Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-10
CAN DO WITHOUT IT.
COMMITTEE VOTES TO ABOLISH
DEPARTMENT. OF AGRICULTURE.
BILL TO Be RAVORADLY REPORTED.
Department May he Retained by
Maintaining Ia With Fertilizer
Tax-The Judgeship Contcst-Im-
portant Fire-Insurnnce Bill.

Inc senate committee on ABriSuitur'
} yesterday afternoon decided to repor
favorably the bill sbolishing the office Of
Commissioner of Agriculture and thu
Board OF Agriculture.
DR.. McBryde, president of the Poly
technic Institute, and Mr.. $. Hamilton
Graves, Of Roanoke, member Of the
Board of Visitors, gave to the committee
desired information regarding the feast
bility of having discharged by the faculty
of the institution the duties now per-
, formed by the Commissioner and the
Board of Agriculture. The committee
was satisfied that these could be dis
charged satisfactorily at Backsburg, and
decided to report the bill making the
transfer.
MAY STAY IN RICHMOND.
DR.. McBryde wants the Polytechnic In
stitute to receive the 5000 from the tax
on fertilizers. which now goes to the De-
partment of Agriculture being included
in the total appropriation of $4,000. At
least one of the saaried officials of the
department is willing to accept this
amount as the total appropriation with
which to conduct 1t, and says he believes
his colleagues will agree TO the same,
rather than to have the department
abolished. Should this suggestion be
adopted the change from Richmond to
Blacksburg would not be made.
Mr.. j. r. Kemper OF Augusta county,
a member of the Board Of Agriculture.
| is in the city, and in conversation with
a reporter at Ford's last night, said he
did not object to having the board abol-
ished IL suppose the State can as well
| afford to be without the board as almost
/ anything else" he said. IF we had
more money l should say the board ought
TO be retained, but in view of the condi-
ton of our finances, and the fact that
our duties are to be performed by the
Blacksburg faculty and students, l think
we can abolish il without serious deri-
ment to our people.
Mr. Withrow said last night: 81 think we
can very well afford to do without the
department. / want the Blacksburg boys
to learn the practical work Of making
analysis Of fertilizers, so that when they
come away from school they can look
at a sack and tell by the formula on ii
just how valuable ii is to the farmer.
THE JUDGESHIP FIGHT.
There were no fresh developments in the
contest for the judgeship of the Eighth |
Judicial Circuit last night There was, II |
possible.
part of both Senator Barnes's and Judge |
Blackstone's friends of the success OF
their respective candidates. Hon. ID. |
Gardiner Tylers supporters think the out
look for his success is also bright. Judge |
Heath, of Norfolk, arrived in the city |
yesterday, and at once began working for
Judge Gilmer S. Kendall. of the County
Court of Northampton. Judge Kendall
had previously been mentioned as a can
didate, but yesterday was the first day
upon which active work i'm his behalf mad
been done.
Mr.. Thomas r. Powell, the delegate
from Newport News. is conducting the
fight for Mr. Barnes, and is making ii so
well that his candidate said last night he
was perfectly satisfied with the outlook.
Delegate Matthews, of Accomac. is one
of the hardest of Judge Blackstones
workers. and he. too. said he had every
reason to believe his candidate would be
elected In addition to those who were
already here in the interest of Judge
candidacy Messrs. Thomas
w. Blackstone. his brother; Professor
Frank p. Brent; Thomas w. Taylor,
Mayor Of Onancock, all of AccOmac coun-
ty arrived yesterday and went to work.
The caucus will probably be held Tues
day night, though the date has not been
fixed.
A PIPE OF PEACE.
quite an amusing incident occurred at !
the afternoon session of the House yes
terday when Mr.. Pitcher asked the Ser |
TO escort Captain Minter,
the aged delegate from Bedford. before {
the Speakers chair. When the venerable
legislator faced the body, Mr.. Pitcher pre-
sented him with a meerschaum pipe ana ]
a bag of tobacco. The delegate from Eau /
Iuer, in making the presentation, said
hat Captain Minter had shown himself
% be of very pugnacious disposition as
I representative always anxious and
'eady TO fight, and as the other members
If the body were DESTROYS of adopting con-
.iliatory tactics, they had decided TO pre-
tent him with the pipe Of peace"
Captain Minter responded in the same
strain, and made quite a happy little
speech. He prefaced his remarks by
stating that he thought probably he was
icing made a monkey of in thus being
lauled up before the body, but that,
nevertheless, he appreciated the gift. He
hen handed the pipe TO Mr.. Pitcher and
equested that gentleman to fill the bowl
nd take few whiffs This the delegate
rom Fauquier did with all the dignity he
ould command under the circumstances.
The pipe was next passed 10 Mr.. Cooke,
S the great warrior; then to Mr.. Park
r, and last to Mr.. Darlington, as 1.-The
Mighty warrior from Charlotte" This
nded the council of peaceS and the
atchet was buried.
A LIVELY TILT.
Speaker Ryan and Mr.. Saunders had an
Their little parliamentary tilt yesterday
uring the discussion Of the bill reducing
ne salaries of the clerks of the House
nd Senate. The roll was about to be
allied on the amendment as 10 the salary
( the Clerk of the Senate. when Mr..
aunders desired to know what salary
nat officer received at present and what
mount was 10 be allowed him under the :,
mendment.
The Chair declared that the roll-call =.
)uld not be delayed to give this informa- =
ON, and requested the Clerk to proceed. -
IT. 'Winborne. who happened to occupy -
le seat with Mr.. Saunders, gave the lat ~
n the information, and the roll-cal was -
roceeded with in accordance with the g
Deaker's order :
A LIVELY SCENE.
No more lvelier scene has been wit
essed on the floor of the House this Il
sssion than that which occurred yes 4
'rday during the consideration of the =
Ill reducing the salaries of the clerks
the two bodies, and especially the
as TO that of the Clerk of the
wer branch. The friends of Colonel
igger rallied 10 his support. and saw
lat no votes were lost through the abb