Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-17

The Senate met at ii A. M.-Lieu-
tenant Governor Massey in the chair.
No prayer.
PRESENTED AND REFERRED.
BY Mr.. Thurman A bill to amend
and re.enact section 25 Of chapter l26,
Code of 1873, relating to personal re-
presentatives, their powers and duties
as to personal assets.
BY same A bill to amend and re-
enact section l6 Of an act Of the Gene
raj Assembly, approved March 81,
1871, entitled an act to amend and re-
enact an act entitled an act to incorpo-
rate the town Of Liberty, in the county
Of Bedford.
BY Mr.. Williams A bill to prescribe
the times for holding the courts Of the
Fifteenth judicial circuit.
By Mr.. Koiner from the Committee
on Finance; a bill for the relief OF
Thomas Spence, administrator Of E..
w. Couch, late treasurer Of Peters
burg.
Mr.. Koiner also presented the regu-
lar appropriation bill for the years
lSs6-'S7, which was ordered to be
printed.
PISTOLS AND CARTRIDGES.
Mr.. Flanary called up his bill to I'm
pose a special license-tax on the sale OF
pistols and cartridges within the limits
Of this State, which was under consid-
Grafton when the local-option bill came
up on Monday.
The original bill provided that any
person who deals in pistols or other
deadly weapons of like nature, or in
pistol cartridges, should pay license
tax Of $500 for so doing. The commit
tee proposed to amend by striking out
$500" and inserting "$l00."
Mr.. Diggs moved TO amend the COM
mittee's amendment by inserting 1850"
instead of "al00."
Mr.. Flanary hoped this amendment
would not prevail. He had been in
favor of having the license $500, but
bad accepted the reduction proposed
by the Finance Committee from $500
to sl00, but he hoped the license
would not be reduced below that
amount.
Mr.. Dalton thought it unjust to levy
this special license. Hardware mer-
chants pay license for doing legiti-
mate business, and these articles being
embraced in their lines it is unjust to
impose an additional tax on the sale Of
these special articles.
Messrs. Diggs, Ellyson, and others
agreed with Mr.. Dalton. They were
all in sympathy with the object of the
bill, but thought it would not be ac-
complished.
Mr.. Williams and others advocated
the measure. They thought carrying
concealed weapons a practice that
should be broken up if possible, and
they knew of no better way Of accom-
plishing this than by imposing a special
license-tax on the sale Of them.
Mr. Diggs withdrew his amendment,
and as a substitute proposition moved
that the bill be dismissed. This mo.
tion was lost.
Mr.. Ellyson, being desirous Of kill
ing the bill, moved to amend the COM
mittee's amendment by making the tax
81, 900 instead of $500. This amend
ment was defeated. Mr.. Thurman
moved TO indefinitely postpone the bill,
and Mr.. Stubs moved as substitute
therefor that the bill be recommitted.
Mr.. Thurman insisted on his motion.
lie thought the bill might as we'll be
killed on the floor Of the Senate by in
definitely postponing it as by sending
it back TO the committee where it will
never see daylight.
Mr.. Diggs called for the pending
question. which was on Mr.. Thurman's
motion TO indefinitely postpone. 1t
being ordered and the vote taken, the
motion was defeated-ayes, Is ; noes,
Il.
Mr.. Koiner thought this a bill Of
some merit, and hoped it would be
graVely ana dellOerately cOnsluereu.
Mr.. Lovenstein moved to lay on the
table. Lost.
Mr.. Williams called for the pending
question, which was on the committees
amendment, but the hour of 1870
O'Clock having arrived, the local-option
bill came up, and this measure went
over without vote being taken on the
committees amendment.
LOCAL OPTION.
The local-option bill, which was un-
der consideration at adjournment Mon
day, was the first matter Of unfinished
business reached on the calendar. The
bill was passed by until ll:3O O'Clock
and subsequently to 1890. When the
latter hour arrived the bill was taken