Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-11
CAPITOL CONVERSE.
YESTERDAYS NEWS NOTES FROM
VRGlNlAS STATE-HOUSE.
Laws which Were Passed and Supposcd
to Have Been Aimed at Coupons
Lee Monument.

II was expected by some that the VIZ
ginia debt cases would be decided IN 'ne
United States Supreme Court yesterday
but they were not, and there IS no as
surance that they will be at this spring
term.
The General Assembly at its recent scs-
sion provided laws which, 1t ia believed
will tide the Commonwealth over her diiii-
culties no matter whether the decision De
favorable or adverse: no matter wheIher
the opinion Cor rather opinions ior theio
are several cases. be rendered now OF IN
many months hence.
THE ANTI-coUPoS MEASURES.
The new anti-coupon statutes are as iol-
lows: ..u
/. Removing the trial Of coupon cases
from the corporation courts to the circuit
courts.
2. Allowing the Board Of Commissioners
of the Sinking Fund TO employ additional
counsel TO assist Commonwealth attor-
neys in coupon cases.
8. Allowing the attorney for the Com
monwealth for any city or, county 10 ue-
mand separate Jury for the trial oi each
been dumped" before one jury.
4. Requiring applicants for liquor-llcen-c
eea 70 dcpOslt with the commissioner 81
tho revenue the price Of the License ana
the commissioner TO certify the facts 10
the excise board.
:. Forming an excise board. consisting OF
the State Treasurer and two AUDITORS, VII II
authority To appoint sub-bOarda Tor ehch
CITY in the Commonwealth. Before a cor
poration judge can grant lquor-hceise
The RECOMMENDATION must come from the
local excise board. The iugde. however,
may reject any recommendation they
make.
HOW 1T WILL ACT.
It will. no doubt. be argued that the re;
moval Of causes. employment OF additional
counsel. and provision for separate Jurl's
are intended 10 delay and Ohstruct the
Use Of coupons: but It docs not so appear
in the laws. No doubt, however. that VIII
be the effect. No doubt. also, the recently
enacted law dividing the payment OF IL
ocnses (other than liquor-lcensesl amount
ing 10 more than $50 INTO quarterly pay
ments. viii make il more costly than ever
before 10 paw ones license taxes IN coupons
With respect to the deposit OF money
with the applications for iquor-llcenseS
and the gauntlet Of the Excise Board when
al applicants will hereafter have to run, II
rs already contended that these are mca-
suree to repress the uee of coupons. ms
may he the effect. but the bills DO not lnti-
mate ANYTHING OF the kind.
The Auditor of Public Accounts IA now.
engaged in fishing out OF the great sea 9i
legislation enacted at the recent session all
the acts with respect to the revenues 50
that he may prepare his INSTRUCTIONS To
treasurers ard commissioners OF the reve-
nue. intelligently.
LIE MONUMENT.
There was conference OF members OF
the Lee Monument Board at the Capl-
tol Yesterday morning, and n was
agreed that there should be a formal meet
ing this morning with respect TO the I'M
perfect cOldmn IN tho monument.
The hoard Is somewhat embarrassed at
the absence OF the engineer, G. L. +. Bur
gwvn. ESQ, who Is on his way To Paris to
inspect the statue.
Mr.. Netherwood. the contractor, ex-
presses "A readiness to take out the mis-
shapen column and insert new one, but
the board Will scarcely care to act without
first communicating with Englner bur-
cwvn, and this can only be done bv cable.
Members Of the board knew nothing oi
tbie bad column when the work was re-
ceiycd. They thought that the monument
was as perfect "a such things can ever be.
Still among those engaged on and about
the monument there appears 10 nave been
no secrecy about the fact that III rolling
one Of the columns at n northern factory
n defect was encountered and this was
polished out. and the symmetry OF the
piece was thus destroyed. The haw vas
humTed" out at the expense OF the coL
uum's proportions.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OFFICE.
Attornev-General Il. Taylor Scott is now
comfortably quartered IN GOddin Hall, on
Bank street.
The room furnished him opposite the ele..
vatOr landing in the Capitol was small ana
inconv enient. and made him subject TO all
sorts of Interruptions. Accordingly the
two houses passed and the Governor ap-
proved an act authorizing him to rent at
the States expense an Office outside the
Capitol.
All Of Mr.. Scott's predecessors since the
war. save only Mr. Ayers. occupied rented
Offices. Governor Lee did the Capitol OH
Gers ana the public the service of having
the elevator put In the building. and TINS
allowed two rooms 10 be made IN space
formerly occupied by stairways. and one
of these was given 10 Mr.. Ayers for ms
own Office, and the other for the office OF
his clerk. Both were found unsuitable
and can now be put 10 other use.
Nav the time soon come when Virglnlf
can have new capitol, or at least have
this one enlarged a. would be the practlca
effect Of erecting with the fund belnl
accumulated (already considelable II
amount a frc-proof house for the Stat'
Library and Court Of Appeals.
COLONEL BIGGER NOT WELL.
Colonel j. Bell Bigger, Keeper of the
Rolls. who expected To go to the country
on SATURDAY. last, but was detained on ac
count Of press Of official business, Is now
confined TO his bed. He may be able t'
travel in few days.
The enrolled bills are IN the hands OF th'
hinder. and will make three volumes
They will probably not be returned to The
office of the Keeper of the Rolls for ter
DAYS. Correspondents and personal visitor
who wish certified copies of acts must hav,
patience until the rolls are returned. anc
Colonel Bigger will give prompt attention
In their reuupStS