The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-02-12
Patron-Mr. Lovenstein.
Refoucd to th' committee on General laws

pairon-Mr. Lovonstein.
Referred 70 the Committee on General Laws.
re IL cnnctcd 10y the General Assembly
Of Virginia. That 10 shall be unlawful, on anu
AFTER The first OF April, enc thousand elEhl
hundred and ninety, 10 own, keep. or mann
tain. I'm. across. through. or under any pubic
street. highway, or place 70 "nlch t9e pupnC
has access, any electric circuit OF
ulrt thereof. or any substance OF thinE lol
the conducting Of electricity forming a part
of al electric circuit, contfsfy 10 the piof>-
ions ~ this act
I'm MI Electric circuits or parts of circuits rs
whether such circuits be IN Whoic
or Ina part under or above ground. the electric
pressure used shall not exceed the IolloW-
ing amounts: The non-pulsating continuous
current To pressure not exceeding eight
hundred volts. the pulsatlng continuous cur
rent 10 pressure not exceeding I'VE hundred
and fifty volts: the alternating current 10 a
pressure not exceeding two hundred Nolls'
accorliug 10 the uatlrc Of the current used.
y For the purpose Of preventing fires, ~
shall be unls awful. after the FIRST DAY OF APRIL
one thousand eight hundred ana ninety, 70
maintain any Of The wires OF circuits ln lhis
section mentioned, except In accordance
with the provisions Of this net. All tcle-
ph0nic and o her circuits. other than those
for the distribution Of electric llght, neat
and power. which are Ia part OUTSIDE OF lae
premises Of the user, shall ne cohuhuoueil
slips, or equivalent devices suinclent 10
break The circuit. should current Of danger
Gus strength DO received, inserted IN such
circuit as they enter The premises oil inc
user.
3. ANY electric circuit, OF part thereof OF
any substance or Thing for the conducting OF
electricity forming part OF an electnc CIT
cult. which shall be kept on maintained con
tfary 10 the provisions Of this act snail DC
deemed TO be and be liable 70 abatement a. 2
public nuisance and the various local boards
and officers Of this State now charged WIN
TIE duty of abatiug public nuisances danger
Gus to health, me- or piopeity arc nSnsD'
charged with the duty OF IemoN
ing any electric circuit, or part OF
u circuit, or any substance OF thing TOT IN,
conducting Of electricity forming part %,
a circuit, which shall be kept on malntslneu
or used contrary 10 the provisions OF thls act
such duty shall be performed on Ike term
as TO expense and other matters - apply
concerning any other pubic nuisance uhh-
gerou~ 10 henlth, life, OF property ptv'lucu
That nothing herein contained SHAH Dc '''n'
Strucd. expressly or imulied'ys - mint ol
ahfidpc an .1,...Tr OF uutlss when Salu ioca
boa - on officers now have IN the prtiniscs
a. should any person OF corporation 'lOiat,
ANY of tho provisions OF section enc OF lil'
net. such person or corporation SHALL IN "a
dlfiOn 10 the remedies ahd proceedings mere
inDcfOre sDccincd, he liable 10 forfeit 70 lh'
Commonwealth Of Nirginin tho sum OF nN'
hundred dollars, and an action lot sucH pen
atty may be brought, II such violation snoult
continue, al intervals OF ten days unili the
person or corporation guilty OF such Niolatioi
shall discontinue such violation. 10 actloi
or proceeding brought or judgment entered
or satisfied shall be "a bar 10 any future pro
cecding or action founded upon VIOLATIONS
occurring subsequent 10 the cOpmenceineh
OF a previous action. and actions may Do
brought from time to time ~ herein spccinet
while violations shall continue.
.. An action may be brought Tor inc pen
allies In the last section prescribed ~ W'
respective commonwealth Attorneys WIN
in whose distficta, respectively, violations
snail occur. The actions shall be I'M inc
name OF the Commonwealth, and SHAH DE
brought IN the Circuit or Corporation court
10 shall he the duty Of the said Common
Wenlth's Attorneys 10 bring such action
,yhenevcr4f shall come to their knowledge
....t this act has been violated.
a. The said local boards, officers, and attOr-
news may, at all reasonable times, enter
upon any structures OF premises for the pur
nose of Investigating the violations OF thii
act whenever they. OF either Of them. Isa
eonabiy deem 70 necessary TO do so; and pro
ler persons duly authorized by them, ol
either Of them. snail have Ike powers.
