Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-05
Observation-Disclosures S, 1886.
"Biq indian"


A Washington letter in one OF our
exchanges speaks of the last or rather
latest decisions OF the Supreme Court
of the United States in Virginia cases
rs follows:
"The gist of it is that the tax-col-
lector is bound to receive the coupons
of all denominations for all sorts oil
State revenue; that heavy damages
shall be awarded against tax-collectors
who shall attempt to seize property for
taxes for which coupons have been
offered and that in cases where cou-
pons are refused for licenses the person
who has offered them shall have the
sane privileges as if they had been &C
.cepted. The Court also gave Judge
Wexford, Of the Circuit Court of Rich
mond, to understand pretty plainly that
if he shall attempt to repeat any OF his
recent interferences with the processes
of the United States courts it would be
the worse for him."
On the strength Of just that sort of
big.Indian talk, the price Of cou-
pons Of 1883 went up in this city few
days ago as high, we think, as As, but
promptly ran down to 40 on Wednes-
day. A similar result followed the de-
cisiops of last year, the price, of coupons
running up to 81 few days after the
decisions of 1885 in the Virginia cases
of that year. Who is it that profits by
all this "bullipg" Of coupons? Who
starts all these stories which lead even
shrewd brokers into pitfalls? Whose
interest is it thus to represent the State
of Virginia as bound hand and foot by
a usurpiDg Federal court, and so cir
cumstanced that she must needs sur
render one fifth of the property OF all
her people in order to get out of the
clutches of the SHYLOCKs of the United
States Supreme bench?
Mississippi and other States have re-
undated debts out and out. Virginia
can repudiate the principal of hers
whenever she may desire and decide so
to do. 1t is only the principal that
STANLEY MATTHEWS and his asso-
ciates in wroDgdoing claim the power
to compel the State to pay; and this
power they claim only because Virginia
was so thoughtless as to pledge herself
to receive coupons for taxes, and thus
pay the interest on her bonds.
The statement that the Supreme
Court decided that heavy damages
shall be awarded against tax-collect-
ors" who levy after a tender OF cou-
pons is almost too absurd for contra
diction. The Supreme Court has moth
ing to do with " heavy damages" or
light damages in such cases. A
jury is empanelled to decide each
case upon its merits; and at the
hands of a true Virginia jury
taxpayer would be apt to recover
very light damages who should sue
State officer for performing his duty
under the law Of the State. All that the
court decided in respect Of this matter
was that inasmuch as jury might
bring in a verdict for $500 Of damages
in such q case, the Circuit Court Of
the United States, which has jurisdic-
ton only in cases where the amount
involved is as much as $500, had
jurisdiction whenever the plaintiff
claimed $500 damages most out
rageous decision truly, but by no
means such one as the letter quoted
from above represented it to be. All
that lawyer has to do to cheat the
Virginia courts out Of these cases and
put them into the hands Of Baltimore
BOND is to claim $500 damages, and
this though his client may not have
sustained damages to the amount Of
FIVE dollars.
Equally absurd is the statement
about Judge WEXFORD, who has
never interfered" with any oil the
processes" of the United State:
courts. A case having been remandeC
TO his court, he allowed the defendant
to fle plea which he had neglected t.
file when the case first went to trial Ii
that court. This Judge WELLFoRI
did in accordance with the rules o
practice prevailing in Virginia. Tn
supreme Court of the United State
decides that he ought not to have en-
tsrtained that plea. That is all.
fittings ere as they are" Last yea
in April coupons sold at 81. To-day
and since the Supreme Court rendered
the decisions so yaingloriously boastec
Of, the same sort Of coupons sell fol
10. In the presence Of this one fact
oil bulliDg Of coupons on the strength
Of Mr.. Justice Matthew's last per
Torrance mig bit as well DO dispenset
With.