Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-01-25
Legislature of Virginia.

The Legislature has made little O
no progress with the various bill
introduced at this session for reform
| ing election laws of this State. Their
are pending before the two house
more than a dozen measures havin
this object in view. There is such
wide difference of opinion as to tn
character of bill on this subiec
that it seems difficult for the Legis
lature to reach an agreement. Al
unsuccessful attempt has been mad
to get the Democratic caucus to NEE
and consider the various election
bills. Up to this time it has beer
impossible to secure the requisite
number of signatures of members t.
call the caucus together. 1t seem
improbable now that any radica
amendments will be made to tn,
Walton law Many inflential demo
Gratis in and out of the Legislator,
are willing to eliminate the specia
constable provision in the presen'
law and require uniformity in print
ing of the official ballots. Another
concession which many may possibly
be willing to make is to change the
power of appointing election judge:
from the electoral boards to the county
or city judges. The effect of such g
change, if made, would be to restore
this power to the hands where it was
prior to the enactment Of the
Anderson Mccormick law in 1884. II
these changes are made it is believed
they are the most radical that can be
secured at this session.
The proposition to abolish the con-
tract system at the penitentiary or
mark the goods manufactured there
receive little or no support among
the rural members of the General
Assembly. The adoption of either
of these measures would have the
effect of making the State prison a
non supporting institution as well as
a heavy burden upon the common
wealth. The report of the superin
tendent of the penitentiary for last
year shows that the institution made
about SOL 900 and above expenses.
The charge that the convicts do not
get enough food has attracted con-
siderable attention. The report of
the superintendent shows that the
cost of feeding the prisoners is A So 100
cents per capita per day. That
official claims, however, that the men
in prison have sut1iciency of plain,
coarse, but wholesome food. The
legislative committees on public in
situations have the subject of the
management and discipline of the
penitentiary under consideration.
Their report is looked for with in
terest by the public.
A Joint resolution was passed by
the last General Assembly providing
for submitting to the voters an
amendment to the constitution with
reference to compelling all males be-
tween the ages of 16 and GO years to
work two days in each year on the
public roads. This resolution only
needed the concurrence of the present
General Assembly to have been sub
mitted to the people at the next
general election, but a different fate
was in store for it. After most
interesting discussion, the House
voted it down. This action kills the
proposition.
Senator LeCato, of Accomac, and
other tidewater members of the
Legislature feel confident that a
fishery commission of some kind will
be created at this session. Mr.. Lee
Cato is not, he says, welded to his
proposition for an unpaid commission,
and, rather than not secure one
would greatly prefer to yield the
question of salary. In the event that
a commission is created Captain j. +.
BAYLOR, who surveyed the oyster
grounds, and ex-senator Washington,
of Westmoreland, are candidates for
places on it.
There was red hot fight in the
House Tuesday over the bill requir-
ing the railroad companies to fence
in their tracks. Mr.. Saunders, OF
Franklin, ably championed the
measure, and was supported by
Messrs. Parks, of Page, Vale, Of
Louisa, and opposed by Messrs.
Winston, of Hanover, and Willard,
of Fairfax. The bill was passed by Il
practically unanimous vote.
The House of Delegates re-
fused, by a vote of So to 30, to
adjourn on Monday, which was
observed as the anniversary of the
birth OF Gen. Robert E. Lee. Those
who opposed the resolution for
adiourning took the ground that the
Legislature could not afford to lose
another day of the session.
A bill introduced into the House
by Mr. Maupin intending to suppress
gambling in every form will pass
that body, but the indications are
that every obstruction possible will
be thrown in the way to prevent its
passage by the Senate.