mr..
Blair asks for dismissal Of the suits on SIX
separate grounds: First, that the decla-
rations and bills in each case arc insuiii-
cient in law second, because the courts,
State and Federal, had no possible Ju-
risdiction Of any Of said cases; third,
because it is fundamental principle
in all soyereignties that State cannot
be sued at all unless she consents to be
sued. and she has not consented 10 De
sued in any of the modes adopted IN
these cases. or in any of the courts
named; fourth, because the subject
matter of one and all Of said suits
is the collection Of the public
revenue Of Virginia. and the re-
ceipt of her coupons therefor ana Tor
this additional reason the courts below
should not have entertained them fifth,
the writs Of error and appeals in each
Of these cases should be dismissed. as
the amount in controversy IN each Is less
than $4,000. the jurisdictional sum ne
cessary for this honorable court sixth,
because the parties, plaintiff and de-
fendant, are all residents Of the same
State. and no such constitutional ques-
tons arise in any Of the cases as will
Justify The interposition of this court.
Mr.. W. l.. Royal, Of counsel for
plaintiffs. in his brief holds that there
is one proposition lying at the founda-
ton Of all the cases, which is, What Is
the effect of a tender Of the State cOu-
pons in payment of tax? The dis
cussion Of this proposition starts with
certain concessions. which are FIRST,
the State when she issued her coupons
made an inviolable contract that she
would receive them for taxes: second.
any law that prohibits her Of
ficcrs TO receive them is simply
void. lie contends that the con-
tract of the State to receive her
coupons for taxes places them on
the same footing exactly. 50 far as her
demand for the taxes is concerned. as
the stamp of the General Government
upon it, gold coin. The contract made
the coupon legal tender for the tax,
and tender by the debtor of that
which is legal tender for the debt pays
and extinuguishcs the debt. Reviewing
at some length and exposing the spcclou>
prctcnccs set up by the State IN juStlii-
cation Of the coupon-killer acts. he
says the court cannot close it,
eyes to the purpose which the
Legislature Of Virginia has had in view
in all its legislation respecting these
coupons. 1t is evident as daylight that
the Legislature Of Virginia has intend
ed to destroy these coupons, and If that
legislation is allowed to stand it be-
comes equally evident that they are de
siroyed. Mr.. Royal concludes III the
following words: The fuss and
noise that has been made over the pub
lie debt of Virginia is as ycritable a
bugaboo as ever existed. There is no
sort of reason why the State should not
pay the interest that she owes. The
property Of the State is assessed at
less than half its value. and the
rate of taxation j. forty cents on the
hundred dollars. II must be conceded
that this is very light taxation. AZ
this rate the revenue of the State
amounts to s2.S00.000. The expenses
of the State government, including the
public free schools. are less than s =
700. 900. which leaves a surplus of ST.
100. 600 to be applied to the interest on
the public debt. The annual interest
due on the bonds that bear tax-recciv-
able coupons amounts to less than s -
10000 so that il is apparent that at
the triflng rate at which the people Of
the State are taxed the State could
oaeiiv nar har iutpreSt II she W0uld -