The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-15
YEAR OF COMMONWEALTH.
Exact Date Of The Birth Of The State Not
al All Clear.
LET OUR SUPREME COURT DECIDE IT.
As the Matter Now Stands, Who Knows
What 10 the Year OF the Commonwealth
Between juno goth and July 9th
Interesting Discussion.


There seems to be no end OF the ways
OF reckoning time. Chronology Is one OF
the occult sciences hardly less vague tnan
asfrology itself, and tho calculation OF
| horoscopes
The Greeks reckoned from their national
| carles, as such and such an Olympiad;
| The Romans from the Founding OF the
| City"-ab urbe condita, or, as abbreviated
A. u. C. The Mohammedans have their
| OWE dates. The Aborignes Oh America
| counted by moons. Our Christian era
Ammo Domini-is several years belated.
according TO the best authority, ana IL
looks like old Father Time gets the Lest
| of us on all hands. Even the French Rev
olution that abolished" most things oeem-
| ed orderly. had to temporize. and finally
to compromise with time.
Banks clip five days out OF every year,
and Leap Year is as much of terror to
the money changers as to timid bachelors
I'm dread OF entangling alliances.
.Almanacs are still held In reverence, put
| Mother Goose displayed her usual wisdom
I'm her query. what O'Clock, Old Nltch!
Only witch can tell.
REALLY NOBODY KNOWS.
What is the year OF the Common
wealth." or, to be more exact, from what
| beginning-from what day OF what month
Is that year reckoned? IL is curious
| circumstance, yet II really seems that no
body knows: and further. that 1t Is one
| OF those things that mo fellow can fnd
| out"
The clerks OF the courts reckon from
the fourth of July, 1916, commonly known
as Independence Day. Ii would seem
that this IS clearly not the right day. so FAR
as this Commonwealth IS concerned, yet
10 say, categorically. what is the right day
is quite srcthcr matter.
| IL is well known that in English juris-
| prudence. which is all that concerns TINS
| question statistics are entitled ms OF the
particular year OF the reign of the Mon
arch IN which they are enacted; thus 18th
| Charles II. or 18th Victoria, indicates that
the statute was enacted In the 18th year
OF the reign Of Charles H. or the 18th
OF that OF Victoria.
All through Hcnn.ngs statutes the top
ical indexing is such year OF this or that
king until We reach liza, and then the In
dexing becomes the "lnterregnum." and
that is continued even after the convention
had adopted the Constitution Of the 18th
of June. 1716, which was the first Decla-
ration Of independence OF any OF the Col
onies, and ante-dated, by five days, the
declaration OF July 4th by the Continental
Congress. This is written not without
knowledge OF the alleged Mecklenburg
declaration, which Mr.. irigsby has proved
no declaration at all.
TWO SALIENT FACTS.
On the 18th of June. lI76, then a Consd-
| tuition was unanimously adopted by the
Virginia convention, from which two preg-
nant sentences are quoted as follows:
by which several acts Of misrule (of
George lid the government OF this coun-
try, as formerly exercised under the
crown Of Great Britain is TOTALLY DIS
| SOLVED"
Commissions and grants shall run in
the name OF the Commonwealth OF Vir-
ginia. Writs shall run I'm the same
| manner and bear test by the clerks OF the
several courts. Indictments shall con-
clude, Against the peace and dignity OF
| the commonwealth
Here we have two salient facts. the total
dissolution of allegiance to the crown. and
the formal adoption of the name OF the
| Commonwealth Of Virginia. both on the
18th of June, 1176.
Patrick Henry was elected Governor the
same day. which was Saturday. The Mon
day following, being July LIST, Mr.. George
| Mason Informed the convention that the
committee had notified Mr. Henry of his
election, and that he was pleased to return
the following answer TO the convention:
Mr.. Henry begins highly character
istic letter as follows "Gentlemen,-The
vote of this day June 2Sth), appoint
ing me Governor OF this Commonwealth"
Now It is to be presumed that Patrick
| Henry used these words advised. and
| that the Commonwealth OF Virginia" was
then an entity, an Gutonomy-a sovereign
State, as OF June %. 1176.
The convention adjourned July 9Th till
the first Monday in October ensuing. Hen
ing begins his topical index for the first
time. with the words. "lst Of the Common
mOnwealth." IL was the nrst Assembly
under the Constitution. Had "Interreg-
mum" prevailed from July 9Th TO October
eth, or had there been a Commonwealth,
with PatricT Henry as Governor, and an
army I'm the field?
In "The Cabells and Their Kin" by
the we'll known antiquarian, Alexander
Brown. Esq, at page l0i Is the following
entry:
July 8. Patrick Henry took the oath
as the first Governor OF the Common
wealth. Thus the Colony OF Nir-
ginia passed away, and the State OF Vir-
ginia was born"
LET THE SUPREME COURT DECIDE.
II this language be accurate. then the
State was born July 9Th. and not the 4th.
and its statehood depends not upon the
solemn enactment Of a sovereign conven-
ton. but upon the qualification OF the
Governor. II a Governor die, the next
in succession has to qualify before he be-
comes Governor in fact. Is the Common
wealth I'm allegiance meanwhile?
The conclusion seems logical, then. that
our nau day as a Commonwealth rs
June 18th. That day was long celebrated
az the Final" at the University OF Vir-
glnla. l can produce no authority for H.,
but It was alleged to be in commemora-
ton Of the same day in 1776.
After the war, and loyalty, and all that,
the Final was changed TO Commence
ment." and that fixed with reference 10
July Attn. the THURSDAY before the fourth
OF July"
The Court Of Appeals Is empowered TO
establish the form OF writs, and may do so
| ex meromotu. As the matter now stands.
who knows what is the year OF the Com
monwealth between June 18th and July
9Th? Possibly It is purely an academic
question. 1t II one that ought TO be
settled, and settled by the only competent
tribunal--the Supreme Court OF Appeals.
w. w. SCOTT.
March r. 1896.