The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-05

should vote for a fair railroad bill To the
grsa, farming interests the leaders OK ths
Democratic party had pledged themselves ~
use their influence TO the passage y 10
bill. Over three hundred blennoin'o ~.
passed into the hands OF memu'.s CT.
General Assembly from oil parts OF tH9 -
asking their representatives, 10 No1' ~. ho
Kent bill. These requests could n9s
ignored. II the Till was wrong he cQula cny
say that not a single substitute nad oeon
offered Tor the relief OF the wrong. Inc ihen
berS could not afford to return 10 tneii -
s~tltuents with such q demand u~nans"ersu.
Inc farmer represented nlneteen-tWene'esN'
OF the population OF the State. and they rep
resented seyentesI-tweltieths OF the VA
payers Of the State. The railroads only paiu
about $50 100 out OK ~. 500. 900 OF taxes 3nnu-
ally. and they should therefore not be consiu-
cred in preference to everybody else. me cIy
had been raised that " this Dill was pa>s"u
not only the railroads would be ruined. out
also the agricultural interests ia this State.
If the farmers were let alone they would taNe
care OF themselves. provided the General As"
sembly could be induced TO pass Laws IN their
interest. In twenty-nine counties the popu-
latlon had been diminished during the past
ten Years. and even one OF the most fertile
counties in the State lLOud0un county had
In the zane time lost about half a million IN
the valuation Of taxable property. anu Us
ponulatiOn had also diminished ~ tle WeAtta
OF The cities was increasing and tnas o. me
country districts decreasing. no man woull
say hat the railroads were fayoring agrlcul-
tu-al development. In twenty-nlne States ont
of ne forty-twO railroad commissions were III
ex-s.euce. IN sixteen OF these states. az"
five Of them We're Southern states moro
railroads had been built under the com,
missions than before. This TACT sloNsu
that commissions would not retard the
building of roads. nor would they keep oapt-
IN, out. but would have the opposite enect.
THE bill should at least be reported, antI's
passage would be good policy on the part or
members of the General Assembly ana OF Tic
party in supremacy in this state.
Senator kairfax. of LoudOun and tauqu!et,
said that he was present by n mere Gcciuent,
and that he only desired 10 answer ale"
of the questions which Mr.. Kent nan pro
pounded. He was q farmer and IN no way ~
teUested in the railroads, he repTesente1 w
Of the best agricultural counties IN the S1aVo'
and during his canvass he hal poslVlNei} "
clared that he would not vote Tor any ralroat
commission bill. On this issue he had Won
bis canvass. and he had carried oyery one OF
the twelve precincts IN his district but two,
and one of the latter. leesburg. was the ho1io
of his opponent. With reference 10 DAl'
kent's remarks as to the decrease q plo9pVit-
itv in IoudOun he could say that the peopie
there. seeing their property assessed hlgnor
than elsewhere had brought down thelr Vail
atoms because they could not bring Up Lpo
other valuations. The population lad slightly
diminished because quite a number or res
dents had removed to southwestern virginia.
Sir. Pitcher als) briefly replied to some
statements made by Ar. hent. and bir. -.
Thompson Brown. of Bedford. read Il letter
from ono of the railroad commissioners IN
Georgia in favor Of commissions. Mf.
Mallet told the committed that ne had oeeh
informed 10y IA friend that a gentleman from
the North. who had recently invested a NIL
lion dollars IN this State. IS ready 70 orlng
another five millions into Virginia put was
only waiting 60 see what action the LeTi9la-
ture would take in regard TO the Kent Rail
road Commission bill.
After some further discussion the commit
tee took a vote by which the bill VIII be re-
ported 20 the House with the recommends
lion thsti II do not pass. The vote IN tavIr OF
tie bill stood to 9 as follows:
Ayes Messrs j. Thompson brown or beu-
ford, Kent and WithrOw-3. ,
Noes. Messrs Ryan. Mason Of Stafford and
King George. Anderson. Pitcher. Jackson Of;
Richmond. Alallet. Tn mas OF Crelg ana
Roanoke. Berkeley and Miller.
Mr.. She person was the only absent mem
Der.