Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-03-02
THE LEGISLATURE

Following IS review OF TIE most
important work done by the present
Legislature, prepared by the Richmond
Times;
AS far as important legislation is
concerned Il must be admitted that but
little h s oern accomplished. On the
ct er hand i can be said that some
bll that void ii We made very bad
laws have been defeated. A great
many ILLS have become Ia IS, but near
ly all Of these are ats of incorpora-
ton, relief measu' es and bills making
minor change, in the Code.
The Parks bill requiring stock and
bonds to be listed for taxation became
q law and 1t is q measure that it is
claimed will turn oat to be "reyenue
getter." A bill taxing fishing nets has
pas ed and will, it is presumed. be
signed.
Tie Saunders bill to require all rail-
road companie. to fence Their tracks or
pay for stock killed is law.
Among the measures designed to
cut do n expenses that were passe |
aud approved were those reducing the
fees of iailors and magistrates and
Witnesses.
Much of the time of both bodies, The
Hcuse especially, was AIKEN ~ in dis
cussing re renchment and reform meas
ures, but few of hose bills were pass
ed.
Some bills to submit TO the people
certain amendments to the Consiitu-
ton were passed.
There is more that can be said about
bills defolted than those that were pass
ed. To begin with the act t. require
elch city and county to pay its own
criminal expenses, measure that its
| friends contend would solve The ques-
ton Of ciim inal expenses, failed to get
through the House. Most OF the re-
trench.Gent acts passed by the Senate
died IN the House and many Of these
| that orioiniated in the House met death
in the Senate.
|. There was a great fight over the en-
ployers' ability bill It went through
the House easily, but was oyerwhelm=
ingly defeated in the Senate. The act
to give the people an opportunity to
express their choice of candidates for
United States Senator, attracted much
attention. 1t was ably advocated and
vi gorously fought and was put to sloep
until the next session. Mr.. Murphy 8
whipping post bill did not even reach
the Senate but Mr.. Folkes act to re-
quire all street cars to have vestibule
fronts in the winter months went
through and was signed,
The attempts made 10 abolish the
Department of Agriculture and the
officers of Railioad Commissioner and
Second Auditor were failures. The
only positions OF any importance dis
psnsed with were the Register of Land
Office and the engineer at the Capitol
Another bill which mis- carried provided
against the wearing of hats by lady
theatre goers and inflicted Il penalty Of
| not more than so nor less than S5
| According to this bill each lady was tC
remove her hat within ten minutes
after entering the theatre. This bIl
was not presented, and tho youns
need not feel alarm as YET, rs it is too
| late to rush sucL impoi tant Legislation
through.
| A few bills designed to change The
election llws were introduced but nont
of them passed. The election Jaws
have not been altered nor amende il
any way whatever.
One of the most important b Il
y assed is that in alton to negotiable
instruments, and another OF much in
terest is the Wharton meQ sure to breal
up the Southeast IN Tariff Association
Two bills of the freak" order were
defeated. They were the Barksdal'
act TO prohibit football, and the Me
Cune anti-f rting bill. Delegate Tur
ner's measure, to lax bachelors, noyol
saw tho light of day after being re-
ferred to q House committee
Thus it will be seen that the people
of Virginia have some cause to D'
grateful to the Legislature tot sons
measures defeated, even if there has
not been much done TO commend thu
work of the session to The public.
Governor Tyler vetoed several bills
but only two of public interest-th'
Rosslyn charter and the female notary
measures.