Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-19
WILL WORK TO-DAY.
SOME OF THE LEGISLATORS WILL
NOT KEEP THE HOLIDAY.
TO EXAMINE DR.. BLACKBOARD.
The Asylum superintendent to APP
near Before the Committee Listing
State OnIcinIs-The Insurance Bill
Being Strongly Opposed.

Though there will be no session Of the
Legislature to-day. owing to the holiday,
all the members will not be idle.
The special Committee on Retrenchment
and Constitutional Amendments will meet
this morning in executive session at 10
O'clock. At the same hour the special
Joint committee appointed to prepare
list OF the officials who draw salaries from
the State will meet behind closed doors.
DR.. BENJAMIN Blackford, Superintendent
Of the Western Insane Asylum at Staun-
ton. will appear before the committee ana
answer such questions as may be pro-
pounded. DR.. Blackford says he has an
swered in his annual report all the ques-
tions contained in the nogatory letter
sent out by the committee, but that he Is
willing to give to the committee such ad-
ditional information as he may possess.
REFORMATORY INV ESTIGATION.
The House Committee on Propositions
and Grievances will meet in the Senate
chamber at o'clock tonight for the pur-
pose of beginning the investigation Oh
charges against the management Oh 'he
state Reformatory for boys at Laurel
IT is not thought that the prosecution
will complete its work until after seVe-
raj meetings, as a large NUMBER Oh VII
nesses will be introduced. MT. Nlhs'on
will preside at the investigation ana IL Is
thought that Delegate Wilson, ol Flt'-
svlvania. will be the chief prosecutor as
he has been the strongest In making
charges against the reformatory manage
ment.
CIRCUIT JIDGESHIP CONTEST
There was nothing new yesterday In th'
contest for the position OF Judge OIL 'n'
Tenth Circuit. made vacant by the uea'i
NJ Iudoe BARTON. Senator Mason, wh'
60 regarded as probably the leading can
didate nj present, went home yesterday
ond will NOT return until tonight or 10
morrow. Delegate Diggs, or KING WI
liam who had been numbered among ln'
sunporters of Senator Mason prior 10 th'
announcement of the candidacy OF MI
George p. Haw, of Hanover, Is an aoVo
cate of the nomination of the latter, ant
is working for his success.
ANTI-INSURANCE TRUST BILL
The Wharton anti-insurance bill ha'
been on the House calendar Tor seyera
davs but owing to the multiplicity o
80 as,,res there IL has never been takeI
nm General Wharton, the author or TN
hin. said last night that he felt pretty
confident OF the passage of his Dill.
was learned last night that the NorIoli
Chamber of Commerce. which had re
fused 10 endorse the bill Monday, AT I'M
reouest of the Cotton Exchange of tina
city Yesterday, gave 1t its endorsement.
The following circular has been put
circulation:
Whereas. the local fire-insurance agents
Of the state Of Virginia in a meeting as
sembled on this 18th day Of January, 1898
considered the provisions Of the Wharton
bill. No. l72, have unanimously decided
that should the said Wharton bill bt
passed IL will be so hurtful TO us as local
Insurance agents as to practlcaiy oe-
strov our business: and, representing, as
we do every section of the state OF
Virginia, and as citizens OF the State OF
Virginia, engaged in purely local work
therefore, be 1t
Resolved That we respectfully petition
the General Assembly TO recommit this
bill. to the end that we may be heard
and present our position I'm the matter
w. B. AlcChesney. Staunton, Va; j.. r.
West. Suffolk, Va; w l. Dechert; Har
risOnburg, Va; Lawrence 5. Davis
Roanoke, va; George w. Dey Norfolk
Va: c. Fred. Kelly, Onancock, Va.
John l.. White Bowling Green, Va
John S. Glass, Dynchburg, Va.
1t was said by an advocate of the bill
last night that he knew it to be a fac
that if Il became n law. and the insuranc
companies refused to take business at
lower rate than at present. there woul'
be formed in Richmond within sixty day!
a company to take all the risks it coul
obtain at a much less figure than a
present. -
SOME SHORT NOTES.
The authorization bill will probabl.
come up I'm the Senate tomorrow, 1t !
expected that the debate will attract
large crowd.
A number Of Senators and Delegate
went over to Washington last night an
will return tonight.
Richmond agrees with Mr.. Withrow. III
has gained nearly twenty pounds sine
he came here at the opening of the ses
sion.
DR.. r. S. Powell, who was a member o
the House of Delegates last session, wa
a visitor at the Capitol yesterday, ant
during the session of the House occupie
a seat on it's floor. He was hearth,
greeted by the old members.
There was great interest manifeste'
Yesterday as to the meaning Of the dis
tress signal flying from the flagstaff o
the Capitol-the Stars and Stripes wit
the union down. IL was learned tina
Walker. the janitor, who hoists the fla
at noon every day while the Legislator
is I'm session, was sick, and that his sor
"Frenchy" was performing his dutie
for the day, and the mistake was his.
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