Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-30

certain stuuenk.
To amend an act Incorporating the John
l.. Roper Lumber Company.
To protect game In the counties of
Richmond, Lancaster, and Northumber-
land.
To amend an act Incorporating the town
OF Boykins.
To amend an act Incorporating the town
OF Pulaski City.
To provide for submitting the question
Of liquor i-ense TO the voters Of he
town OF Floyd.
For the protection OF fish in Cllnch
river.
To authorize the School Board OF Ca
talpa District. In Cuipeper county, 10
borrow money.
House OF Delegates.
The session OF the House was opened
with prayer by Rev DR.. George Cooper.
Very little argument was INDUCED In.
but a considerable amount OF business
was trar 3acted. II was expected that
the Pilchcr racing bill would come up
for discussion, but IL was passed by, as
was also Mr.. Maupin's bill. This matter
will probably come up to-day. and the
fight will be the most interesting one
OF the session.
The bill TO allow judges Of election
milage for carrying poll-books to the
courthouse caused a little discussion,
in which Mr.. Saunders. on the one side.
and Mr.. Randolph Harrison on the other,
took the leading parts. Several amend
monts were offered and the bill was
finally dismissed.
VETO MESSAGE SENT IN.
The Governor communicated to the
House the following veto message:
Richmond. Va. January 90 1896.
TO the General Assembly:
have had under consideration House
bill No. 81, entitled an act extending the
time of commencing the construction of
the Potomac Western Railroad Company,
and herewith respectfully return 1t with
out my approval.
The bill is as follows:
81 BE it enacted by the General As
sembly of Virginia, That section of
chapter 494, of the Private Acts OF the
session of 1SS9-'g0, be amended and re-
enacted so as to read as follows:
Section 9. The said company shall be
required TO commence the construction
OF the said railroad within two years
from the passage of this act, and COM
piete the construction thereof within five
years thereafter.
This act shall be enforced from its
passage"
The amendment Of law presupposes
the existence of the law amended. There
can be no amendment to a statute that
was never enacted, or, If enacted, has
expired or become void.
Chapter 1874 of the Private Acts of the
session of lSS3-'S0 has no existence-it Is
dead. and has been for nearly four years.
On the 4th day Of March. 1880. an act
was passed Incorporating the Potomac
Western Railroad Company. Section ?
of this act reads as follows: "rhe said
company shall be required TO commence
the construction OF the said railroad
within two years from the passage Of
this act and to complete the construc-
ton Of not less than ten miles thereof
within ten years thereafter; otherwise,
the powers, privileges, and franchises
hereby granted shall be ipso facto void"
House bill No. 81 proposes 10 amend
this section by giving the said company
two years from this date in which TO
commence the construction Of its road.
when the charter itself expired by reason
of the failure TO commence work within
two years from March T. 1890 and all
the powers, privileges. and franchises
of said company became. in fact, void,
nearly four years ago.
The General Assembly can. OF course.
confer the same powers, but it cannot
do so by amending and re-enacting one
section OF the act or the whole of it
there is no act to amend or re-enact. 1t
can only be done, in my opinion. by
new bill, and the granting Of a new
charter. and the payment to the State OF
the tax required by law Not only is
section 9 OF the old charter dead. but
every section OF ii. and every power,
privilege, and franchise. There is nothing
left 10 amend and re-enact. The act Of
March 4. 1892 has no more vitality than
If 1t had never been enacted. If the
corporators in the old act desire to clothe
themselves with the franchises they once
but which they lost by their
own laches. they should apply for "a
new charter.
CHARLES T. O'FERRALL.
Governor.
FEMALE PHYSICIANS.
Mr.. Saunders introduced bill to amend
and re-enact section 1868 of the Code
Of Virginia, so as to provide for the
Of a female physician whose
duties shall be in the female wards OF
the asylums Of this State.
Mr.. Reese presented petition from
Of Halifax county. asking that
50 amended as TO place the granting OF
such licenses in the hands Of cour't, under
the same restrictions, limitations, rules.
and regulations which apply, under
existing laws, to the granting of licenses
for the sale of intoxicating liquors.
BILLS PRESENTED AND REFERRED
BY Mt. Einstein: To provide charter
for the Allegheny Rod and Gun club.
1, he OF of no
Firemen's Association.
BY Mr.. Saunders: To amend section 1880
Of the Code. in relation 70 offences COM
mittel without and made punishable
within the State, where prosecuted, and
making liable to punishment persons COM
robbery or larceny beyond the
State. and bringing the stolen property
within the Same
BY same Providing that when NOR
tai wound or injury j. inflicted by per-
son within the STATE upon one outside the
same. or upon one ID this state, VINO al
forwards dies nom the effects OF the
same outside Of the State. that the Of
fender shau be amenable TO punishment
and where he may be prosecuted.
BY Mr. Booker: To amend section 3,
chapter N3, OF the Acts Of lS93-9f. In
,elat.oa &c the time of assessing for
taxation oysters ana shells.
by Mr.. w. b. Sutherland: TO provide
that the CliutwOod sub-district, in Dick
enson, be mace school district.
BY same: Tc increase the pension OF
Henry l. EdwatdS, OF Wise county.
by Nc Williams nc allow James NJ.
riyces, Deputy Treasurer of Lunenburg,
time 10 collect unpaid teS-tickets.
BY Nj Keesee. nc amend certain Sec
tons OF The acts Of 1899. go as TO re-
luiie O. COur-certitlca,e before license
ca be obtained to engage in the bust
ness OF manufacturing or distilling malt
~ alcoholic liquors otner than WINE.
BY Ny. !. w. Smith: a joint resolution
Dcol osnc amendments 10 the nineteenth
,ecuOn OF Article V OF the Constitution OF
Virginia and providing for publishing
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