Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-02-22
LEGISLATURE.
LIMITING THE TINE FOR FUNDING

LIMITING THE TIME FOR FUNDING.
| In the Senate, Thursday, the 10th, the
| joint resolution limiting the time within
which claims against the State may be fund
ed under existing laws of the State came up
at 1 o'clock as the special order.
Mr.. Berry moved to pass by the special
order.
Mr.. Koiner, the author of the resolution,
urged the adoption of the same. During
his remarks he said that it was a coal of
fire which he proposed to put upon the
backs of those terrapin bondholders to
hasten funding.
Mr.. Wickham, in reply, said that there
was no one more anxious than he to have
| the bonds funded. He was not afraid of
not having money enough to pay the inter-
est under the Riddleberger settlement, as a
solemn pledge has been made to pay this
| interest The passage of the resolution
will open up again the debt question and
| in his opinion the adoption of the resolution
| is calculated to do great injury to the State
and cannot possibly do any good; that what
ever had been his position in regard to the
| debt question he now stands squarely upon
the Riddleberger bill and was totally op-
posed to any further action in regard to the
matter.
| Mr.. Heaton also opposed the resolution.
| He thought that when the Constitutional
Convention assembled the matter could be
brought before that body and such action
could then be taken as may be deemed pro-
per. He was opposed to any agitation Of
| this matter at this time. Mr.. Heaton then
gave views which was to let the matter
stand, levy an amount of taxes sufficient to
pay the interest on the bonds that shall have
/ g., JoI y, 80 a.,
session of the General Assembly, and to
pay the expenses of the government. Pend
ing discussion the hour of arrived, and the
chair was vacated until P. n.
| At the afternoon session the Senate joint
resolution limiting the time within which
claims against the State may be funded un-
der existing laws being the unfinished bust
ness, was passed by on motion and SUBJ
sequently taken up and recommitted to the
Committee on Finance and Banks.
| THE RAILROAD BILL.
In the House, Thursday, the 10th. the
bill to regulate commerce in the State of
| Virginia came up as the pecal
order at one o'clock, the question be-
ing the motion of Mr.. Figgatt to reconsider
the vote by which the amendment of Mr..
Anderson, of Rockbridge, was agreed to-
This amendment made the issuing of free
pass violation of law.
Messrs. Flood, Anderson and Echols
spoke in opposition to the motion to recon-
slider.
Mr.. Hay said that no hoped the House
would reconsider the vote by which it had
agreed to the amendment of the member
from Rockbridge. The free-pass question
had been magnifed into proportions alto
gether disproportionate to its Importance
The subject was fully provided for in the
bill as it originally stood, and an amend
ment offered by Mr.. Pollard was voted
down because the chairman of the commit
tee stated that the bill fully provided that
no free passes should be issued, and that
+ it was dscrimina ton to issue them unde,
the bill. He wanted this vote reconsidered
because the amendment endangered the
bill, and because the great questions treat
ed of ard provided for in the bill were be-
ing subordinated to one which after all was
of minor Importance, aud which was fully
provided for in the bill.
The House refused to reconsider the vote
Mr.. McGruder offered an amendment tc
the 4th section of the bill, SO as to provide
that no more shall be charged from one
point TO another inside of the State than il
charged from point outside of the State tt
the same point inside. For example, NJ
more shall be charged from Alexandria tt
Richmond than from Baltimore to Rich
mond and Uice rersa. The amendment wal
agreed to.
Mr.. Waddill offered an amendment pro
vidirg for the election Of Railroad Commits
sioners by the Legislature instead of by the
Board of Public Works. He said it wa:
dangerous to put so much power in thu
hands Of the three gentlemen who compose
that board.
The amendment was rejected by a vote
of 80 to a.
The bill was then ordered to it's engross
ment.
PARIS PAssEs-REPORT OF THE INvEsTI
eating COMMITTEE.
The committee appointed to inquire into
and report upon alleged abuses in the use
of free railroad passes by members of the
House, made their report to-day, in which
they say that they had made diligent in.
quiry among various members as to the
lending of free railroad passes by members
of the body to others than those whose
names we're inserted in the passes, and not
a single instance of the kind except the
cases disclosed by the three members here
tofore mentioned, and those cases we're con-
fined alone to themselves.
The report says: "Taken in detail or al
together the conduct of Mr.. Parr in con.
neetion with the borrowing and lending OF
these free passes is reprehensible in the ex-
IRENE, is without a single circumstance Of
mitigation, and is aggravated at its every
successive stage by additional eliminating
inducements"
LABOR BUREAU.
The bill providing for the establishment
of bureau of labor came up as the nexi
special order.
Mr.. Carter spoke in favor of the bill, and
strongly urged its passage.
Mr.. L. G. Tyler said that Virginia could
no longer be regarded only as an agricul
tural community. Since the war the State
had blossomed into manufacturing centre.
He said he would vote for the BILL and was
speaking in its favor when, at 2 o'clock, the
chair was vacated until NJ
! At the afternoon session the consideration
Of the labor bill was resumed. Mr.. Wad-
dill offered a substitute which he had origi.
nally offered but changed in two particulars
The amount appropriated was altered from
$1,000 to So, 500, and the commissioner was
required to give bond.
Mr.. Figgatt spoke in favor of the bill,
which he claimed was satisfactory to re-
preventative working people.
Mr.. Pollard moved to amend the bill by
striking out the requirement that the COM
missioner should be mechanic, and insert
that he should be laboring person engaged
III mechanical, mining, manufacturing, com
mercial, or agricultural pursuits.
Mr. Pollard's amendment was agreed to,
and the substitute was then defeated-ayes,
"a; noes 40.
A vote was then taken on the engross-
ment of the bill, resulting in Its being car
ried.
PARIS PASSES.
Mr.. Parr read a letter from U. S. Gravely
stating that others had used passes in a
similar way, and that Jas. Redd had travel
ed on the pass of A. P. Staples.
After the letter was read Mr.. Parr said
that he hoped the House would not defer
action, but would dispose of the matter in
some way or other this afternoon.
Mr.. Buford rose to say that Mr.. A. L.
STAPLES (now a member of the Senate)
denied lending out his pass, and if it had
been used by another party it was entirely
without his knowledge or consent.
Several motions were here made. Some
to recommit the matter to the committee,
some to adjourn, pass by, &c. Mr.. Parr
succeeded in get ting the floor after awhile