Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-10

eral state Of affairs at the home The
veterans claim they are being 'Iaimed
out" The petition reci'es that as the
General Assembly IS probably ignorant or
the legal relations existing between the
state and =. -. Lee Camp. OF this CITY,
and the Soldiers Home, the petitioners
wish 10 be informed whether, fenced IN
as they are the veterans are siiiI cltlzens
OF Virginia. or whether they nave been
made the serfs Of others upon entering
the institution, without having committed
any crime save exuberant patriotism.
The petitioners ask that the General AS
sembly define their status-"whether they
are soldiers. citizens, or the outside rest
OF mankind" The petition asks that
the committee be made up OF one member
from each Of the congressional dlstrlclS
OF the state, and that II be empowered
TO thoroughly investigate the financial
and administrative management of the
institution. At the request Of Mr.. Opie,
the petition was laid on the table unul
Monday. II IS signed by Charles {. IA
shell, captain Confederate states army
j.. A. Gait, major and acting adJutant-
general Confederate states army i. H.
Langley. lieutenant-colonel. First kesi-
ment. Virginia Infantry; Fred l.. MOrri-
son. Company c, Thrty-second Virginia
Infantry; William W. Webb, Company
a, Nineteenth Virginia Infantry
A NEW STEERING COMMITTEE.'
Mr.. Mann offered Joint resolution, pr
viding for the appointment OF commit
tee OF five lawyers Of the House and three
lawyers Of the Senate. to which shall be
referred all bills approved by standing
committees, the lawyers committee 10
pass upon the consttutionality Of the
measures proposed. Mr.. Foster very
strongly objected TO the new steering
committee OF lawyers" as he termt II,
saying he had known many farmer
fully az competent TO pass upon the con-
stitutonality Of a law as lawyers. The
resolution went over until Monday.
HOUSE BILLS PASSED.
The House bill authorizing the city OF
Winchester to increase its debt and issue
bonds was passed, under suspension or
the rules.
House bill to authorize the Board OF
Supervisors of Pulaski county 10 increase
the salary Of the County Judge Of Pu-
laslIi was also passed. under suspension
Of the rules.
AFTER TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.
Mr. Barksdale introduced bill to make
telegraph companies common carriers In
this Commonwealth. lie wanted it refer
red TO the Committee on General Laws
of which Senator Sands is chairman.
Committee, said he thought the measure
should 90 to the body over which he
presides. President pro tenn Wickham,
who was I'm the chair. ruled that the
Roads Committee was the proper body %
consider this bill, and II was so referred.
The bill Is intended 10 make telegraph
companies common carriers and impose
upon them the same liabilities as com
mon carriers, and keep them from shirk-
ing or restricting their liabilities for dam
age done ana mistakes made in the con-
duct Of their business.
Mr.. Barksdale also offered a bill to tax
telegraph. telephone. and express COM
panies i'm Virginia, and basing the tax upon
the volume Of business done. This bill
was offered last session, but never passed
the Senate. 1t is similar to the Ohio stat
ute, and will add very considerably TO
the revenues OF the Commonwealth.
These companies at present enjoy almost
immunity from taxation, and certainly do
not bear their just proportion of the bur
dens Of taxation. Their franchises are
valuable. The State gives IL 10 them ana
receives virtually nothing i'm. return.
Mr. Flood offered bin TO amend and re-
enact sections 1886 and 1886 of the code,
and to repeal section 1897 in reference 10
the dsbarment of attorneys.
APPOINTMENTS CONFIRMED.
The Senate was in executive session for
a few minutes after the close Of the
open session al $50 o'clock, and confirmed
the appointment Of the following county
superntendents Of schools, made since
the adjournment of the last session: p.
w. Nelson, Of Albemarle, and B. T. Lane,
Of Lancaster.
The Session of the House.
Dr. II. T. Kerr opened the House with
m a u ,.1f, a
rectly into business. on resolution it was
decided to concur with the Senate IN or
dering 900 copies of the report Of the
Board Of Fisheries to be printed.
Hon. NJ. j. Lyons, Of Norfolk, offered q
resolution providing for Printing all bills
introduced in the House, and this precpi-
tated considerable discussion. The reso-
luton was finally tabled.
A resolution offered by Hon. NJ s. New
berne, and amended by Hon. S. l.. Kelley,
requesting the General Government to
name the next first-class battleship Vir,
ginia, was unanimously adopted
Mr.. HUBBARD, Of buckingham, offered a
joint resolution setting forth that the
three insane asylums Of the State were
IN an overcrowded condition, and that
this was due not TO the increase OF in
sanity in the State but TO the failure 10
make cures at the institution. The reso-
luton provides that a Committee Of five
on the part of the House and three on
the part Of the Senate be appointed 10
investigate and report. and that they be
empowered to send for and compel the
attendance Of persons and papers. Mr.
Hubbard wanted the resolution adopted.
under suspension Of the rules, but the
House referred it TO the Committee on
Asyums and Prisons.
DELINQUENT LAND LAW.
Mr. Parks, who has frequently express
ed himself as being an advocate of tho
'land-grabbers act which has been 50
severely criticised introduced a bin
which looks to modifying in some par
ticulars the original act The bill pro-
poses to scale the penalty down from s.
to $3.50. 1t also provides that where the
applicant Tor "land-grabber') is a nom
resident he shall designate some resident
as his agent, on whom process may be
served. Another provision gives the
County Court jurisdiction 10 hear and de-
termine all questions pertaining 10 the
claims.
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Major Cowan introduced a bill which
has for its object the Improvement and
proper equipment of the Virginia Poly
technic College, at Blacksburg The bill
authorizes the Board OF Visitors to issue
forty-year per cent bonds 10 the
amount OF 10000. for the purpose of
making these Improvements, and pro-
vides an annual appropriation Of $1,000
for paying the interest on these bonds
and retiring them.
REFERRED TO COMMITTEES.
The following additional bills were IN
troduced and referred:
BY Mr. Toney: To amend section 1911
Of the Code In relation TO the securities
TO DO deposited with the treasurer by for
eisn and home insurance companies
by Mr.. Moss; To amend an act for