Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-29
HAVE PLENTY TO DO.
Work Enough TO Engage The General
Assembly for Many Weeks.
THE opposIrioN's ELECTION BrhL.
What Some of lbs Most Important
Provisions VIII Bc-Thc ConstIfu-
Measures to- Come Ip.

Tic impression which has gotten ous
that there IS very little work TOR tho
members Of the Legislature 10 do wnen
they return to this city after the hoh-
days would appear % b. entirely er-
rone0us, when one considers the number
Of important measures which are almost
certain 10 come uD for tho consideration
OF the General Assembly. As Yet. with
two exceptions, 10 bills that have been
enacted into laws are OF general im-
portanco, the few that have 80 FAR passed
both houses being purely OF local char
acter. and affecting only certain counties.
The exceptions are two bills in regard
to jont-stock companies. one OF them
provides that the number of directors
of Jont-stock company whose capital
does not exceed $1,000 shall be three. one
OF these 90 bee the president. The other
one prescribes the mode by which unpaid
subscriptions 20 iont-stock companies
may be recovered by said companies,
their receivers, OF assignee. lt provides
that all suits or motions for the recovery
Of unpaid subscriptions TO the stock oi
any joint company shall be brought in
the courts of common law I'm the county
on corporation where the defendant re-
sides, and that said courts shall have eX-
elusive jurisdiction 90 determine all qucs-
tons involving the validity OF such suO-
scrlptiOns. 10 further provides that ID
an such cases the defendant shall be
entitled % jury where the amount IN
yolved exceeds so. and mat all eyldencs
which would be admis sible if the CONF
pany We're solvent shall be equally al.
msslble. and shall have the same enecl
in law.
WORK YET To BE DONE.
However. nearly aI OF the important
measures which have been introduced IN
the Legislature are yet To- De acted upon,
and when the Two houses reassemble Oh
January 6th the real work OF the session
viii begin. Among the most importans
measures then to be considered are tho
various election bills; senator Mitherss
proposition for submitting 90 the voters
OF the state the question oi calling 4
constitutional convention. the regular
appropriation bill; propositions 20 reduce
the criminal expenses of tre state. ths
oyster-iaw; the bdi providing a fund Tor
the restoration of the University OK Nlr-
ginia. and the bills which are certain 20
Doe introduced for the suppression OF SAM
bling at Jackson city and other places
I'm Alexandra county. These. and the
various reeJmm nlalous contained IN
the Governor message. are yet 10 10
considered. besides other important mea-
sures which viii. uo doubt be introduced
soon after the Ieasscmhlng u the Le-
gislature.
THE VARIOUS ELECTIONS BILLS
When the recess was taken the anti
Democratic CAUCUS committee had not
fully completed The draft oi Toe election
bin which that side proposes 20 present.
10 is understood. however, that IL Will
bee ready whom they come together again.
II will probably be drawn upon the lines
Of the measures submitted by senator
Hay, with several important additions.
The "embiems' are. % is understood, %
be retained for the benefit of the illlterats
voters as provided for in the bin intro
duced by Mt Hay. The constable viii
Dee eliminated and possibly, tho Judge %
election bee required 10 prepare the ballots
for those vino are physically disqualified
from doing So. The bin OK Toe anti
Democrats viii also contain the same pro-
visions as the bill Introduced by sir.
Parr. Of Patrick. yesting tl- power OF ap-
pointing juIges of election iu the hands
Of the boards OF supervisors boz The coun-
ties and the councils DO the cities. An
other provision VIII. 10 is expected, re-
quile tine supervisors OF election 20 be
The bin VIII Doe drawn by some of tho
ablest Republican lawyers in tne state.
and boz submitted 90 the most Influential
/ antl-Dem0crdtc leaders before 10 is intro
duced in the two houses.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
one Of the most interesting discussions
+ Of the session VIII probably be upon air.
Witnerss BILL introduced in the Senate.
and which is now before the Judiciary
Committee Of that body. providing Tor
submitting tO the voters " the Common
wealth. at the county elections In Nay
next. the question Of calling u constltu-
tional convention. Mr. Withers. VINO was
Il member of the House last session. has
probably given more attention 10 thu
I question OF the expenses OF the state.
/ which IS one Of the considerations N
I calling the constitutional convention, tnan
any other man I'm the State.
When his bill comes up the Senator,
] il is expected. Will bee prepared 10 pre-
sent the most interesting array OK sta
ustics and other data relating 20 ths
governmental expenses OF the Common
wealth that has been submitted Tor u
I great many years BY the time the Legis-
/ lature reassembles the Auditor will proba-
blv b. i'm possession OF replies from al
I county clerks, in response 10 the re-
quest. as set forth IN the resolution
adopted by the Senate, asking Tor "A
statement as 20 the leVles ana disburs-
ments for the past two years. When
this information is In II Will furnish data
upon which 70 discuss the very interest
ing question OF Nrgtnias governmental
/ expenses. Last year an attempt was
+ made 10 compare these with the expenses
of North Carolina and other states FUR
ther South, but especially with the for
1 mer The fact, however, that the data
received from some OF the counties IN
this state was not complete prevented
this comparison from being satisfactory
10 those engaged in the discussion. Mr..
Withers's bill provides for the submis-
sion Of the question OF calling con-
sumtional convention at the local cleo
tions in May. lSo.
That gentleman. however. mas not d.
termined upon adhering 10 that date. IL
Is possible. he said. before he left FOR mo
Christmas recess that he may substitute
May. 1897.