National Republican., 1886-02-20
THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
MATTERS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE OLD DOMINION.
Local option - The state Debt - The
Eastern Insane Asylum Scandal and
Its smothered Investigation - The
commonwealth Financial Strait.

nine county school Bupcrlntenuents ouJ Ol
40 arc given to the public.
THE STATE UNIVERSITIES.
The committee which went to the univer-
sty to see how much money could be sunk
In that old relic of bourbonism, where II
costs Virginia over 500 to educate a Vir-
ginia boy, has not reported. If the state
had the courage to turn this school and the
Lexington Institute I'm schools for training
boys TO useful manual labor the people
would freely pay to support 1t.
STATE FINANCES.
The senate recently resolved to have the
names OF all persons who paid their taxes
In coupons printed. IL was done, but as
the name of j. l.. NJ. Curry, United States
minister to Spain and many other great
men appeared on the list, the thing
was suppressed; however, the news that
collecting officers no longer try to defy the
United States Supreme Court in refusing to
take coupons for taxes has spread all over
the bankrupt state, and the result to
the treasury will be disastrous. 1t is said to-
day that an early effort to show the bond.
holders in what a frightful condition the
state is in will be made with hope that
they may be wooed TO measure OF pity.
In the senate Saturday Mr.. Heaton spoke
In the strongest terms against the character
of legislation being enacted now,when the
world knew that the state was bankrupt
and needed the highest order of statesman
ship to relieve her citizens.
LEGISLATIVE.
Among the bills passed Saturday, and
which now 20 to the governor, is one which
allows the minimum pay Of public school
teachers to be as though twenty scholars
attended, be IL so or not.
The senate agreed to allow the governor
to appoint an expert accountant, at an eX-
NJ n m In
Of the public institutions.
UNEASY oFFIcEnoLDERs.
Richmond onlceholders are In disagree
able position. The Knights of Labor, said
to be 5000 strong, are marking some for
sacrifice at the spring election, and how to
appease them and at the same time maintain
the historic dignity of the bourbon Office
holder is hard question.
There are many rumors ailoat here as to
the action of the special grand jury in the
case of the Gallego Mills Company's fail
ure, which involves large sum. The jury
will sit again tomorrow.
RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 15.--A new case for
the United States Supreme Court covering
the two new laws passed by the present
general assembly, which requires the pro-
duction of the bond from which a coupons
taken to prove the coupon genuine, and to
prohibit expert evidence to show the gen
ulneness of the coupons, has already been
made up in this city, and Judge Minor, OF
the county court, has decided in favor OF
the state. The case will go through all the
state courts, and then to the United States
Supreme Court. On Saturday eight com
mercial travellers paid their taxes in coupons.
OF INTEREST TO ALEXANDRIA.
The senate sto-day passed all house bills
on the calendar, among them bill to incor-
porate the Aged Men and Women's Aid
Society Of Alexandria; bill to allow the
trustees Of the Female Free School and
Orphan Asylum of Alexandria to transfer
their property, and to allow trustees Of
Falls Church district to sell lot at Bayley's
Cross Roads, Fairfax.
The special committee on the debt was
relieved from all duties in the assembly and
on committees for Mondays and Fridays.
LET THE LIGHT IN.
A step toward cnlightening the people
| of Virginia and the country as to the man
agement Of the Eastern lunatic asylum at
| Williamsburg, was taken In both branches
of the assembly to-day, member In each
| having denounced a reference to this In
stltution in to-day's NATIoNAL. REPUBLI-
| CAN. All that Virginia asks is that tue
| truth be told, There have been several in
vestlgatiors, and never report. The
present investigation has been partially
with closed doors. The people will know
soon why the present management was moi
removed as soon as this assembly could
have done It, and the agitation Of the mat
ter is the leaven Of the movement.
THE LOCAL OPTION MuDDLE.
The special order in the senate to-day wa'
the house local option bill, but 1t made NJ
progress, amendment after amendment be
ing offered and voted down. Mr., Stubbs
| of Gloucester, is the manager OF the bill
and questions whether the bill can become
| law to suit its friends. Mr.. HeatOn, o.
Loudoun, assured Mr.. Stubs to-day that hC
would vote for local option law pure ant
simple for his (Stubbs') counties II he wantet
1t as an experiment. Mr.. Mccormick spok,
against local option, as 1t would destro!
revenue derived from liquor and force al
increase of the tax rate on landed estate
Several attempts were made to dodge voting
by the members, but they were forced NJ
by the Lieut.. Gov. Massey.
In the house to-day Mr.. McCandlish saiC
the people of Petersburg regarded the Vir
ginia and Carolina railroad scheme n swim
die and demanded an investigation, but tn,
proposition failed.
The convict labor question came up as
special order, and was generally discussed
Mr.. Wise thought convicts ought to b.
worked on a state farm, and produce al
they could for their own maintenance ant
the support of the lunatlc asylum.
The house passed no bills and from nov
to the end there will be little or nothing
done. The railroad commission bill is az
parently dead.
weeks industrious effort the house to-da
got to vote on the railroad commission
bill and defeated IT, The bill ontemplate
four officers at good salary for the CON
mission, aud there were about fifty candl
dates for the place whose friends formed
fine lobby for the bill, but the railroa
strength was too powerful for the friends c
the measure.
The bills requiring members OF the ger
eral assembly to decline to accept fire
passes and to appropriate $4,000 more fc
the state agricultural department will nC
pass.
|! RICHMOND, Va, Feb. lin the senat
to-day bill, said TO have been dictated b
! Lieut.. Gov. Massey for the purpose OF Sc
/ tling with West Virginia and the holders {
! certificates issued by Virginia showing th
latter's proportion OF the debt of old vi
, ginia, was introduced by Mr., Winglield, {
; AlbemaTle, and referred. 1t authorizes IL
governor to appoint a commission of thre
who shall do what they can as between IL
bondholdcrs and West Virginia. and pr
rate the amount paid by that state amou
theholders of certificate holders. 1t Is III
( derstood here that this scheme is eXpectC
, 10 pay Only enough W IVuluutc tnc Clull
= of lawyers who have been working up tn
matter for years.
{ ELECTING JUDGES.
The senate adopted resolution to asce
tain the sources of revenue of the state, al
l ordered to be printed the appropriation
: bill for 1856 and 1887. At 1880 p. m. Il
election of judges was gone into aud j.
Ingram was elected hustngs Judge
u Manchester, and Judge Clark, of Wlnche
: ter was reelected, and all but two of h
' circuit court judges were reelected al
they will he voted for tomorrow. The on
change made was the election of j.
Harseley, of Nelson, in place of Jud!
5 Wingleld, whose age made him ineligibl
|? u RICHMOND, Va, Feb lS.--The supren
:. court of appeals to-day decided, in the ca
OF Fitzpatrick against Kirby, that the ter
Of Judge Kirby, Of Nelson, expired on I. Z