The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-08
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
n BRIEF EEYIEW or THE LAWS hH-
ACTED DURIN0 THIS SESSION.
More Bills Passed Than Ever Before-Com-
paratively Few Important Measures.
Will an Extra session be Held.

Now that the General Assembly has
completed its labors, It may not be amiss
10 review briefly what has been done OF
lett undone during the past ninety days
one thing is certain, that The Legislature,
although not in session any longer than
In former years. has passed far more bills
than at any previous occasion How many
Of them are bad ones remains vet to be
seen, for it IS apparent that when fifty
or more bills are passed by one Of the
two houses in one day. as was the case
during the last days OF the session just
ended, a close scrutiny is next TO impos-
siDle. In most Instances the members
only learned the title OF such bills when
they were called up. and upon the assur-
ance Of member that the bil was all
right and merely Of local character, the
bill was passed by the body.
That bills have actually been passed
without knowledge on the part Of the
legislative body as TO what provisions
they contained was proven I'm one instance
in the House of Delegates. when Mr..
Bcndheim, Of Alexandria, called up bill
which gave the board OF supervisors OF
Alexandria county the power 10 assess
"a tax of SOD upon liquor licenses. Upon
that occasion il became known that pre-
viousy the General Assembly had passed
"A bill. which also received the signature
of the Governor. giving 10 the board Of
excise commissioners, a creation of the
board OF supervisors OF that county. the
power OF granting liquor licenses. In all
other counties Of the State this power IS
lodged only with the courts. Some OF the
members Of the House were quite sur
prisod when these facts became known
In contrast with this legislation is the
action of the Legislature in passing Il
general hill abolshing the excise boards
in the State. These boards were orisi-
nally created TO prevent the payment OF
liquor license taxes in coupons. and since
the decision OF the Supreme Court OF the
United States that the payment Of liquor
license taxes is to be made in money
they have been useless. BY their abolish
inent an annual saving of some >',vD or
5000 will be effected.
ivy. Important Teasurcrs.
There were only two bills Of general
importance passed by the General As
sembly. and this action was only secured
by after thought, both measures having
been previously defeated in one OF the
two bodies. one Of these measures was
the bill looking towards settlement OF
the public debt of West Virginia. il
passed the Senate all right. but struck
q snag in the House. There the point
was raised that the passage OF the OH
would Indicate that the state OF Nir-
eiuia assumed the liability Of this debt,
II West Virginia should decline settle
Ineut. The opponents Of the measure
were lcd in a very able manner by Mr..
Randolph Harrison. OF LynchburG. whose
efforts were chiefly instrumental IN bring
ing about the defeat Of the bill.
Subsequently the friends Of the meas
ure secured the passage Of a Joint reso-
luton in the Senate. which provided Tor
the appointment Of "A joint commission
which is TO confer OF the subject with
similar commission from West Virginia.
This resolution was concurred IN by the
House the same morning, when Gov
crucr O'Ferrall issued his proclamation
calling for a commission Of somewhat
different character. According to the re-
solution this commission was to consist
Of the chairman Of the Finance Commit
tees of the Senate and House, or two
members each 10 be elected by the Sen
ate and the House. and one member TO
be appointed by the Governor
The commission consists OF senator
Tavlor Berry and Mr.. John Is. Moon, OF
Albemarle. chairmen of the Finance Com
rnitfces Of the Senate and House, re-
spectively. Senators Henry ]. Nickham
and n Il. Flood, Delegates Randolph
Harrison Of Lynchburg, and II. y.
Downing Of Clarke and Warren. and
Judge W. +. Rhea of Bristol, the APP
pointee Of the Governor. The commits
sion is composed of the very best ma
terial. and fully able TO take care OF
the interests OF Virginia.
Thr Australian Ballot.
The other important measure whlch mas
passed the General Assembly Is the val
ion Australian ballot bill, which also
stranded i'm the House by not receiving
the necessary two-thirds vote The num-
her of opponents on last Monday evening
was 80. but owing to some influences
brought to bear upon the recreant mem
bers their number had dwindled down
the next morning to y. and the Dill
could be passed after a reconsideration
of the former vote. II has since theh
received the signature OF the Governor
and become law That the plan TO pass
the bin on Tuesday was cut and drled
was apparent. for all amendments offer
cd were rejected by the majority. some
of these amendments We're very merl-
torious
As TO the appropriations IL must be ad-
mitted that the Legislature has been very
successful under the able and effective
leadership Of the careful and conserva-
tive chairmen OF the two finance com
mittees in resisting the usual onslaught
upon the treasury for additional appio-
priations. il was understood from in
formation furnished by the Auditor of
Public Accounts that the revenues or
the State would show surplus OF
100000 for the present year, but the al
dit0Lal appropriations VIII not in any
way come near that amount. Among
these additional appropriations is the
sum Of Sl0500 for the oyster navy. an
increase in the amount granted 10 the
State Female Normal School al Farm
Vile, and 5000 for the purchase Of an
adjoining house and lot: $1,000 for each
year for the Virginia Agricultural and
Mechanical College at Backsburg. The
appropriation for the Confederate vet
Grams and their widows was increased
from 5000 TO 100000. and an additional
appropriation Of $4,000 year WAS Sc
cured At the instance Of Captain Camm
! Patcson.
The Public Debt.
The General ASS embly has during the
session just closed carried out the wise
! policy of its predecessor in matters re-
lating 10 the State debt. The time for
] funding the obligations Of the State yet
outstanding into new bonds has been ex-
tended TO June 30. 1891. upon the same
terms as prescribed by the Funding act
OF February 20 1892. There are In round
numbers si,oo.0l0 Of tax-receivable cou-