Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-11
TO HOLD THE OFFICE.
MIR. RICHARDSON CONTENDS THAT
HIS WAS NOT ABOLISHED.
CLAIMS TO BIZ REGISTER STILL.
nil Doing Away With the Place Not
Passed, and Doubt ms to the Eject
of the Appropriation Act-sena'ors
Differ I'm Opinion.

II may be that tthe ONCE of Register
OF the Land Office was abolished by the
last Legislature. but Mr.. J. W. Richard
son. the Register. does not think SO.
He has been at his home. In Smyth
county. several days. but will return,
probably to-day. and resume his duties,
as usual.
There was general impression among
members of the Legislature when the
body adjourned. that the office had been
abolished.
There was no appropriation made Tor
the Registers salary, and provision OF
the bill increased the appropriation Tor
the support of the office Of Secretary OF
the Commonwealth to 5000, which was
to include the salary OF clerk, who was
to discharge the duties of Register OF the
Land Office. The latter Office was sup
posed to be abolished.
A bill with this object in view was In
troduced and passed the Senate. 1t went
to the House, and was never called up.
So the only warrant for the belief that
the office is abolished is found In the APP
preparation bill.
THINKS THE OFFICE ABOLISHED.
Senator Beverly b. Munford thinks this
SUFFICIENT. ut seems to me TO be very
clear" he said to Dispatch reporter
Yesterday, that the office has been abol-
ished. There is no appropriation MADE
for the Registers salary. The duties Oh
the office have been transferred elsewhere.
1t seems plainly the meaning of the para
graph increasing the appropriation 10 the
office of Secretary of the Commonwealth,
and saying that one of his clerks snaii
discharge the duties of Register OF the
Land Office, that the latter position Is
done away with. 1t might be argued that
there is in the Code several sections re-
lating to the establishment OF the Regis
ter's office, and his duties, which nave
not been repealed, but there is in the APP
Precipitation bill the paragraph which says
that all acts, and parts of acts In con-
fict with this act are hereby repealed.
That answers the arguments and asser-
lions of those who say the office is lett
intact"
THINKS IT INTACT.
Senator Munford seemed to think there
was no doubt as TO the office being abol-
ished. but one of his colleagues, Senator
Kane. of Scott county, who is now In
thu city, took precisely the opposite view
II knew before l went home that the
Office was not abolished" he said last
night. 1.-The bill. whose object was to do
away with il got through the Senate all
right, but it never passed the House.
at know II is claimed that the appro-
priation bill abolishes the office, but how
can such thing be done unless done In
so many words? You can't say an office
ceases to exist simply because the incum-
bent is not named in the appropriation
bill The Register of not mentioned,
neither is his office abolished. i cannot
believe that that one sentence saying one
of the clerks in the Office OF Secretary
Lawless shall be the Land Office clerk
can do away with lengthy statutes which
create the Office of Register and fix his
duties.
Mr.. Richardson will continue to dis
charge his duties, and the Auditor will
pay him his salary out Of money not
otherwise appropriated"
So the matter stands. AS to whether
Mr.. Richardson and his friends are cor
rect remains to be seen. The question Is
almost certain to be decided in the courts.