The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-15
THREE vEToES IN ONE DAY.
Governor Cameron Objects to the Registrars
and Staie-Aylum Bills.
THE FORMER A LAW NOW.
A Bill TO Prevent the Governor Removing
Our Officers In Vacation.
IMPORTANT MEASURES.


a
senate.
THURSDAY. February IA. 1854.
Mr.. Hurt, President pro tempore, In 'Dt
chair.
Senate bill declaring vacant the office OF
superintendent OF schools in certain cases
and providing the mode and manner OF Ill,
ing the same, with the substitute proposed
by the House, was taken up and put on
the calendar,
On motion OF Mr.. Gaines the bill was
made the order of the day for to-day at !
p. NJ.
s. BROWN ALLEN.
Senate Joint resolution in relation to the
claim Of the State against 5. Brown Allen
and sureties, with House amendments, was
taken UP and House amendments agreed
to.
The Auditor Is to select and appoint
counsel, and pay not over $500 therefor.
REGISTRATION.
The Senate resumed the consideration OF
Mr.. Loyenstein's bill in relation 10 the re-
vistration of voters, which as originally
drafted applied only to cities and towns OF
over 1000 inhabitants, and was intended
to prohibit the registration OF voters at any
other time than the day when the books are
open, and TO require that man once regis
tered shall not be registered again without
q transfer.
At the suggestion OF Mr.. Koiner the one
day OF registration Is to be twenty Gays
mot ten) before election.
Mr.. KeeZelI offered an amendment,
which was rejected. prohibiting the voting
Of persons lin the county, on transfers not
recorded.
TN motion of Mr.. Warwick, the bill
was further amended to require that the
date of the transfer shall be put on the GER
tificate OF transfer.
Then, on motion OF Mr.. Lovenstein, the
bill was passed by.
THE SURRENDER OF COUPONS.
Mr.. Wickham's bill on this subject was
passed, as follows:
I. Be IL enacted 6y the General assembly Of Yir-
alma, That from and after the list day OF July,
1884, no bond shall be funded unless II has al
coupons maturing after the LIST day of July, 1884,
atticLed: which coupons shall be surrendered
Herewith. and no allowance shall be made for any
Interest accruing after the LIST day OF July, 1884,
ON bonds offered for exchange.
g This act shall be in force from Its passage.
APPEALS.
House bill to amend sections and II Of
chapter l7S OF the Code OF 1873, in relation
to petitions for appeals, was passed.
1t provides that il the final decree for
which an appeal is asked is decree refu-
sing a bill of review TO final decree rem
dered more than twelve months prior
thereto, no petition for an appeal from or
to such decree so refusing a
bill of review shall be allowed unless 1t be
ex hibited within six months from the date
thereof.
REMOVALS.
Mr.. Diggs in the chair.
The bill yesterday introduced by Mr..
Atkinson and placed on the calendar by
unanimous consent was taken up.
Mr.. Atkinson offered substitute cor
recting some clerical errors. The bill so
amended takes from the Governor, in the
vacation of the General Assembly, the
power of removal OF officers Of Govern
ment and confers that power upon board.
OF the Governor, Auditor OF
Public Accounts, Second Auditor. and
Secretary of the Commonwealth; but no
removal or suspension can he made except
with the consent OF the Governor.
Upon this the Coalitionists filibustered
'or over an hour.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed.
MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR.
The following was received and read:
COMMONWEALTH OF ygGINIA,)
GOVERNORS OFFICE,
RICHMOND, VA, February IA, 1884.
To The Senate Of Virgfnia:
n .otur, xvifhOuf nv annrOvai. Senate hill No.
235-'. An act to provide for The manner of choos-
ng registrars, and judges and clerks of election"
The provisions of this bill seem to permit, II
hey do not ensure. an entirely partisan adj
Illustration of the election laws Of the state.
NV first message 10 the General Assembly. dated
January @, 1882, contained the following: :" In
he interest of full and free expression Of the
popular will | recommend rigid scrutiny and
,urging OF the election laws, many OF the provt-
Mons of which ale subversiv0 of the ends pro-
sThe basis of all republican government is
popular content and confidence. Both are secured
when the people are satisfied that having freely
sought the ballot-bOx their votes have been re-
turned according to the truth. Any system which
Is so framed as 10 admit doubts upon points must,
whether II be honestly or fraudulenty admins
Iered breed popular discomfort. Elections should
far possible tke place In sight of the people
I" 1 would recommend the passage OF mandatory
provisions for the appointment OF judges Of cleo
lion from opposing political parties, With penal
lies attached for failure in the appointing power
TO observe the requirements and admitting the
presence Of each political party interested In an
election while the vote is received, canyassed,
counted, and certified"
This was written 10 your predecessors, and the
views therein expressed are SIM adhered 60.
l would gladly approve any legislation calcu-
lated TO secure non-partisanship In the appoint
ment Of registrars, judges, and other conductors
Of elections This bill cannot, In my Judgment,
compass that end. On the contrary, IL contains a
shall be made judges whenever practicable"
land no requirement as TO registrars). while di.
rect stipulation is made, If the appointment Of
judges should be wholly partisan, that The result
should II not always be "practicablem 10 divide
the supervision Of elections between opposing par
ties? And why should IL not be made the specific
duty of the appointing power so to do? BY the
one method fraud can be etfectually prevented; by
the other method fraud is made possible-nay
Il Is not actually invited.
Other objections occur to me. among which Is
the inability OF central body of the Stale gov
ernment to make proper discrimination In the Sc
lection Of the electoral boards for every county
nd city in the State upon hasty recommendation.
and necessarily on short notice. The act requires
the election OF such boards by the Legislature
during the present session. An entire revolution
In our system Of elections Is 10 be had under the
pressure of time ana during period of unprece-
1ented political bitterness. Who can doubt what
The outcome will be? With extreme regret j en-
ter objections to any bin which has received the
approval of the General Assembly, but a sense of
duly impels disapproval of this bill, and urges me
10 enter an earnest and emphatic protest against
measure which seems TO Inc inefficient for good In
The present and prolific Of possibility for evil In
the future. WILLIAM 4. CAMERON.
The question being, Shall the bill pass,
notwithstanding the objections Of the Gov
ernorY the vote resulted as follows:
AYHs.-Messrs. Atkinson. Berry, Brown, Chris
tisn, Coltrane. Digs, Edmun.ls, Fletcher, Glas-
y0w. Heaton, Hurt, Keezell, Koiner. Lovenstein,
Lybrook, Mccormick, Meredith, Newberry, Petlit
Trout, Warwick, Wickham, and Wing