Year: 1871

The House Of Delegates of Virginia may
congratulate itself upon the work OF yes
tcrdav. On Saturday last the bill directing
the Board Of Public Works to sell the
States interest in the railroads Of the State
was SO amended as TO make an exception in
the case Of the gallant little Petersburg
road, so that the company controlling that
road, instead of being allowed to purchase
the State stock, should be deprived of that
privilege, and the State stock be absolutely
given away to Gen. Malone, President of
the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio railroad.
This iniquitous amendment was no doubt
lndiscreetly and inconsiderately adopted,
and the House yesterday, by an overwhelm-
ing majority, voted to recommit the bill.


THE QUESTION.


The question being upon the passage OF
The bill, MIR. WIEN, Of Hanover. obtained
the floor, and moved n reconsideration OF
the vote by which the substitute Of Mr..
Mlhood, as amended on motion of Mr..
Wood, was agreed to.


ATTEMPT TO CUT OFF DEBATE.


Mr.. HILL, of Albemarle, thought the mo-
ton to reconsider was out of order, but the
Speaker promptly ruled otherwise. MIR.
HILLS appealed from this decision, and spoke
III support of his view.


MERE TECHSICALITY.


Mr.. BuDD expressed his surprise that any
technicaity should be taken advantage OF
n FIJI fiir nf
this subject. He claimed that the decision
of the Chair was in accordance with the
universal custom of this House.


Mr.. HANGER urged that the rule explicitly
required that q motion to reconsider should
he made within two days, and more than
that time had elapsed since the substitute,
rs amended, had been agreed to.


THE OBJECT OF RECONSIDERATION.


Mr.. PoPHAM said it was well known that
this reconsideration was desired in order
that two distinguished members of the
House (Messrs. Budd and Guy might have
an opportunity Of expressing their opinions.
they having been unavoidably absent when
the vote was taken upon agreeing to the
substitute. 1t was well known, also, that
ii was desired in order that the gentleman
from Richmond (Mr. GUY might introduce


MOST IMPORTANT AMENDMENT,
the adoption of which might


SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO THE PEOPLE


OF VIRGINIA.


1t was no light matter to incur the re.
sponsibiity Of shutting out any light on the
questions involved in the bill. He was sur
prised that any objection had been made
by anybody TO a proposition so fair, and
especially that objection had come from the
gentleman from Albemarle (Mr. HilD, who
was mol the father Of the amendment. The
latter (Mr. Wood had, he was glad to say,
in accordance with his universally courte.
Gus habits, rcfrained from supporting the
appeal.


This called up Mr.. WooD, who gave in
his adhesion to the appeal from the decision
of the Chair, saying that he believed the
point of order we'll taken.


Mr. GUY said no member OF the House
was more ignorant of rules than he, his OBJ
ject being always to


ATTAIN FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE,
rather than to pay close attention to tech
nicaities. But, since the point of order
had been raised, he had looked at the rule
under consideration, and was forced to the
conviction that the Speakers decision was
in accordance with the true construction
thereof and in conformity with precedent.
The spirit Of the rule is that a matter hay
ing been finally decided by the House,
must have some certain time fixed within
which it can Dc sent to the Senate that,
when i bill has been passed upon by this
body and gone to the Senate, it must be
regarded us beyond the point of reconsid-
Grafton. 1t was never intended to prevent
Il reconsideration at any time before the
passage Of the bill. 1t was never intended
TO prevent the House from retracing its
steps one inch, in order to take better
track, when they have been


HAsTY AND IMPRoyIDEST IN THEIR ACTION.
MIR. BuDD cited case in which bill
which had actually passed the House and
gone to the Governor also, II case in which
tax bill had been reconsidered under Cir
cumstances similar to the present.


Mr.. THURMAN thought the first was not
case in point.


Mr.. HILL again urged his point of order.
Mr. MADDOX said this had been pending
question for many days, and certainly gen.
tlemen could not seriously think it was not
IN the power Of the House to amend any
proposition actually before it. Such an idea
was preposterous. The decision Of the
chair was in accordance with the uniform
ruling, and he hoped it would be sustained.


THE PENDING QUESTION.


MIR. BAGwELL called the pending ques-
tion, and the call was sustained.


WARNING PROM TIE SPEAKER.


The Speaker explained his ruling on this