Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-29


and other cases until the principles
growing out Of them oil shall be settled.
So that the State Is not bound Tor one
cent. and need pay nothing unless the
L, gislature chooses TO approve ana as
sumo the debt. 40,
Mr.. Koonts engaged Mr.. Allen on
his own account. and have no DOUBT
that the Board will pay Mr.. Allen a
fair fee. They have already decided
that. considering that this was in the
nature of . test case, Mr.. Koontz acted
iudiciously in retaining Mr.. Allen;
and no one who heard that gentleman
can deny his ability or the value OF his
services. :.
And this Is snswer to the absurd
statements that have found their way
into the papers, and the explanation and
account the agents Of the people give OF
the mode in which they have discharged
a part, and expect to discharge the
whole. Of the trust the Legislature put
into their bands. The result appears
to have justified their action. They
took Mr.. Royals ball at the hop ;
they took bis bull by the horns. lie
is said to have fifty more cases, aggre-
eating, at the same presumed rate OF
damages, $4,000, 900, by which he ex-
pected, through intimidation, or by
suits indefinitely multiplied, to compel
the State TO receive, within the next
nineteen years-up to the year 1905
upwards Of s25 100000 in interest
coupons thereby necessitating an in
crease Of taxes 10 the extent of Ia cents on
every hundred dollars ofvaluc, or driving
her to bankruptcy. But the Attorney
General and Messrs. Tucker and Allen
in the first land test case---the strong
est Mr.. Royal can hsve--kept down
lbe damages from 100000 to the tax
able costs in the suit. The jury, in
deed. gave damages for s252,27; but
that was simply a judgment, under in
struction of the Court, that Koontz
should pay back to Dulanoy this amount
of money taken from him by the levy;
and be still has to give up tho coupons
when demanded, or submit to another
levy-,his time outside of the jurisdic-
ton of the Federal court. So far as
the $l60. g. costs are concerned, that is
not money in Mr.. Dulsney's pocket at
all. They only restore to him money
that he had previously expended, or
was liable for, in payment of witnesses,
&c. They are, it is true, an injury to
the State, but Of no benefit to Dulaney.
Why, then, does he wish to hurt the
State ?
With no greater success in future
cases-snd there is no reason to expect
as much-the taxpayers will not be
compensated for their trouble; and the
bafiled bondholders must sell or fund
their bonds-or do worse. Already
they are fishing for q compromise
which they will never get.
". assailing the action Of the Board
of Indemnity Mr.. Royal provOkeS re-
tort. When he intimates that the fees
of MessIs. Tucker and Allen are high"
one is curious to know if he has two
standards of fees-one for the Common
wealth and another for himself. lie
avowed before the jury in the Delaney
case that he had urged Dulsncy to keep
bis half of the damages, $50, 200, a. he
meant to keep has. If $4,000 be a
reasonable fee for getting sl00,0 900 for
his client, why is the fee to the States
counsel "bigh" for saving 100000 to
the State? Under what circumstances
YVES it saved? To say nothing in dis
parsgement Of Mr.. Allen, who was at
leisure to attend professional call, it
is but justice to Mr. Tucker to
state that. as chairman Of the very i'm
portsnt Judiciary Committee Of the
House Of Representatives, and at the
close Of the session, he was overrun
with business. lie could lily spare the
time to come to the aid of his State.
But she called him in what all who
reason know might have proved a crisis
in her fate; ard he, postponing all
other business, came--a patriotic and
loyal sOn--to the relief of his sovereign
mother, and contributed his full share
to her rescue for a mere honorGriuua.
How is it with Mr.. Royal? The post
tells us that Mr.. Pitt was
" Removed for running Great Britain
grstis":
and Mr.. Pitt wss at least diSiDierested.
hut Mr.. Royal, With his contingent fee
Of one half in fifty suits aggrega,ing
IS 600 900 claimed in damages, de
mands 81. 500, 900 for running Virginia
Shall be be permitted to do it? Let
the people answer.
FRANK G. RUEFIN.