Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-29

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BY Mr.. Munford Bill to incorporate
the Danyille and Northwestern Rail.
road Company.
BY Mr.. Saunders: Bill to amend and
re. enact section 48 of an act approved
March Is, 1884, to provide for the
assessment and taxation ofproperty, &c.
BY Mr.. Dunlop Bill TO refund to L.
Ferrara amount Of license tax paid in
error.
BY Mr.. Dunlop: Bill to refund to
Edward A. Wynne, executor, &C.,
amount of private tax paid in error.
RESOLUTION INTRODUCED AND RE-
FERRED.
By Mr.. Ryan:
ReSolred, That the Committee on
Finance be instructed to prepare and
report a bill having for its object the
payment by each county of its criminal
expenses.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
Leave of absence was granted Mr..
Jordon, of Rockbridge, for four days.
OUT OF ITS ORDER.
Mr.. Patton moved to take up the
bill, out Of its order, providing for pay
ing Mr.. Alexander for services in the
Cluverius case.
Dir. Stuart was opposed to thus yio-
latipg the rule of the order Of the cal
endar.
The motion to suspend the rules was
lost.
LOCAL OPTION.
AT 1890 the general local-option bill
was announced IA the special order,
and the pending question was on the
adoption Of the substitute proposed by
Mr.. Powell.
The substitute submitted the local
option question to districts, and pro-
vided that separate questions may be
submitted, embracing bsr.room license,
retail license, or both, OF total pro-
hibition.
Subsequently Mr.. Powell withdrew
his amendment, as Mr.. EchOls had in-
dicated his purpose to prepare one cover
ing the ground more fully. His plan is
to make it clear that county may adopt
local option as to the sale of drinks,
without interfering with the operations
of distillers.
Mr.. Saunders, while heartily in favor
of local option, thought that the idea ad-
vanced by these two gentlemen was a
farir and just one.
The question then required on Mr..
LOving's substitute. The local-option
bill reported from the Finance Commit
tee provides for an election in each
county, city. or town of the Common
wealth and in the event that county
votes against local option and magis-
terial district in the county should vote
for it, then the district so voting should
have local option regardless OF the vote
in the other parts Of the county; that
is, it gives each magisterial district the
absolute right to adopt 10y its vote
local option, but does not give it the
right to reject it. Mr. Loying's substi-
tute gives each magisterial district the
right to determine the question for itself,
and the result Of the vote in the district
shall be a final decision of the question,
irrespective of the vote in the other dis
tricts Of the county.
Nr. Martin did not rise to adyo-
cate or oppose the substitute. He
was in favor Of the original bill without
change, except to correct grammatical
errors. The bill, he said, stands SIM
pie, plain, and majestic, as some old
Grecian temple, and he was not to be
led off to support anything which did
not provide for an election by the peO-
pie.
Mr.. Mayo thought there were so
many substitutes and amendments the
House did not know what it Was con-
sidering. He asked that all the sub
stitutes be voted down and the origi-
nal bill reached; then that that be
taken up, section by section, and amend
ed in every particular that amendment
is needed.
Mr.. Downing said that an intimation
had been made that some members of
the House were afraid to show their
hands on this question. He, for one,
was opposed to local option, but the
Legislature was in honor bound to give
the people what they wanted--a fair
and a square bill. Tie did not think
that there was such a bill before the
House to-day. He spoke Of the seve-
raj bills and amendments before the
House, all of which he claimed were
inexpedient and unjust.
Mr.. A. Fulkerson favored taking a
calm view Of this matter. He said
local option was in the hands of ia
natics, and Of the "0ld Sis" aud |
4" Sam Joneses" Of the country. lie
thought the tendency of the scheme
was to drive the people from the bar
rooms to the still-houses, and the law
wouldn't be worth cent.
In the course Of his remarks, Mr..
Fulkerson, commenting on what others
had said, stated: sit may be that
l am the only ProhibitiOnist here,
but 1t is probably equally true
that there isn't a member here who
doesn't think local option a humbug.
"a voice II dOn't."l / am bound to
say that in the last election the
Democrats succeeded not on ac-
count of their platform, but 10
spite OF it. 1t shows that it is one
of the strongest parties that ever ex-
listed; that it could live under that
platform, and the other party's was
just as bad. If local option is adopted
it will cut the State out Of 100000 |
revenue annually. 1t is not only I'M
constitutional, but it is a humbug, and
will not accomplish the purpose de-
signed. Now, if you are in earnest,
pass a prohibition law. Meet the ques-
ton squarely. In Scott county they
have had prohibition for forty years,
and have seen more drunkenness at
o,,o &c thn;. oour+c than IN IVaohi0pfDr i