Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-14
Legislators Favor the Louis :
lana Election Law.
SENATOR PRlTCHARD'S VIEWS
Says tho Law is Unconstitutional md
ThntIf Enacted "a ere lie Will Tcst
IL III the >Conrts-"B Kitchen
For Railroad commissioner State
PenitcmtiRry Matters Useless
Land Rented.
Especial to virginian- Pilot.)

Especial to Virginian- Pilot.)
Raleigh, N. c., Jan. 13.-There is deep
interest in the views OF members OF
the Legislature as to the new election
law and franchise amendment to the
constitution. There will be no consti-
tutional convention-that may be as
serted quite positively. AS to the
Louisiana law, it is liked because of
its entire frankness. 1t simply ex-
cludes the negro. That is all there is
in it. The only question is, Is that law
constitutional? Senator Justice, chair
man of the Judiciary Committee, said
to-day that while it might be years
before the constitutionality of the
Louisiana law is tested in the courts,
an immediate test will be made as to
North Carolina; that Senator Pritchard
will make this. He has said he will do
so as soon as the law is enacted: OF
course the Legislature has no fear of
him. Then, again. the State Supreme
Court must be taken into account, par
ticulaliy as to one of its justices. who.
it seems, has said he thought the
Louisiana law unconstitutional. But
four out of five of the legislators APP
pear to favor the Louisiana laws.
ANOTHER CAUCUS
Next Tuesday the Democratic eau
Gus Will settle the question as to how
many Superior Court districts there
viii be. Last night the matter was be-
fore the caucus until a late hour, but
no agreement was reached
The sleet here increased last night
on the trees. These were loaded to the
breaking point Many wires are
broken, or crossed. and the electric cur
I.
Powell. Some 50-feet poles fell. One
man was hit by a falling wire and
stunned.
Next Thursday the now buildings at
the Institution for the Blind will be
thrown open to the public.
BUCK" KITCHENS ASPIRATION.
EN-Congrcssman Buck" Kitchen ia
an aspirant for the position of Railway
Commissioner.
THE PENITENTIARY.
The examination OF the books. &c.
of the penitentiary does not appear to
snow available assets to exceed $40 600
while the liabilities seem to anpro vSI,
mate $4,000. Truly the fusionists
nave put the State in n bad position
so far as the penitentiary is concerned.
superintendent Day, of the peniten-
nary, was interviewed to-day regard
ing That institution. He said: "The
only 600 convicts available for farm
work Yet the state has rented l6 O00
acres or land, which is in farms. on
the ROANOKE river, near Wilmington
ana In Arson county. The 600 conyicts
can work 2I5 horses, each horse being
lp,e 70 cultivate 20 acres, or total OF
only 1000 acres. This shows that the
state is paying for 1000 acres of land
II can't use. AS 1 say, there are 2
farms, each with Il supervisor Tben
there Is the enormous expense of trans
porting convicts to these disiointna
farms. The cost of guards is 90 nor
cent greater than if there We're ONLY
. T,v ihan,' ~ all these farms were
ouhcheu INTO one 1t would save slbOOO
II year NO farming, save on bottom
iand, is profitable with this class of
labor. The rents now aggregate st1 :
ooo; IN other words we are navjnp
something like $4,000 for land we can.
49, ,u. poSsIply use and which. with our
vate' W ou'll-
NJ Is the opinion of experts that tbe
southampton, Halifax, Cape Fear and
AnSon farms should be given IN ever
IL the State has to pay the lease money
Hills INTRODUCED AND PASSED
Favorable action was taken by the
Legislature to-day on the bill TO mite
Railway. 9''ii''
a bill to repeal the tax on immjero-
.lon agents was made the special or
der IN the Senate. 1t will pass. Agents
are IN the State ready to take further
south great numbers of negroes as soon
as this bill passes.
~ p!ll was introduced in the Senate
To ratify the organization of the South
Carolina and Georgia Railway.
1T is decided that no bills shall no
introduced after February 10th.
Ihe Senate passed bill repeating all
Ine election laws of 1895 and 1897, which
We're passed by the Fusionists.
The House passed Il bill abolisbinp
the State Board OF Tax Equalization
1t also passed the same bill to remove
corner stone from the new bujIdjno
of the institution for the whita blini
here. on which is the name OF n nno.ro
ex-director who is odious to the whites
Two negroes voted in favor of this
bill '''
USE OF SCHOOL FUNDS.
This afternoon the joint committee
OF amendments to the constitution
gave hearing to negro leaders in the
matter of the restriction of the suffrage
and the use of all taxes paid by whites
for white schools. Three negroes ad-
dress the commttee--lsaac II. Smith.
Rev X. II. Nv. Leak and Prof Cros-
by. These were assured that there was
no purpose to abridge negro educat ion