Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-04

| port the bill with the recommendation
that 1t 90 not pass.
Liability Bill Reported UnfavorabIy
The Senate Committee on Roads last
| night decided, by a vote of II to 2, TO re-
| port unfavorably the McIlwaine substi-
tute for the House bill making railway
companies liable for all injuries sustain
ed by employees, except through negli-
gence of such employees.
Mr. Glasgow, counsel for the Norfolk
and Western railway. opposed the bin.
lie said the doctrine of fellow-servant
had been recognized in Virginia always.
and that the latest opinion of the court
was nothing new, II was old law. He
said the bill was the worst law ever
presented i'm any forum, there was no.
thing like 1t upon the Statute-books Of
any State in the Union, nothing like IL
in any Continental country. He said the
employees of railroads did not want the
law, or they would come to the Capitol
and ask for it. At present the master
was required TO furnish safe and suita-
bic machinery, he was required TO keep
it in repair. he was required to furnish
reliable, safe men TO work with him,
make proper rules and regulations gov
erning his servants, and TO carefully in
struct him in his duties if he be young
asked of a good master?
DUTIES OF MASTER AND SERVANT.
The duties OF servant required that
he render faithful and efficient service,
and in view Of the compensation he re-
ceived to assume all the risks of his en-
ployment, Of which he knew before he
entered service. and which included the
negligence of his fellow-servants. That
ri ncrr1fy nd nv
courts, the result of the wisdom Of ages.
Mr.. Glasgow took up the discussion Of
the question from a legal standpoint,
citing many cases decided by English
and American courts, promulgating the
doctrine OF fellOw-servant. He cited
several cases from the Virginia Reports,
which had been used by advocates Of the
bill, but which he said did not discard
the doctrine of fellow-servant, but only
said that wherever a man was discharg-
ing the duties of the master, represent
ing him, no matter how high or low be
his position, the master was responsible
for his acts He said public policy, the
safety of the passengers on railway
trains. as well as justice to the master,
demanded that the doctrine Of fellow
servant be recognized.
APPLIED TO RAILWAYS ALONE.
The bill proposed to make the law APP
plcable to railways alone, and to the
operating department alone. There were
Mr.. Glasgow said, ten times as many
men killed in mines, In proportion TO
capital invested, as were killed in oper-
ating railway trains three times as
many killed and injured in shops. Why
should the bill be made to apply not |
onlv to railways, but solely to the oper- |
ating departments?
az will be glad TO amend the bill TO |
embrace all departments" said Senator |
McIlwaine, and there was general laugh |
ter.
Mr.. Glasgow said, further. that the bill |
was so drawn that though the railway |
operative knew of the defect in ma |
chinery, of which the company could not |
know, and did not inform his employers,
he could recover If an accident resulted.
Mr.. Glasgow said the destruction Of the |
doctrine of fellow-servants as between
railway employees did away with one
of the great safeguards of the travelling
public.
'"The law doesn't protect the employee"
said Mr. Glasgow, sit only gives him the |
right to sue if he is hurt"
''And the oftener he's hurt the better
for him." remarked Mr.. Pitcher. a spec
tator, The remark aroused much laugh
ter.
A VOICE FROM THE TOMBS.
THAT'S a hark from the tomb" said
Mr.. McIlwaine, abiding to the defeat Of 1
Mr.. Pitcher in his fight against the Reddy
bill in the House.
In conclusion, Mr.. Glasgow said he
hoped the Virginia Legislature would not
follow the freak legislatures of other
States in adopting a bill Of this charae-
ter.
1t was 1O:15 o'clock when Mr.. Glasgow
completed, having spoken nearly two
hours. The committee then went into
executive session.
Bill TO Reduce Their Pay.
The House Committee on Finance met
yesterday morning. with Mr. Cooke, of
Norfolk in the chair, and after discus
sion. reported favorably the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Craig, Of Rockbridge, pro-
viding for a reduction of the pay of the
members of the General Assembly TO
50 per day, and that OF the presiding Off
GERS to s. a day.
Against New County.
The House Committee on Counties,
Cities, and Towns met yesterday morn
ing with Mr.. Hatcher of Fauquier. in
the chair and decided TO report unfavor-
ably two bills introduced by General
Wharton, of Montgomery county. One OF
the bills provides for the creation OF
Tyler county, out of portions taken from
Giles, Pulaski. Floyd. and Montgomery
and the other provides that a
portion OF Wythe county be transferred
TO Pulaski county.
Quite a large delegation of residents
from the interested counties were pres
ent and both sides OF the question we're
argued in detail.
Propositions and Grievances.
The House Committee on Propositions
and Grievances met yesterday morning,
with Captain Parks I'm the chair. the
Senate bill regulating the transportation
of bodies OF persons who died from con-
tagious diseases was referred to sub