Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-02-21
THE VIRGINIA LEGTSLATURE.

THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
We give below all the important business
of the Virginia legislature for the past
week.
PENSEs OF THE STATE.
In the Senate the Committee for Courts of
Justice have reported twelve bills to reduce
the criminal charges. They estimate that
it's adoption will make a reduction of $780,
900. The following are some of the reduc-
lions contained in the bills:
ONLY TWELVE JURORS.
The first bill amends sections 3146 and
! 3147 Of the Code of Virginia, in relation to
| juries. This provides that the ordinary
uenire facias shall consist of twelve in
stead Of twenty jurors.
! The next bill so amends the Code in rela-
ton to payment of fees to officers out of the
| Treasury in criminal cases, as to provide
that no account shall be allowed Oh paid for
prosecutions of offences against ordinances
OF any city OF town.
COMMONWEALTH -ATTORNEYs' FEES.
| The third of the series of bills amends
section 1928 of the Code of Virginia, in re-
! latiOn to fees Of attorneys for the Common
wealth. This measure provides that for
every case OF felony prosecuted to a judg-
ment this official shall receive SO; where
there is an Indictment for felony and the
party is convicted of misdemeanor, only So
shall be received. For misdemeanor pros
ecutions the fee shall be IS; but no such
fee shall he paid out of the Treasury unless
and until the Judge of the court where the
case was tried shall certify in his opinion
tho cama cannot bp oO1actnd of tho dafaO6-
ant by process of law.
PAY OF GUARDS.
No. amends section 1881 of the Code of
Virginia, in relation to fees of a sheriff,
sergeant, coroner. crier, OF constable. This
amendment provides that no person shall
be employed as guard unless the justices
certify that such guard could not be safely
dispensed with. Guards are to be paid rs
cents per day and cents a mile.
The next in order amends the Code in re-
lation to fees Of Il jailer. The provision
here is that no payment shall be made out
OF the Treasury for receiving, keeping, and
supporting any prisoner committed to jail
for violation of the ordinance of any
city OF town OF who is IN jail under a
cdpias pro fine issue for q failure to pay
a fine imposed for violation of such Or
dinances.
The next bill amends section 1888 Of the
Code Of Virginia, in relation to fees OF Off
GERS i'll gaming and certain other cases.
LESS GRAND JURORS.
The seventh bill amends sections 1916,
1877 and 1884 of the Code of Virginia, in
relation to grand juries. The number of
grand jurors to be summoned under this
bill will be twelve instead of twenty-four,
and seven members of a regular and five
Of special grand jury will have to concur
in an Indictment.
The next bill in order amends sections
4106, 4107 and 4109 of the Code, in relation
to the jurisdiction of justices. This bill
gives justices of the peace jurisdiction Of
all common-law misdemeanOrS.
The last bill requires judges Of the cOun-
ty and corporation courts to set criminal
cases for trial
FORCING ALL LIQUOR DEALERS TO PAY
IN MONEY FOR LICENSE.
Many of the liquor dealers in the cities
of The State Except Staunton), last year,
rendered coupons for their licenses. On Fri
day last, the House ordered to it's engross-
ment a bill to prevent the repetition of this.
The bill establishes State Excise Board
composed of the First and Second Auditors
and Treasurer of the State, which shall ap-
point Local Excise Board in every city
composed OF three members. The duty OF
that local Board is thus set down in the
bill:
5. 1t shall be the duty Of the board for
any city to consider the applications for Ii
cense which shall be referred to it in pur-
suance of law and filed with it's secretary
| For the purpose of this consideration the
board may adjourn from day to day and
| time to time so as not, however, to sit more
| than fifty days in any one year. After an
application has been filed with the board
they shall inquire into the character of the
applicant, the suitability, convenience and
appropriateness of the place of which the
proposed business is to be conducted and
the general prepriety of approving the ap-
plication. The petition Of resident citizens
for and against the application may be filed
with the board, and Shall be duly considered
by them. The chairman of the board, when
ever they deem it necessary for thepurpose
of informing themselves on any of the mat
ters referred to their consideration by this
act, to have witnesses before them, may
issue his summons, to be served by the SER
geant of the city, for any person within said
city to appear before them on day and at
a place named to testify touching the case
in hand. Applications approved by the
board shall be endorsed "Approved, with
the signature Of the chairman, and applica-
lions disapproved shall be endorsed in like
manner ''Disapproved.
6. Two members Of any city board shall
constitute quorum. The secretary Of the
board shall keep, in a book to be provided
for the purpose by the State, minutes of the
proceedings, in which shall be entered
memorandum Of the action of the board on
each application. This memorandum shall
show the name of the applicant, the nature
of the business, the place at which it is
sought to be conducted, whether the appli-
cation was approved" OF ''disapproved,
and the date of the same.
I. Whenever in any city, from failure
to qualify, death, resignation, Oh otherwise,
there is no board of commissioners of excise
at the time any person wishes to make APP
plication for one Of the licenses referred to
in section of this act, then such applica-
ton may be made to the corporation Oh
hustings court Of said city, which may
grant the license; but where there is such
board in office, the corporation OF hustings
court shall not grant any license to sell
liquor within the said city until and I'M
less the application for the same snail have
been first endorsed, 'approved' by the city
board of commissioners of excise.
Of rJ ,ho11