The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-09
CONSTITUTION T|NKER|NG.
SeVeT0I Amendments Will Be Sub.
HI|Ied 10 P0pu|0I Vote.
Il CATO FISHERY BILL BECOMES A lAH
senatorial Primary Islnn Doomed to
FniIure-saInry Cutting Measure
Will HIVE CIoso Shave I'm tho
sennto-Eako Clubs TO ne Chokca
oTby u Measure in tho Sou nto.
Especial Dispatch TO The vlrginlan)


Richmond, Va, Feb. 8, 1898.
The Senate passed under u suspension
of the rules the bill to amend the
charter OF the Newport News Ship
building and Dry Dock company. The
company proposes ITO spend s1.O00,O00
in charging and improving its plant,
and work will begin with very little
delay.
y bill was introduced ny Mr. May
nard to amend the char!er OF the Tam
ncr's Creek Drawbridsu company.
Nearly the whole OF the session OF
the Senu:e was taken UP in the dis
cusslon OF the Kcezcl resolution to sub
nlit to the voters the question OF amend
ing the constitution, so as To combine
the spring elections with the fall cleo
t:ons. Mr. Turnbull led the fight on
the proposition. He was in favor OF
reducing the number of elections, but
wanted TO do so by making the terms ,af
all county officers six years. During
the debate Mcssrs. Flanagan and Parr,
cwo OF the Republican members, spoke
IN advocacy of the resolution. Politics
was introduced into the discussion and
there was same spicy crossfiring be-
tween Mr. Flanagan and some Of the
Democrats. The resolution was passed
with only Messrs. Turnbull and Barnes
voting against 1t.
| AS soon as this matter had been dis
posed OF, the lie Cato resolution to al
| low the people to vote on lthe question
OF amending the constitution so as to
make the payment of the poll tax q re-
| qulsKe ITO voting. came up and was
| passed without debate
Over In the House the Featherston
! Dill, which was ordered ito its engross-
'ment Saturday. was passed with only
few dissenting vo'.es.
There was great deal of debate in
the House over the proposition to cut
down the salary OF the clerk of the
House and keeper bf the rolls of VIr-
sinh. The commit:ee's report was in
favor OF placing the salary at $3.50 per
year. DR.. Winston moved to amend by
Inserting $1,000, which was lost, and so
was Mr. Cnmpbell's amendme MT to make
1t $1,000. Pending vote on an amend
meEG to make the salary 81 800 the
House adjourned.
a substitute for the hill roeuIottne
the fees of sheriffs and city scrgeants
mas been reponted in the House. It
makes no reductions in the fees for
Keeping prisoners qIrltIl the number OF
ten Is reached When there are more
| ihan ten prisoners to be cared for {,
graded reduction is made in the fees.
Under the present law n sergeant or
sheriff who has more than 80 prisoners
| to care for receives 25 cents per day for
each one. 1t Is proposed to reduce this
to lG cents per day. The lobby of SER
geants and sherlffs has given up all hope
OF defeating the bill in the House. It
is claimed by he officers that they can
| not reed the prisoners and provide
guards for them on 16 cents day.
| uoelcgate Withrow, Of the special
committee that investigated the public
institutions. has introduced in the
House bills to abolish the Department
OF Agriculture, the position OF Register
OIL the Land Office, 70 cut down the
appropriation to William and Mary
College and to stop the approximation
to the Medical College of Virginia, ali
of which things THE committee re-
| commended
tically dead. 1t was considered by the
House Committee on Privileges and
Elections this morning, and that body
! decided to report 1t unfavorably There
Is no prospect of the act passing either
house. It will be debated in the SEN
! ate Tomorrow and not over q dozen
Senators favor It,
| The Finance Committee of the Sem
ate has decided unanimously to re-
port q substitute for .the Maupin bill
taxing social clubs that sell or give
| away liquor The measure as 1t passed
the House provided o. specific license
tax. The substitute provides that each
club shall be taxed so cents each Of It's
| members. 1T Is claimed that this bill
Will have the effect Of driving out of
existence all fake" clubs-those that
organize solely for the purpose of eyad-
ing the license tax law.
| The contest for the vacancy on the
Circuit Judge bench occasioned by the
| death of Judge Gunter, has practically
| narrowed down to Senator Barnes and
Judge j. w. G.. Blackstone. 1t IS
thought Judge Kendall and Hon, D.
Gardiner Tyler will not enter the race.
Judge Blackstone arrived here day.
| There are .sX members of the Legisla-
tnre from the judicial district. Sena-
tor Lie Cato and Delegates Matthews.
Smith and Montague are supporting
Blackstone and Delegate Powell Is for
Barnes. Mr.. Barnes Is the sixth mem
| Der
The bill cutting down salaries and
abolishing offices Will, hardly be acted
upon by the Senate this week. In fact,
IL 1t goes through at all 1t will be only
| after a hard struggle # y
Some discussiollear arose In the House
when Mn. Stubs, of Glouces Ser, called
up Senate bill No. S153 and out.ofl It's
regular ctd der. In Eex planning the proyl-4
sions OF the bill, which seexa to de-
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