The Civil War was the last notable event in connection with the history of Virginia. Since that time there have been numerous political dif ficulties. The Reconstruction acts granted to negroes the right of voting for delegates to a State convention. In 1868 a new constitution was adopted. Among various new features therein embodied was that of negro suffrage. There was much dislike of the new instrument, which was not submitted to popular vote until July 1869, when it was adopted by a large ma jority, though the clause disfranchising Confed erate officials and demanding an oath of past loyalty was rejected. G. C. Walker was elected governor; United States senators were also chosen, the 14th and 15th amendments were ratified and the military occupation, never re quired, was brought to an end. On 26 Jan. 1870 Virginia was readmitted to the Union. There was soon trouble in connection with legislation respecting the State debt By a bill passed in 1871 two-thirds of the debt of Virginia was funded into bonds, the coupons of said bonds to be held receivable in payment for taxes as sessed. The remaining one-third was held to be the suitable share of West Virginia, though the latter State refused to admit such obligation. In 1872 the Virginia State legislature repealed the tax-coupon arrangement of the law ; but the courts decided that the State was under obli gation to receive the bonds, even should the treasury be thereby kept bankrupt. At that time
$17,000,000 in these bonds had been funded. Attempts toward a compromise were made and conflicts between Federal and State courts were frequent. In 189r-92 a settlement was finally arrived at. The bondholders received for bonds and cous amounting to $23,000,000 the sum of $19,0K000 in new century bonds. During the period of discussion regarding the State debt, politics was much affected by the question. a uReadjuster* party was formed, finally ali! sorbed by the Republican, and elections were based on the matter. The negro vote was divided. A constitutional convention, held in 1901-02, had as its chief objects in view the re striction of the suffrage and fmancial retrench ment. The new constitution was proclaimed 19 May 1902 but was not submitted to popular vote. Virginia has been throughout almost steadily Democratic in Federal politics. In 1860 it votexl for John Bell, the Constitutional Union nominee, and in 1872 for Grant; but otherwise it has consistently supported the Democratic national candidates. In 1881 the 100th anniver sary of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis to Washington at Yorktown was celebrated by the laying there of the corner-stone of a national memorial (18 October). At the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898 an extensive military camp, Camp Alger, was established and maintained near Falls Church, Fairfax County. _ _