The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1895-02-06
From Charleston.
January 29th, 1895.

1u6 j uuiCldIJ OOlnthiItOO VI ehS
House decided this evening to make
favorable report on the bill pro-
viding for the execution of the
death sentence by electricity at the
penitentiary. The bill, which is
being pushed forward by the sherifs
Of the State, viii meet a strong op.
position when It comes UP 1or con
sideration. 1t is the proper place
for all executions to take place, and
we hope the bill may become law.
The Republican members of the
Legislature held a caucus in the hall
of the House of Delegates last night,
and mapped out the legislation that
is to go through at this session.
There has been too much freedom
of action recently on the part OF
certain Republican members, in the
opinion of the leaders, and the eau
Gus was for the purpose of whipping
certain members into line, and to
put a quietus on their kicking.
There is nothing wrong in shaping
legislation by caucus. Probably if
the Democrats in Congress had held
a caucus on the financial question,
the country would have not been in
the shape it is now.
The people who want to know
what the Legislature is doing will
have to wait until it does something.
The several hundred bills on the
calander, that must go through the
regular routine, and this requires
time, and is uninterestfng as news.
January Both, 1895.
President Worley's bill providing
for more rigid examination, for ap-
plicants to practice law in West
Virginia has raised a stupendous
racket among the members of the
Legislature, as we'll as those on the
outside, especially among residents
of the country districts. Senator
Lockney, who represents the rural
clement, proposes 10 defeat the bill
if it takes all winter. There are
Others, however, who see merit in
the bill and think it ought to pass.
The bill provides that any one who
proposes to adopt the profession of
law shall go before the county clerk
in the county in which he resides
and make declaration OF his inten.
ton to study law, and ut the expir.
alton of two years thereafter he may
apply to the Supreme Court for
license, when that court shall ap-
point committee of three lawyers
to examine him, and if he be found
to have learned enough to practice
he is given license. If the appli-
cant have diploma from the law
department of the West Virginia
University he will be exempt from
the examination. 1t is held that
more rigid examination of appli-
cants to practice law is necessary to
protect the public from law quacks.
On the other side it is held that the
bill is framed for the purpose of
shutting everybody out of the prac-
tice of law except college graduates.
The bill was prepared by the State
Bar Association. 1t was reported
to the Senate yesterday without rec
ommendation by the Judiciary Com
mittee, aud will come up for consid
GRAFTON next week. The State Bar
Association will meet here on the
9th of February to take care of this
bill and others in which the lawy
are specially interested.
The sentiment in regard to the
bill amending the act creating a
Board of Agriculture has changed
considerably since last Saturday,
when the House rejected the bill on
lis second reading 1t was rejected
because it provided for increased
appropriations for the board Yes
terday the House reconsidered the
vote by which it killed the bill and
sent it back to the committee, from
which it viii be reported favorably.
Many of the friends of the bill were
out OF town last week when the
vote upon it was taken, aud this
explains Why it was rejected.
A committee appointed by the
State Grange, composed of T. c.
Atkeson, OF Putnam, Alex Clohan,
Of Berkeley, Senator VIM. Haynes,
OF Summers, J H. Collins, of Put
nam, and c. C. Brown, of Kanawba
were before the House Judiciary
Committee last night to advocate
the passage of the bill exempting
from taxation farms under mort
gage, and placing the tax on the
mortgage instead. The bill has
many friends in the Legislature
and will likely pass.