Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-07
THE LOCAL OPTION BILL.
AN ADVERSE REPORT COMING.


On Friday il was determined that no
session of the Senate should be held
yesterday, in order that the commit
tees might devote the day to consider
ing the matters before them. Accord
ingly meetings Of several committees
were held, among them the Committee
on General Laws, Mr.. Berry, chairman.
Several bills were disposed of, and at
IL O'Clock VI. the local-optlon bill
passed by the House was taken up.
Several ministers, a delegation of Good
Templars, and friends Of temperance
we're present, who were invited to adj
dTSss the committee.
LoCAL.OPTION ALLIANCE.
Professor w. W. Smith, Of the Viz
GINA Local-0ption Alliance, was first
introduced. lie said that he appeared
representing the Baptist and Methodist
Churches and the Virginia Local-Option
Alliance, which numbers over 100000
lie further represented the thousands Of
people who had petitioned the LeglSla-
ture two years ago to pass general
local-option law. These petitions would
have been renewed at this session Of the
General Assembly, but such was
deemed unnecessary in view of the fact
that in the last campaign both parties
were pledged for local option. Z" What
we ask is that the pledges Of the two
parties be effectively carried out"
DIsTILLERIES.
Professor Smith said that the Al.
lance opposed the sixth section of tbs
bill passed by the House, and directed
him to offer the following as substi-
tute therefor:
Section g. Nothing In this act shall be
{ construed 10 interfere with the privilege Of
/ any person now licensed as a dist.Her OF
| alcoholic liquors. or manufacturer OF VINE
| or malt liquors and nothing contained in
/ this act shall operate to revoke licenses
| already granted until the time for wncn
| they were issued expires by law provided
/ however. that after such petition snaU
! have been presented as is required by THIS
/ act for an election In any county, district
/ or CORPORATION. under it, provisions. no per
! son shall be licensed TO establish ana carry
ON any distillcry OF alcoholic liquors, on
/ now existing in sucl county or maglsterlal
district or CORPORATION until the election
I herein provided for shall have been neld
and In the event that majority OF the
votes in such election when held shall be
against license in any district or corpora
ton, then no license shall be Granted 20
any person 10 establish or carry on any
dstillery Of alcoholic liquor. or any manu-
factory of wine or malt liquors. rot now
existing and being carried ON in sucn dis
trict or corporal on.
WHERE LOCAL OPTION NOW PRE-
Walls.
Mr.. Smith said that he was further
instructed by the Alliance to submit
the following as substitute for the
Sth section Of the bill
section p. That any county or town or
magisteral district now having lOcal'op-
lion law shall not be embraced IN this act
! unless "A petition be made by the quallilcd
voters residing In the district or districts
having license To the number 81 one ntth
the number II voters voting at the pre-.
ceding regular November election I'm said
district or districts: I'm which case the Judge
shall order a special election I'm coniormli ~
10 the prov iSiOns II this act. 20 be held only
in the district on districts petitlOuing. 40
thing iu this act shall apply 10 any city
having population OF 600 or over.
As TO CITIES.
, Mr.. Smith said that he, the Alliance
the Churches, and the Good TemplarS
) were heartily in favor Of local option
and that they would be glad to have a
e. bill passed which would apply to cite,
2 as well as counties, and which would
! prevent the erection of new diStilerleS
1 but that, after a conference with the
e friends of the bill in the House, It wa,
deemed ineXpedient to attempt 10 pass
e. a law that would reach so far. lie
{ thought the bill passed by the House
with the two amendments proposed by
, himself, would be the bet measure
that could be gotten at present. lie
s hoped to obtain the passage Of this Law
now and eventually to secure prohlbl
ton.
ENDORSED.
! Rev. John Pollard, d. D.. Mr.. JOIN
y Il. Crcnshaw, and Rev. ". +. Ed
wards. d. D., pastor OF Centenar.
8 church, endorsed what wa said by Mr.
g Smith.
What they wanted, briefly expressed
was to get as good a local-option law
possible.
TIE CITIES PTT ~ THE BILL.
The committee then commenced t
e consider the bill.
n An amendment was proposed b
Mr.. Staples and adopted, requiring tn
1t petition for an election to be signed b
one fourth. instead Of one fifth, Of th
! voters, &C.
Several other amendments weI
a adopted, among them two making II
j. law apply to cities as well as to conl
ig ties and making it applicable to disti
= leries now established as well as tho,
J. hereafter to be put into operation. IN
'r last Of these two amendments Mr. III
pies strenuously opposed.
- VOTE By DISTRICTS.
y The following, offered by Mr.. Staples
- was adopted as a substitute TO the IL
section of the bill
n section 4. ltit shall appear nom Tine al
vi ,tracts aud returns of any election 100 ga
" | county that majority oI votes ms ",'
i ! cast against license in any ma4ieitllti OUT
" met or districts. then no license ipf sue
rs ! sales In any of the mag.sterial diSlilcls
voting shall be- granted bui 10 IL apptd
frofl such district ana returns tuat m,
,ority Of votes has been cast IN any sue
district or districts for license thcn Ncru
or Tor the sale ~ Liquors IN Nuch uI9u't
Oh districts shall he granted under the cun'
tons PROV ided by Jaw
It. PRONOUNCED " y HrMErG.
Mr.. Heaton said the whole thing vi
il a humbug." lie did not favor prob
n, bition because il does not prohibit.
" He offered an amendment, which vs.
agreed to, which provides that in the
ng elections the ballots used shall have
ell them for" or against taxing q
sale Of intoxicating liquors
k. Mr.. Heaton's theory was that
licenses are not granted liquor will
ed sold anyhow, aud he thought It bett
that people in voting should Anc
mt whether they are voting to deprive {
State Of its revenue or not.
ng Mr.. Staples said that he was war
ct. advocate Of the bill as it came from
House, but that with the amendmer
he to it put on by other members he won
ms have to oppose it. lie therefore NOV
1 alrarea'V