Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-01
NEETAT NOON TODAY
Uur GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO con-
yENE IN BIENNIAL SESSION.
OFFICERS OF BOTH HOUSES SELECTED
,r MiclShnm Chosen President Pro
TEN. Of the senate Hnd nr. Num-
Defcats Mr. Gunter for Doorkceper
of the Scnatc--No other New Men.

Cor three months hence laws will be
,--se and laws will be repealed; some
Good. and some. mayhap, bad; but AL
intended for the good Of this great old
commonwealth.
everything Is in readiness at the Capt.
,-, building for the reception Of the law
mixers and the halls. so silent and de-
sorted yesterday. will be alive to-day with
LEGISLATORS lobbyists and small army
~ rmcc-scekors and their managers. They
have on arrived on the scene Of action
t- ample time. from the bright-faced boy
who is pressing his claims for the posi-
e5r OF page to the candidates Tor the
h.ehest Offices within the gift OF the
General Assembly.
The hotel lobbios yesterday almost
oysrfowel with these gentlemen, who are
anxious TO serve the State in various
,rrac.ues There IS the one-armed vete-
I'm who desires to act as Doorkeeper or
s.~rsant-at-Arms Of one of the houses;
there are those who want to be clerks.
and those who are ambitious to be the
head OF some one Of the various depart
rnts
The oHice-sccker IS the same year in
and year out. and his methods of press
.-r his claims never vary. They all
assert that they hold the office I'm the
rr.m of their hand. but, nevertheless.
they are most energetic in endeavoring TO
Keep it from slipping through their
fingers From the way they are holding
on. some of these jobs must indeed be
quite slippery.
CALL THE HOUSE TO ORDER.
Clerk John Bell Bigger will call the
E.us, of Delegates 20 order just as he
fs done. as ne laughingly said last
= cht. more than 500 times" Rev. DR..
Moses ID. Hose will then invoke divine
blessing The only business likely TO be
transacted by either body will be the
election Of the officers nominated at the
caucus last night. The Governors mes
cage viii be presented and received by
the two bodies. This is a lengthy iocu-
m.ut. Of some sixty pages.
Each member Of the House will :ome
forward as his name is called by the
Clerk and viii take the oath Of office.
a joint committee to act with similar
one from the Senate, will be appointed
go notify the Governor that the General
Assembly is I'm session.
The Senate will be called TO order by
Jiautonant-GovernOr Kent. who is the
presiding officer Of the body until jan
nary tst when his successor, Lieutenant
Governor Echols, is installed. Rev Or.
J. H. Garlck will offer prayer. The
senator's will then take the oath of office,
after which the work Of organization
will be taken up.
TO CANVASS THE VOTE.
According TO law, the Secretary Of the
Commonwealth will deliver 10 the
Speaker Of the House the certificates Of
the election returns cast i'm the last cleo
ton for Governor and Ldeutenant-GOvor-
nor. and these will be canvassed within
1ne week from to-day as prescribed n |
d section Of the Code on this subject. |
The certificates Of the election returns on
The vote cast last year In the various
cities and counties Of the State on the
question Of calling q constitutional con-
yeution will also be presented to the
Speaker Of the House. but the law ioes
bot prescribe as to when these shall be
.luvassed
THE OFFICERS ARE NAMED.
For an hour or two last night interest
vas transferred from the hotel lobbes
o the Capitol, where the Democratic |
members Of the General Assembly met in |
.aucuses 10 select officers for the re- |
.lective bodies. The conferences lasted |
ess than two hours, as there We're but |
lew contests. Thrty-three out of the |
senators of the dominant party, |
md eighty-seven out of the ninety-fye !
namlers of the lower branch were shown |
ly test votes TO be preSpnt.
Hon. Henry T. Wickham was nominated !
.ar President pro TEN. Of the Senate, and |
Clerk Button and all of the other old |
ulcers were renom'nated, except Door
Keeper /. J. Gunter. who was defeated |
" Dr. W. G. Num-. Of King William, who
non on the second ballot by the vote %
7 90 l6. All OF the House officers We're
-u0minated Sergeant-at-Arms J. VI.
Johnston, Of Rockbridge, was the only one
who had opposition, and he received more
votes than all Of his competitors put TO-
zefger.
One Of the features Of the night was
the adoption by the House caucus Of
resolution paving the way for reductions
On salaries and other measures Of re-
trouehm.ut.
NEW PRESIDENT PRO TEN.
Hon. Henry Taylor Wickham, the new
President pro ten. OF the Senate was
born 40 Hickory Hill, in the county Of
Hanover on december II, 1919. His early
t--cauon was at home schools, and in
iHe year l,Ji ne was sent TO Washington
college now Washington and Lee Uni
.tisityJ. After completing his course at
" es1.agton College he studied law for
Wo years al the University Of Virginia
ll4.r the late Professor John Il. Minor
--e1atiug i'm 1870, and soon thereafter
began The practice of the law in the city
li Richmond
While al college he was active in col
s- politics taking a leading part IN
Ae debating societies. and was anniVer-
fF orator OF the Washington Society.
ll lsii he was appointed assistant coun-
.l OF the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway !
lmpany In the year 1872, when the
.,at question was the important Ques-
..H before the people, he was elected a
member Of the House of Delegates from
iHlgYer county as a "debtpayer," ana !
Nt1 only one term. declining to run
lr reelection In favor OF the Hon. II. II. |
aIdWel, whom he warmly supported. IN
'5 he was made the general solicitor Oh
'e Chesapeake and OhiO Railway Com
ny, which position ne stiH holds. In
+" hl was elected 10 the Senate OF Nir-
mia 20 oh the vacancy ocCasiOned by
le death Of his father, the late General
VILLAINS G.. Wickham. and became
lember of the Finance Committee. Wnen
e entered the Senate the most vital
uesti1n then before the people was the
attlement OF the State debt. lie was
De mover In the Senate Of the resOlu-
3ns Tor the appointment Of the Debt
commission. and served upon the COM
iissiOn and had charge Of the debt bill
% the floor Of the Senate. by which tnat
lesuoa was settled satisfactorily TO the
tate and tho b,udhOl1ere In 1901 ne |