Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-12-20
FROM RICHMOND.
WHAT THE LEGISLATURE is
DOING THERE.
SHOULD WOMEN BE LAWYERS f?
A Bill introduced to Allow Them 10
Practise i'm the State Courts-south.
west Virginia RiIIs-Christ-
HAAS Recess.
Special to the TIMES.

=
RICHMOND, Va, December 19.-The
lawmakers will adjourn tomorrow
for the Christmas recess. So far, very
little has been done beyond the cleo
ton of officers and the passage of a
number of bills of local interest. Dir.
Woods has gotten through few bills
for his constituents, and Dir. Radford,
OF Montgomery, has engineered sew
eral for his people. Mr. Kent, of
Wythe, has some pending, which he
hopes TO get through before the re-
cess.
Several measures looking to changes
in the election laws have been present
ed. Most of them embrace the ideas of
the Australian system. They have all
been referred to the committee on
privileges and elections and are not
likely to be reported back soon. This
subject is likely to be the most inter-
estlng one to come up at this session.
The lawmakers show disposition to
move cautiously and consider we'll
any change which may be recon-
mended. The governor has not yet
presented his message on this subject
but may do so any day.
Mr.. Curtis, Of Richmond, has
handed in a bill providing for cities
and counties to tax banks, both state
and national. in the same manner
which they are taxed by the state.
Colonel Gibson, of Culpeper, in
troduced bill today to so amend the
code in relation to disqualified voters
as to make the man who sells his vote
disqualified, instead Of the one who
buys the same. The same gentle
man opposed an amendment TO the
code to provide for Furnishing the
person who sells his vote, and not the
buyer Of the same. The colonel also
introduced a bill to establish the min
imum and maximum rates Of toll for
railroads. 1t provides that for pas
senger with $50 pounds of baggage,
the rate shall not be less than TWO
cents nor more than four cents per
mile.
Mr.. Peters, of Henry county, intro
duced bill into the senate today to
amend the code so that women may
be allowed to practise law in the
state. The patron said he was not in
favor Of the measure, but presented it
by request.
Some time ago woman applied to
the Judge of the circuit court in Dan
vile for license to practice law, but
the court decided that the code where
it says persons" means only males.
persoass hil ii or sffffee iha. the ord
When the measure comes up for
consideration the discussion is likely
to be Interesting.
Among the bills before the assem-
bly, of special interest to the people in
the southwest are these: To incorpo
rate the Bristol Land company; pc
tition against increasing the taxes Of
Wytheville; to appropriate $4,000 to
make improvements to the Southwest
Lunatic asylum; to incorporate the
Bristol Iron and Steel company; to
authorize the Radford Land and In
provement company to erect dam
across Little river; confirming the
boundary line between Virginia
and Tennessee as ascertained and
adjusted by certain commissioners;
to authorize the Southwest Real Es-
tate Investment company to subscribe
for, guarantee or acquire the bonds
or stock of any other corporation; to
amend the act incorporating the
Rorer Iron company; to authorize the
Max Meadows Land and Improvement
company to subscribe for, guarantee
or acquire the bonds or stock Of any
other corporation; to amend the act
incorporating the Virginia Steel com
pany; to authorize the increase of the
capital stock of the Virginia Develop
ment company, and to issue OF pre-
ferred and common shares