Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-24
LEGISLATIVE

as to make members of such Boards go
into office on the first day of April sue
ceeding their election, instead of on the
first day of January as under the law
now in force. The purpose Of the bill
is to make boards elected by this Leg
islature 90 into Office i'll time for the
elections next fall.
The bill to increase the pay of Circuit
Court judges came up on its passage and
the vote stood 10 to 10. The bill was,
therefore, defeated for want of a con-
stitutional majority. Mr.. Tredway
moved to reconsider and Mr.. Echols
moved to pass that motion by. The
motion to reconsider will come up to-
day in the regular order.
MIR. Mushbach's substitute for his
anti-gambling bill was reported in the
Senate. The object is the same as that
of the original bill, namely, to prevent
bookmaking, pool selling and betting
generally on horse races, except at ag-
ricnltural fairs.
The Senate passed House bills to
require the Attorney Gererd to ascer-
tain whether the charter of the Wash
ington and Alexandria Turnpike Com
panv. in Alexandria county, has been
forfeited to establish a battalion OF
naval militia to be known as the Naval
Battalion of Virginia volunteers; for
the further distribution among those
entitled Of the moneys received by the
State from the United States Govern
ment in connection with the direct tax,
and 10 amend the charter of the city OF
Alexandria.
When the Miller local option bill
came up in the House Mr.. Harrison, of
Lynchburg, continued his speech in
favor of the measure. Among other
things he said it was impossible to make
people good by legislation. The idea
of enforced morality was of Yankee
origin and was repugnant to our tradi-
tons aud our institutions. Mr.. Moon
followed Mr.. Harrison and advocated
the passage Of the bill. He contended
that the liquor question was one OF
police regulation. Nh. Saunders spoke
in favor of allowing the law to remain
as it is. He said the Legislature might
repeal the local option law, but it could
not stop the local option fight. 1.-THE
democratic party should break faith
with the temperance people the issue
would not down. He called attention
to the fact hat party ties are relaxing
in Virginia. This mere word democ-
racy does not rally the voters as it did
a few years ago. Mr.. Koiner advocat-
ed the passage of the substitute for the
Miller bill, which proposes to amend
the existing law so as to require the
signatures of one-half of the registered
voters in the cities to order an election.
Mr.. Downing spoke in opposition to
| the pending bills. He said as tar as he
was concerned he was opposed to all
sumptuary laws, but as a representa-
tive of his people he wanted to reflect
their wishes. 4 majority of his con-
stituents were madly in love with the
local option law. 1t might be called
fanaticism, but that did not relieve him
of his duty to his people. Because in
one or two counties the temperance
people had broken faith with the DEM
ocratic party was no reason why the
democratic party should break faith
with the people. "We had better bear
the ills we now endure than to fly to
those we know not Of" said Mr.. Down
ing in conclusion. Mr.. Nicol had the
floor to close the debate on behalf OF
the opposition to the bills when the
hour of $50 arrived and q recess was
taken.
The House passed the oyster culling
bill recently agreed on by a Joint con-
ference of Virginia and Maryland leg
islators.
Mr.. Bendheim offered q bill for the
protection OF hotels and boarding
houses. The object of the bill is to
protect hotels from the professional
beat. 1t provides that when guests fail
to pay their bills, and secure board
under false pretenses they shall be sub
iect to Imprisonment, not exceeding
three months, OF by a fine of not more
than $50.
The House passed House bills to
amend the charter of the city of Alex
andria, and to amend and r%e-enact sec
ton 1916 of the code in relation to the
closing of bar-rooms on election days.
The House committee for courts Of
Justice considered the libel bill offered
by Mr.. McRae and decided not to re-
port. 1t was %contended that the bill
did not materially differ in its provi-
sions from the law now in force and
that a change was not necessary. Sew
eral of the committee said that no rep
utable judge would allow punitive dam
ages, where it was shown that an er-
roneous publication had been made in
good faith and that a full and fair re-
traction had been subsequently pub
lished.
The Senate committee on finance
will report unfavorably Mr.. Maynard's
immigration bill.
The bill to abolish the tax of of |
per cent. upon the gross sales of real
estate was amended so as to put the
tax at 1-8 of l per cent, and reported
bv the same committee.
The consideration of the bill to sell
the States interest in the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad
was passed by at the meeting OF the
Senate committee or finance.
The committee on federal relations
on Thursday reported two very impor-
tant joint resolutions. One of them
requests the Virginia Senators and
members of Congress to support proper
federal legislation to amend the United
States constitution so as to provide for
the election of United States Senators
by the people. The other requests the
representatives in Congress to use every
possible effort to have abolished the 10
per cent. tax on State bank issue. Both
of these measures emanate from Mr..