Year: 1878

COMMUNICATION.


10 the Honorable the Senate:


The foregoing resolution of the Senate
has been received. am at & loss to know
exactly what is meant by your honorable
body at this Late day of the session, espe-
cially as my predecessor, after four years.
experience, in his message just thirty days
before took my seat as Governor, covered
the entire ground, and laid before you in a
paper Of ability and with great minuteness
OF detail the condition OF the Common
wealth; and for two months you have
been most diligent, night and day, in the
investigation Of that very subject.
1t seems to me that to attempt to instruct
you on the .'condition OF the Common
wealth." after the most laborious and elab-
crate Investigations and reports Of your
various committees upon every question OF
interest and importance, would Just now
not only be very futile, but very presump-
tuous task. And it would have been equally
futile and 'presumptuous, IL not worse, after
my predecessor had thus done bis duty at
the beginning OF the session, to have inter-
fered with your Investigations by throwing
out my, it may be, in comparison, crude
ideas. am sure it would have met with



Nor do I think that il had recommended
any measures to your consideration, after
your committees had been formed Of your
best and ablest men, who had gone to work
with great industry upon every subject that
the outgoing Governor had deemed it pro-
per to bring to your attention, or that your
own wisdom suggested was necessary for
the good Of the Commonwealth, it would
have met with any more favor. You would
have been apt to have regarded it as an in
terference with your legislation, and an in
sinuation that you were neglecting your
duties-the former of which I have most
carefully avoided; the latter OF which,
with my knowledge Of your honorable
body, would have been most unjust to you
and most discreditable to me.
Am I not right in saying, then, that am
rather at loss to know what is meant by
the resolution? Surely


CAN THROW NO NEW LIGHT.


upon subjects which have engaged your
committees so laboriously and to which
you, as body, have given such dill
gent attention. It cannot be expected that
can have any knowledge which is not
already before you.


II the Senate wishes my views or opin-
ions upon any particular matter Of legisla-
ton, most cheerfully am ready to comply,
according to my knowledge and ability;
for whilst would not pretend to dictate or
thrust those views upon you, who have op-
portunities and reasons for being so much
better informed than myself, / am not
averse to giving taem, such as they are,
whenever desired. l am quite certain we
all have one common aim-the good OF the
Commonwealth.


The object of your resolution, then, is
lefS solely to inference, and presume is
debt. Around this all other inquiries clus-
ter; towards it all legislation tends.


About it T have never had any doubts,
nor have my utterances been open to any
question to those vino chose to take the
trouble to read them when. from time
to time, given to the public. Before
my nomination for the Office I now ill /
spoke III language not to be misunderstood,
and said that the "road to Virginia's pros
perity was not through the door Of repudia-
tion; that was the road to her doom" -; and
that 81 would not beckon her in that direc-
tion for all the honor any Office she may
have can confer"; and that .'if the people
Ct the State were resolved to go back upon


A RENlwN HITHERTO UNTARNIsHED
by the reputation Of her plighted faith they
must find some other than myself to do
their bidding"


With this letter before the Convention, I
co the nomination and was elevated
by the electors to the Office OF Governor
without opposition. I have right to pre-
sumo that both the Convention and the peo-
pie approved it.


have not changed my mind since. In all
nay public utterances and in my inaugural
address I express the same views-that
State is no freer than an individual from the
obligation to pay its just debts; that it has
no right to enjoy the benefits Of the consid-
Grafton, and deny in whole or in part the
contract through which the benefits accrue.


I, in the beginning, and have always said,
and now say. that the settlement Of the debt
is a matter "belonging properly to the Le-
gislature." 1t borrowed the money; it is
the proper body 10 provide for its payment
Indeed, may state it more strongly: it is
the only body that can. But need not say
to your honorable body that itmust be done
within the bounds of its constitutional aim-
itations; otherwise might as well say that
the individual can perform bis daily work
In neglect OF those laws on which the tenure
of his life hangs.


Nothing that have ever uttered conflicts
with these sentiments. have seen no occa-
sion to change.


NO NEW LIGHT


has dawned upon me to turn me from that
line along which lie the credit and pros
perity Of Virginia. 4


Pursuing it, can find no excuse for her
In the denial OF the debt-ia the means o.
its creation, nor In war, nor in Providen-
tial yisitations-save as simply affecting her
ability. I do not now, and never could see
any use in urging It's non-paynent on any
other ground, either in whole or part. Any
ether Is sustained neither by morals or law.
II Virginia is able to pay the debt the Legis-
lature ought at once to provide the means
to do it. The declaration OF the platform
that announced the principles which guide
the people OF the State that they would
scorn to repudiate her Just obligations, and
are resolved to preserve inyiolate the
public faith and credit "-oniy con-
firms these views. 1t is no disregard OF
them .tthat the Convention earnest
ly urged upon the Legislature and ex-
ecutive branches Of the government the Inn
portance Of using all Just and honorable
means 0s bringing about an adjustment OF
the obligations OF the Commonwealth which
will bring the payment Of interest upon our
indebtedness within the resources 0f the
State derived from the DreSeut rate OF taxa.