a
most remarkable man, and one of the parliamentary authorities of
that body. In the preceding session, of which Hamilton was a
member, he got to himself great fame by the introduction of the
measure known and referred to as the "Ross Hamilton bill." It
had to do with the settlement of the Virginia debt, the great
issue on which Mahone rode into power.

Paige and Harris were among the principal leaders of the House,
and certainly, few were the men in that house whether democrats
or republicans, who could outrank them in oratory or public
debate.

Mr. Harris introduced the measure which provided for the present
state Normal school, at Petersburg, carrying with it an
appropriation of one hundred thousand dollars. I had the great
pleasure of bearing the bill to the Speaker's desk.

During the session of this Legislature two colored men were given
clerkships at the capitol: young Bob Norton, whose father
represented York, in that body, was given a place in the General
Land Office, while Richard De Baptist, of Mecklenburg county, was
given a desk in the 2nd Auditor's office. A white physician, Dr.
David F. May, of Petersburg, was made Superintendent of the
Central Lunatic Asylum, for colored people, his two assistants
being colored physicians, Dr. J.C. Ferguson, of Richmond, and Dr.
R.F. Tancil, of Alexandria. A number of colored men were put on
as guards at the State Penitentiary. Capt. R.A. Paul, of
Richmond, was made private messenger to the Governor. So numerous
were the places filled by colored men, that that particular
period, and the one that followed, have been indicated in the
phrase, having a political bearing: "When they lived, they lived
in clover: but, when they died, they died all over."

Those were thrilling times. I remember, a year or two later, when
I had just become of age, I was elected a delegate to the State
Convention, which was held in the old Richmond Theater on Broad
St. There were over thirteen hundred delegates, only about a
fifth being colored. The writer was elected the first assistant
secretary of that gathering. That convention marked the passing
of the "re-adjuster" party into the Republican, and, under the
dominance of Senator Mahone, the slogan of the Convention was,
"We are for Arthur, because Arth