The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-10-29

Harbour was probably one ot the ablest
most courtly and gracious men oi his
day. He served in the House of Repre-
sentatives. in the nited States Senate
and as Secretary of War under John
Quincy Adams. from which Office he re-
signed to accept the English mission
Later in Lie, after holding all these high
| Offices. Mr.. Barbour stood "a a candidate
4 for the House Of Delegates from his ma
tive county OF Orange. At that date
votes in Virginia were all east viva
voce. and the candidates sat on the hust.
ings, and it was customary with the
candidate. 10 shake hands with the
voter who preferred him Mr. Barbour
was beaten in this election. Ii is said
that when he went home that evening
his excellent wife. who had heard the
news. said 10 the Ex-Governor in most
affectionate way: My dear. though
you have been defeated you have gotten
the votes Of all the best people The eX-
Governor is reported 10 have replied
rather testify: My darling, ! did not
went the votes Of all the best people
| wanted the votes OF the most
people" At that day it seems that there
was but one voting place in each county
and that was the Courthouse.
GOVERNORS WHO RESIGNED.
At least four of Virginia's Governors
resigned -General Nelson, James Monroe
Littleton Waller Tazewell, and
T. Walker Gilmer st least seven Of Nir
ginia's Governors were Senator's of the
United States, and every one OF these re-
signed from the Senate before his term ex-
pired. The last ex-Governor who re-
signed from the United States Senate
was ex-President John Tyler and since
the resignation of Ex-Governor Tyler
from the Senate, in 1896, Virginia has
not seen fit TO place senatorial robes over
the forms of any OF her ex-Governors.
The ex. Governors who served as United
States Senator's were James Monroe,
Wilson G. Nicholas, James Barbour, VIII
liam B. Giles, James Peasants, Littleton
Waller Tazewell, and John Tyler.
OF Virginia's ex-Governors, Jefferson,
Edmund Randolph, James Barbour,
Thomas W. Gilmer, and John b. Floyd
were Cabinet officers. Gilmer resigned
from the goyernOrship early in 1871, be-
cause ola controversy with Gov. Seward
of New York, about the rendition oi
slave stealers. and because he thought
the Legislature OF Virginia did not sustain
him. He was very soon thereafter
elected to the Lower House OF Congress
from the Charlottesville district, and
later was made Secretary OF the Navy,
under John Tyler and was killed by
the bursting of the gun (the Peace
maker) on the Princeton, on the
| Potomac. in 1874. President Tyler was
on the ship, but at the time was enter
tanning Miss Gardner, of New York, and
other guests in the Captains cabin, and
escaped uninjured. President Tyler was
very soon thereafter married, in the
White House, it will be remembered, to
Miss Gardner, his second wife, who long
survived him.
SHORT TERMED GOVERNORS.
Governor Gilmer, who was chosen for
a term OF three years (the Constitution
of 1929 heightened the Governors term
to three years and made him ineligible to
re-election), had all of his then Council OF
State to succeed him, John NJ. Patton
first succeeding him, serving for only
thirteen days, from March Is, 1881, to
March 81, 1881. Ut will be seen from
the foregoing that Virginia has had two
Governors in her history whose joint
service did not embrace one calendar
month) Two other Governors who
completed Governor Gilmer's term, end
ing 1S43, were John Rutherford and
John NJ Gregory, so that in three years
Virginia had four Governors.
Virginia, in the long line of her Cover
nors, had only one from what is now the
State of West Virginia embraced in the
territory of old Virginia up to January
l, 1863, and that one was Joseph John
son, of Harrison. He was a native OF
New York, and the first one ever elected
by the people OF the whole State, and he
was the Oldest man at the time OF his
election who was ever chosen to that
Office, though Extra Billy" Smith was
GS years of age when elected the second
time Governor Smith was only 30
when first elected Governor Pierpont
was from West Virginia, but he came in
under the restored government of Vir-
ginia, Just after the war OF 1S61-'65.
The salary of the Governor of Virginia
was fixed at e1,000-when Patrick
Henry was chosen in 1776; afterwards
it was reduced to 3,333.34 per annum,
the aim being to make the compensation
for the term OF three years $4,000. The
compensation at present, and since 1851,
has been S., 900 peryear. TheGovernor
has, for long time, also had an execu-
tive residence.
YOUNG GOVERNORS.
Much has been written about how
young Governor Montague will be as a
Governor, and yet at least eleven OF Vir-