The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-18

bored the negroes General Brodnax. in his
sneech. said that in forty years the negroes
hove Gained Oh the whites and exclusive of tue
free negroes and notwithstanding the South
| ern dram they have an increase OF blacks over
whites of 5000 a year. Again. at that time
| Virginia had begun & feel the weight OF the
taxes imp sed by the Federal Government.
ACTION or rHr ASSEMBLY.
Under this state Of things the General As-
| scmbly convened composed not only OF those
who had been raised under the old regime
and with the old IDEAS. but many OF the young
/ and progressive men OF the day. and was an
unusually able body. Immediately ugon ITS
assembl re the tables were covered VITA
petitions. memorial, and address 'es praying
/ for the abolition OF slavery. Most OF the
names were signed 20 q printed pet ton. stat
Ing several Arguments and statistics on inc
/ subject zone Of which IS now before mo- Whoh
/ had been widely disseminated and nuIner-
ou.ly signed. The Richmond enquirer then
edited by the elder Richie. the Wing. by the
/ brilliant John Hampden peasants. the Gov
ernOr OF the State. the elder lIO}d, auu
most of tho leading and re- resentatlye
/ men OF the day. recommended prompt
action. On the 9Th OF December. ISL
| that portion Of the Governors message winch
| related 70 this subject was referred 10 q se!e
/ committee OF which General Brodnax. Of
! Dinwidde. was chairman. and on the same
! day, notice having been given on the previous
/ day Mr.. GOOio o. Mcckicnburg. oHered
resolution that all these petitions be dismissed
aud that il "a insxpedient 10 icgi.latc on tho
/ subject OF slavery. Therefore. Colonel
Thomas jefferson Randolph. of Albcmarle.
moved tia, the words OF Mr.. Goode re'ou-
ton be stricken out and the following
resolution substituted in its place. IN
these words: That the committee be
instructed 10 inquire into the expediency
of submitting 20 tho vote OF the qualified
voters Of the State the propriety OF pro
yiding by law that the children of all female
slaves born in this State on or alter July D.
1910. shall bo tho property OF the Common
wealth the males OF tie ago of twenty-one
years and the females t the age of eighteen.
II detained by their owners within the limits
II Virginia until they shall respectively ar
rive at tic age aforesaid. 20 be hired out
until the net sum arising thereiron snail 30
sufficient to deiTay the expenses OF their re
nova beyond tho limits of the nitsd states,
and that the ssd comMittoe havo leave 10 re-
port by bill or otherwise.
Mr. Randolph stated that hs did not alto
gethcr approve Of this plan hlnsslt. but
wished 10 introduce tho subject AMI hoped
that some better plan would 10 OF cred. but only
desired TO afford some tangible question 10 the
House and TO propose submission OF the
question to the people From tho litl Dc
cember 70 the 18th January the whole CUES
ton was discussed in oil its bearings by Colo
mel r. j. Randolph. General ". II. Erod-
max. Philip 4. bowling of Buckinghan %.
Charles james Faulkner OF Berkeley. Messrs.
Moore AM Rives. the Bryces of Goochiani
and Frederick. Chandler of Norfolk. James
Mcdowell afterward Governor OF the Com
monwealth. Alexander Campbell of
Brooke Marshall Of Fauquier Sum
mers OF Kanavhn. Preston of MOntgOm-
erv and Roane OF Hanover. who were tho
principal speakers in favor of abolition, aud
William 0. Goode of Mecklenhurg, Brown OF
Petersburg. GholsOn OF Brunswick. Bruce of
Halifax judge Halliburton, Vincent Witcner
OF pittsylyania, Miller OF Powhatan, Dabneyot
King William Shell of Brunswick, Carter OF
Prince William and others opposed. IF
these speakers Mcssrs. Charles James Faux
her and Edward w. Summers were the most
effective. Edward Mcdowell made the most
logical and lucid legal argument upon the
cOnst tutlonal question invO we'd, IN winch he
contented that the Legls ature had night
TO fix the condition oil the pOst-natl.
which Was denied on the other side The
most brilliant and eloquent and the most
effective sDe ech in opposition was made by
John Thompson Brown. lie was born 10 and
had represented a county IN the northwestern
part OF the State, and had moved and settled
III Petersburg which he then represented.
He therefore was in position TO make an inn
preston upon both East and West. Hlisre. u
tatiOn already good one. was established by
that speech. and his friends predicted for him
a brilliant future as = leader and rising st tes-
man. But he died soon afterwards His son.
Colonel John Thompson Brown, most gal
liant commander OF Confederate artillery, lel
at the battle Of the Wilderness.
MI. PHILIP A. BOILING.
Mr. Philip A. Boiling, Of buckingham, then
young and impus We. witty and eloquent.
nipped his future prospects toy ar imprudencc.
In his argument upon the unprohtabeness of
slavery. be SAID that his constituents eat re-
groesn Although he explained that the mas
tors with the proceeds OF the sales OF some
supported Themselves and the balance o, the
negroes Major Charles lencey. who was al
ways known ever sinco he supported in ths
House Of Delegates tho famous resolutions OF
1878 ~ M the whcolhorse Of Democracy. 10 k
advantage Of the expression and exlei Mr.
Boiling from public hfo until be was made
circuit Judge 10y tho military during tho re-
construction period.
AsISuULAH POSITION.
General Brodnsx. ono OF the ablest and
most influential men in Eastern irginia at
the time took n singu ar position. While
mono went further in condemning slavery
and commenting upon its evils. he held the
following Inconsistent sitons /. That
no slave should DO manumittel without be-
ing sent ont Of the state. 2. That the State
should take no mans save without his con-
sent g. Tint nothing should be done which
gro property. lie proposed no plan himself,
and he did moro TO paraly the advocates of
some action on tho subject than ali those
who opposed 10 Mr.. Shell Of Brunswick
varied nxrseably the monotony Of the long
discussion with his brilliant and humorous
speeches. lie hold that the whole matter
was mere tempest in a teapot that m
ignorant and insignificant fanatic might do
the like in any state Of society or any coun-
try.
TIP COUNTRY INTERESTED.
The tradition is that during this long de-
bate the interest OF the whole country was
strained TO the utmost tinsiOn. The CALLER es
and lobbies of the House OF Delegates were
thronged with anxious listeners. Dlstin-
guished and prominent AbOlltonists from the
North were present and philanthrOpisis from
every quarter of the | Mon listened with
rapt attention TO every word that Was spoken
and watched with eager interest every vote
that was takeI Benjamin Watkins Leigh
who had Just made a great reputation in tue
COW entiOn Of 1879 by his advocacy of property
representation and freehold suffrage and
kindred measures, published while tie debate
was going on bis able article arans; ab0li-
ton. over the signature Of "AppOmattox.
addressed to the Legislature. and it com
manded great attention.
As we have said, after the subject had been
committed 10 select committee. of which
General odnaX was chairman, Mr.. Goode
presented his IOsolutlOn that the committee !
be discharged from the further consideration
of the sub ect and declaring that it IS inexpe.