Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-06
LEGISLATIVE.
The session at the Legislature yester

The session at the Legislature yester-
day was short and uninteresting.
Among the bills introduced in the
Senate was one providing that when a
person has been convicted of murder in
the first degree, and thejury trying the
case recommends clemsncy, the trial
court may commute the punishment to
imprisonment for life. A similar bill
was introduced in the House.
Mr.. Fairfax introduced bill provid-
ing that the owners of mines shall fur
nish to the commissioner of revenue on
February 1st of each year o statement
showing number OF tons and kind OF
ore and coal raised during the preced-
ing twelve months, and that the same
shall be assessed as other personal
property is assessed.
A bill was introduced to provide the
manner in which clerks of the Common
wealth shall report and pay into the
Treasury the amount due the State.
Among the bills passed by the Senate
were: To amend the act incorporating
the trustees of the Baptist ministers re.
lief fund of Virginia to incorporate
the Virginia Transit Company; to in
corporate the Virginia Seaboard and
Western Railroad Company-the road
from Danviilc TO Bristol to repeal the
act establishing boards OF commission
ers of excise, which has served it's day
and generation.
The Senate agreed to the joint
resolution submitting to a vote Of
the people an amendment to
the constitution which provides
that misdemeanors may be tried
by justices of the peace. House bill
to carry this resolution into effect was
also passed. This question will be sub
mitted at the regular election next fall
This will give trial justices the jurisdic-
ton and powers they had before the
decision of the Supreme Court Of APP.
peals in the celebrated Miller case. The
bill only awaits the signature OF the
Governor to become law.
The Senate passed the House bill to
amend the code making provisions for
opening q court, or for its sitting where
it fails to meet on the day appointed, OF
to which it adjourns.
In the House bills were introduced
for the relief of the durable sick poor OF
the State and appropriates not more
than $40, 600 per year for this purpose,
to the Virginia Hospital looking TO
amending the constitution, so that
County Courts shall be held quarterly
instead of monthly.
Z. ,e bill to require clerks of courts to
collect the fees Of commissioners of the
revenue, came up in the House yester-
day and was the subject of a lively de
bate. 1t was defeated.
Mr.. Buford introduced bill to ere
ate board of commissioners for the
State library This board is to he com
posed of the Governor, secretary o.
State, superintendent OF public instruc-
ton, treasurer of the State aud attor
ney- general ,and Of which theGovernor is
to be president. The board is to elect
on the first Monday of May, 1894, and
every four years thereafter librarian
and assistant librarian, who are to re-
ceive $4,000 and 81 900 per year, re-
spectively.
The bill to establish an additional
court for the city of Norfolk was passed
1t allows a salary to the judge of 5000
$1,000 of which is to be paid by The
State. The bill to establish an add
tional court in Richmond was also
passed.
The House passed the House bills to
require the Acknowledgement to ascer-
tain whether the charter of the Wash
ington and Alexandria Turnpike Com
pany, in Alexandria County, has been
forfeited to amend and re-enact section
I64 of the Code of 1887 so as to allow
fourth-class postmasters to set as no
taries; to incorporate the State Execu'
tive Committee of the Young Mems
Christian Association of the State Of
Virginia.