The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-11
SENATE AND HOUSE.
BUSINESS TRANSACTED AT THE
STiTE CAPITOL YESTERDAY

Money ". Coupons Water Works For
Chatham The Inis-Houston Contest
Motion la the House to Adjourn
sine Die.
The Senate was called TO order at ~
O'Clock, Senator Hurt president pro tenn
in the chair
\ rush of bills, petitions, etc, were in
troduccd as follows
By Mr. Staples 10y requesD Bill for
the relief Of the sureties Of {. H. lngles
late Treasurer OF Henry county.
Bv Mr Gordon A bill 10 amend and
rc-cnact sections i, .. .. =, 9, l6, and Il,
Of an act entitled an act 10 provide new
charter for the town of Charlottesville.
The object of The bin is 10 enlarge the
corporate limits of ihe city.
By Mr. Loycnslcin Bill making an
appropriation for furnishing the new ad.
ditiOn to The Central Lunatic Asylum,
ana for the support of additional inmates.
By Mr. Dalton Bill to incorporate
the Elizabeth River Navigation Com
pany
Bv Mr. Ellyson Of Richmond A bill
To appropriate money to preserve nd
care for the graves of Confederate dead
Al Hollywood cemetery.
Bill To incorporate the Norfolk Fuel
and Gas Light Company Of Norfolk.
MONEY Us COUPONS.
Nj. Koiucr, chairman Of the Finance
Committee introduced a bill to permit
taxpayers wro have rendered coupons in
payment of taxes II make payment in
money 10 county and city treasurers etc.
The bill is as follows
IL. That any taxpayer who has ten
dcrcd coupons in payment OF his taxes,
and is liable 10 bc proceeded against Tor
The same under the act of the 18th of May,
l-s7. may make payment of the same 10
the treasurer OF the county Oh city 10
whom they were payable AT any time be-
fore Judgment. with the penalty of 3
uer cent imposed by law for failure 10
pay prior lo the Isl davOi December in The
wear they were assessed also with per
cent. interest on the aggregate from the
18TH dav of the same month until paid,
and all COSTS that have accrued in any
proceedings which may have been insiitu-
Ted for the recovery of said taxes. The
treasurer shall give duplicate receipts for
the taXcs. one of which shall be sent
promptly by Tine taxpayers to the Audi
tor of Public Accounts, who shall open
an account with t4e treasurer charging
him with delinquent taxes due by reason
of coupons rendered, and crediting him
hy all collections made or otherwise
accounted for according TO law.
Troasurers shall make quarterly reports
and payments Of such taxes collected on
q Il. rag4ttra a gnmnlf nf
% per cent A failure 10 report and make
payment within thirty days after any
quarter all forfeit the commissions and
render the treasurer liable TO be proceeded
against as i'm other cases Of delinquency.
"2. Nothing in this act shall be CON
strucd 10 relieve against and proceeding
penalty OF costs licensed under any exist
ing law affecting taxpayers who have
rendered coupons in payment
The bin was read the first aud second
time, ordered TO engrossment, and passed.
WATER WORKS FOR CHATHAM.
Senator Hurt OF Plttsylyania offered a
bin 10 authorize the town Of Chatham,
Pittsylvapia county to borrow $4,000 TO
erect water works The bill was taken
up ont Of its order, read the first and sec
ond times. ordered to engrossment, and
passed
4 number of local bills were intY-
duced. after which the unfinished busi-
ness oi Monday viz,
THE EIIls-HOUsTON CONTEST,
came up for consideration. Senator
Staples of Patrick, who WAS entitled to
the iiOor addressed the Senate at length
in favor OF proceeding with an inyestga-
tion of the title of Mr. ID. +. Houston to
the seat lac occupies The Senator based
his argument on two main grounds first,
that if MI Houston did any act which
rendered 10 hinder and delay Major Ellis
from giving him the ten days notice of
contest as required by law, he has no
right To take advantage of his own wrong
acl and, second, that no statute law
could deprive the Senate of its constitu-
tional prerOgatiye 10 pass upon the
qualifications of its members, and that II
ifaud has been commi ted in this case
tie Senate should not allow such fraud
TO stand
Mr. Rhea of Washington followed in
support of Mr. HOustOn's right To his
seat. he claiming that if the precedent is
established that "a contest can be insti-
tuted without the ten days notice re-
quired by the statute, and no Senator
would ever feel secure of his seat
Senator Moore of Winchester followed
in support of the resolution before the
Senate providing for the investigation.
lie took the position that the statute re-
quiring the tea days notice OF contest
was directory and not mandatory, and
that it could not destroy the constitution.
al prerOgaliyc of the Senate.
Mr. Mcdonald (Republican) Of West
moreand, read a speech in favor of Mr..
Houston's keeping his seat. at the con
clusion of which the Senate, al 2;30, ad'
journed.