Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-01-20
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.
fr,orr.snondenoe Of the Alexandria GAzRrrE.)

N<~~-NN~~'1
RICHMOND, Va, January 19.-Ihe bill
vacating the boards of directors of the asy-
lums in the State, introduced in the Senate
by Mr.. Stubs, of Gloucester, will have to
be amended in order to suit majority of
the members of the General Assembly.
This amendment will be recommended by
the committee to- morrow. They have in
formally agreed to amend the bill so as
to make the terms of Office of all the asy.
lum officers expire on the 18th of April,
1887, and to make the superintendent and
his assistants an examining board. As the
law now stands no patient can be received
into the asylum unless permission is grant
ed from at least one of the directors. Some
times it is hard to get three directors to-
gether at urgent times, and this amend
ment is considered wise and judcous one.
The committee will report the amendments
tomorrow or the day after, and then it is
believed that the bill as amended will easily
pass.
1t is said that when the local option bill
comes up on its second reading Mr.. Fulker-
son, of Washington, will offer substitute,
which will provide penalty upon persons
selling or manufacturing liquor in the Com
monwealth. 1t is understood that Mr.. Full
kerson is in favor of prohibition, and that
he will endeavor to secure the sentiment of
the House, at least on the prohibition ques-
ton.
Mr.. Thorne, the delegate from Fairfax,
has expressed himself in opposition to pro-
hibition, but he is warm advocate of a
general local option law. This general 10.
cal option bill will be passed by decided
vote.
Some members of the General Assembly
are constitutonally opposed to whiskey
and are agtating the propriety of establish
ing coffee house at the Capitol, so as to be
convenient to the legislators. Such meas
ure will hardly be enacted because of the
fact that the Capitol building is SO badly
mutilated that it would take science, art
and experience to adopt means likely to
keep the coffee at the proper temperature.
1t is hard to get these three things together,
and a majority of members will favor the
present existing state of affairs.
The bill introduced in the House by Mr..
Echols some days ago, for the establishment
of the Western Female Normal school at
Stanton, Va, was reported favorably from
the Committee on Schools and Colleges this
morning. 1t provides for school similar to
the one at Faimville, except that the annual
appropriation is only So, 1000 The city Of
| RI IN IA of a
suitable building for the purpose of said
school. The bill in no manner antagonZes
the Farmville school, but in consequence of
the necessity of Normal school to the peo-
pie Of the Valley and Piedmont the commit
tee deemed it of the greatest Importance to
establish this school, especially as the city
of Staunton had offered such inducements.
The road bill for Fairfax, introduced by
Mr.. Thorne, of Fairfax, purposes to make
the Road Commissioners of each district a
body corporate, with right to sue and be
sued :; it provides that the roads may be
worked by contractors if the Road Commits
sioners think it best it provides for the levy
of district road tax not to exceed 20 cents
on the 500 valuation of real and personal
property, which shall be assessed by the
Commissioner of Revenue, collected by the
county Treasurer, and paid out only on the
warrant of the Road Board The Treasurer
is allowed 8 per cent. for collecting, and is
required to keep al account with each dis.
trict, and to notify each board the amount
to their credit on the 1st days of May and
September of each year, and to settle his &C
counts with each board in December of each
year. The provision relating to the work.
ing Of roads by the road overseers does not
materially differ from the present law of
Fairfax county, but overseers are clothed
with the same powers as constables in the
collection OF delinquent road taxes.
B. P. O.