2. All acts aud parts Of acts incohsisleh
with this act are hereby repealed.
y. This act shall take effect from It's pas
sage.
When the Clerk concluded reading, Sena
tor Ioyonstein. patron Of the bill, made Z
brief statement. i'm which he said the Dil
had been offered at the request OF some o
his constituents. and though he could no
explain 10 fully. being unacquainted Will
electricity. lac believed 1t conducive 10 th'
protection of human life. He then intro
duccd Mr.. A. l.. Boulware, of the law ilrn
of Johnston. Williams a BOulware, VIII
hc said would describe the measure more n
detail.
MIR. BOULWARE.
Mr.. Boulware, who represented the Edi
enn people. of course warmly advocated
the bin i'm a few minutes speech, IN which
he said be- would soon be FOLLOWED
h, the Hamlet of the play. 30 many i've
have been lost and 50 much property DC
stroyed hy electricity that II is time th
authorities should attempt TO restrict th
destruction. Sir. BOulware frankly con
fcssed that the parties he represented do
not pose as philanthropists. Tn
measure was purely "a commeiclh on
and should be SO regarded, out IL was hol
mnnOpolV. Most Of the Northern cities
MIR. Boulwaro declared, are taking IN
question of electricity in hand, because
il an element Of the most dangerous ant
understandable character. Professor smith
of the University OF Virginia, and an &C
knowledged scientist, was IN Richmond
few DAYS ago and said that the electric
LIGHT wires were a constant menace TO IN
life OF the community.
For the purpose of illustration Mr.. BOul
ware spoke Of steam-boilers. boileisi n
said. were subjected TO careful and regula
INSPECTION. and Yet any ordinary man cal
regulate "A boiler, while no man can regu
late electricity, which should be all IN
more carefully guarded. "Nhat we Wis
10 DO by this bill is to establish limit, 3
that AN companies can operate withou
danger. During this meeting l VIII haN
the pleasure of introducing 10 you the ia
Their OF electricity and the foremost scien
tist OF the world. MIR. Edison Applause
aud also one Of the leading electricians O
New York, Mr.. Harold 4. Brown.
MR.. MEREDITH.
Mr.. Wyndham X. Meredith. Of the counse
for the opposition was the next speaker, am
in beginning his remarks he alluded couI
feousl, 10 Mr.. Edison, who be felt sur
every body was glad 10 see here. Applause
..Hc bears the same relation 10 science d
this century that Benjamin Franklin did ii
the cighteenth.r Looking toward hr. Boul
ware. Mr.. Meredith remarked. Il am .lal
10 hear my friend say that he does not stan'
as the representative OF q body OF philan
thr0pisis. but Of commercial men. Mr.
BOulwaro | notice kept very far away from
tittUtiills anu oN"l "a" tHN '"ihN NANNI
Ia no tar AZ the bill affects the city of Rich
mond. n Mr.. Edison wants 20 emulate
BENJAMIN Franklin he wants to enact g0Oe
law, and the question arises is the measure
before us good one - The bill Is a loca
problem surrounded bT local conditions
and h is questionable whether IL should b,
enacted The law Ia New York, with its
millions Of wires, would be- scarcely appr0
pirate here, and the illustrations made by
Mr.. Boulware about the boiler il not appli
cable 70 this case, for the reason that boilers
are inspected by local inspectors, and are
Judged according % local conditions, and
nobody ever heard Of It's pressure being
regulated by law. Instead Of decreasing
the danger o. life, the bin carries 220 volts
OF electricity into house where 80 volts go
now.
Mr.. Meredith said he represented the
Schuyler Company and the Virginia Elec-
iric Lghi and Power Company, which
operate the Nesting House system. III
you pass this bill We 20 out Of existence.
The bill, II become a law, may not be q