Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-08-27
IN The HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
APRIL y, 1886.
Read twice, referred to the Committee on
the judiciary, and ordered to be printed

ing bill
To authorize the President of the
United States to appoint "A board
of commissioners to investigate to
what extent the United States may
he legally or equitably liable for
the debt due by the State OF Vir-
ginia, the extent Of the equitable
liability of the United States to the
bond.holders of other States and to
foreign bond-holders on account of
the acts of the State government of
Virginia multiplying the decisions Of
the Supreme Court Of the United
States, and for other purposes.
Whereas under the Constitution
of the United States no State shall
pass any law impairing the obliga-
ton of contracts, shall make or en-.
force any law which shall abridge
the privileges or immunities of citi.
zens of the United States, or shall
deny to any person within its juris-
diction the equal protection OF the
laws, and no State shall be formed
or erected within the jurisdiction Of
any other State without the con-
sent of the legislature of the States
concerned, as well as Congress ;
and Congress shall make all laws
necessary and proper to carry into
execution all powers vested by the
Constitution in the Government OF
the United States, and shall have
power to provide for the general
welfare; and the laws made in pur-
suance Of the Constitution Of the
United States shall be the supreme
law of the land, anything in the
constitution or laws Of State to
the contrary notwithstanding; and
all officers legislative, executive,
and judicial, of the United States
and of the several States shall be
bound by oath to support the same
and
Whereas the Supreme Court OF
the United States, in the case OF
Antoni versus GreenhOw Zone hun.
dred and seventh United States
Reports), has decided "By issu-
ing, pursuant to her funding act OF
March the thirtieth, eighteen hun.
bred and seventy.One, her bonds,
with interest.cOupOns thereto at
tached, the State Of Virginia en-
tered into a valid contract
with every holder of the coupons,
whereby she bound herself to re-
ceive them at and after maturity
for all taxes and demands due the
State. SO much of any enactment
as forbids the receipt Of the coupons
for such taxes and demands impairs
the obligation of the contract and
is void y and
Whereas the Supreme Court OF
the United States, IN the "Nirginia
coupon cases" Zone hundred and
fourteenth United States Reports),
has also decided "that immunity
from suit secured to the State does
not exempt the State Of Virginia
from the operation of the constitu-
tional provision that no State shall
pass any law impairing the obliga-
ton Of contracts; that the State of
Virginia and its Government are
both subject to the supremacy of
the Constitution of the United
States and the laws made in pur.
Suance thereof; that the mandate
of the State affords no justification
for the invasion Of the rights Of an
individual secured by the Constitu.
ton of the United states that
Virginia by a contract has agreed
that coupons shall be received in
payment OF taxes due to her, as
though they were money ; that the
contract with Virginia was not only
that the coupons should be receiv-
ed in payment of taxes, but, 10y
necessary implication, that the tax
payer making such tender should
not be mOlested further and that
the whole legislationin all its parts,
as to creditors affected by it and
not conserving to It, must be pro-
nOunced null and VOID. Such is
the sentence of the Constitution
itself, the fundamental and supreme
law for Virginia, as for all the
States and for all the people, both
Of the States separately and Of the
United States, and which speaks
with sovereign and commanding
voice, expecting and receiving
ready and cheerful obedience = and
Whereas His EXcellency Fitz.
hugh Lee, governor of the Common
wealth of Virginia, in utter disre-
gard of the said decisions of the
Supreme Ourtofthe United States,
did, on the fifth day of April, eigh-
teen hundred and eighty.six, IN re-
spouse to a joint resolution of the
general assembly Of Virginia adopt
ed at the last session Of the legis-
lature, issue a proclamation urging
the taxpayers to stand by the Com
monwealth IN the debt settlement,
and therein he inyOkes "the people
20 meet in their accustomed man
ner, in all the counties, cities, and
towns, at the earliest convenient
time, to give expression to their
sentiments and purposes, that an
Outspoken expression may visit
with It's rebuke those who appeal
to the law" and
Whereas the law the governor Of
the Commonwealth of Virginia thus
disregards and renders imperative
is, under the decisions of the Su-
preme Court of the United States,
the supreme law Of the land, and
which the chief executive officer of
Virginia, under the Constitution of
the United States, is bound by his
oath to support; and
Whereas in said proclamation it |
is declared that the funding act of
March thirtieth, eighteen hundred |
and seventy-one, of which the cou.
pom is the offspring, "was imposed |
upon the State of Virginia as the
result of fraud, bribery, and cor
which said solemn declar.
alton of Governor Lee is distinctly
negatived by Mr.. Justice Field in
bis statement giving the history of
said funding act, in Antoni versus
Greenhoy zone hundred and sew.
snth United States Reports and
Whereas by said proclamation of
Governor Lee and the joint resolu-
ion of the general assembly of
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