The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-01
GREAT BLOW TO
TELEPHONE BILL.
The Senate Fixes the Rates to be
Charged.
WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Those Behind the Scheme Not W-iliin:
10 Take Charter Under Conditions
Imposed Insurance Commits
sion ACT Passes tic House.

Imposed Insurance Commits
sion Act Passes tic House.
z The Senate yesterday practically killed
the telephone bill by placing upon 1t
amendments the corporaiors have stated
in advance they Will not accept
Senator Glass. who has led the fight
against the measure, secured the
adoption OF maximum rates Of ss5 in a
city and SIS in the country This was
done, as me explained. to keep The com
u,any from charging exoroifant prices,
Mhere d, has no opposition.
The minimum rates were fixed at $40.
for the purpose. 1t was said, TO prevent
this corporation driving smaller concerns
out of business. It was further pro-
1ided that the charge for the long dis
lance service Should not be more than
10 cents for five minutes conversation.
The bill as amended was ordered TO be
enEroSsed.
The bin to create a State Department
OF Insurance passed the House and was
reported to the Senate.
[ihe Senate me; az II O'Clock. There
WIS a larger attendance of members
than on Tuesday. The gallery was well
filled with spectators. and the space De-
hind the railing was literally packed with
people. Mn-y bills passed by the House,
were reported by their titles, and near
1y all OF them were placed upon the cal
endar.
A DISPENSARY.
Senator Stands made very earnest
appeal TO the Senate not to send TO the
committee the House bill to establish
dispensary Tor the sale of liquor at
Franklin, Southampton county. He said
the people of that town We're, as rule,
heartily in favor of this measure. There
was ample provision made to pay State
taxes. II the bill was to be defeated he
preferred that this be done upon the floor
of the Senate instead Of killing it in the
committee.
The Finance Committee was discharged
from the further consideration of the bill
in question, and it was placed upon the
calendar.
When the bill to appropriate 500 an
nun1ly TO the Hollywood Memorial As
sociation to be used IN caring for the
graves of the Confederate soldiers buried
in Hollywood came UP. Senator. Tyler
eioouentiy supported the proposition.
Senator Mann said he was at first in
favor of this bill, but the more he
thought Of 1t the more he was convinced
that to pass it would be mistake. For
more than thirty years the ladies have
cared for the graves of the Confederate
dead. To have this work done now bs'
State aid would be to take the perfume
from the flowers and to rob the whole
matter of its beautiful sentiment. He
was willing to leave the care of the Con-
fedcrate graves to the noble women of
Virginia, believing and knowing it was
a labor Of love with them.
BILL DEFEATED.
Senator A1unford advocated the passage
of the bill. lie said it was proposed by
this bill to supplement private enthusi-
assn and effort by State aid. The Scna-
tor was willing 10 vote like appropria-
ton to other memorial associations.
The amendments to include appropria-
lions for the care of Confederate graves
ut Petersburg and Appomattox were
adopted.
Senator keezell withdrew his amend
ment to make an appropriation for the
care of the graves at HarIisonburg. The
more he thought of this matter, the more
he was convinced that TO give State aid
to this purpose would be TO destroy a
beautiful sentiment. lie was willing to
leave the care of the graves at 1Iar-
L,
rificcs during the war and To their daugh-
iers
Senator Glass said he was In favor
OF the original bill, but was opposed 10
making appropriations for cemeteries all
over the State.
The bill as amended was defeated by
a vote of II ayes TO 16 noes.
The vote on the bill was as follows:
Ayes-Senators Eggleston, Flood. Foster,
I Nh 1apF, 7 - n -
Munford, Stands. Tyler and Wickham-
II. Noes-Senators Blakey. Bruce. Cog
bill. Glass. James, lKeezeli. Lupton. Mann.
Massie, Morris, Opie ST. Clair. Steele,
Walker. Wallace and Watkins-16.
The Senate refused to reconsider the.
vote and this disposes of this matter for
this session.
Senator LIE Cato offered a resolution
which was adopted, providing that az
Ter to-day no bills shall be introduced
except by unanimous consent.
Senator Harvey introduced eight bills
for the relief Of Johnston & Early, of Car
rol! county, ordering the payment of GER
tain claims disaToroved by the Auditor
OF Public Accounts.
bill to incorporate the. Norfolk and
Portsmouth Bar Association was offered
by Senator Maynard and passed under
suspension Of the rules.
Inc senate agreed 10 the conf erence
report on the bill to amend the land
Erabbers' act and this measure now goes
to the Governor.
THE GREAT FIGHT.
The bill to incorporate the Virginia
Telephone Company was not reached by
the Senate until o'clock. At that hour
nearly all the space available for spec
tatorS was occupied.
Senator Sands, the patron Of ithe meas
ure. first addressed the Senate. He re-
viewed some of the history of the bill
Some of the proceedings on the floor of
the Senate on Tuesday were character
lied by him as the most remarkable he
had ever witnessed in that body. He said
in the committee no reference was made
\ to maximum rates. except by Senator
A1unrord. The opponents Of the measure
had been driven from one position to an
other until they had taken refuge be-
hind the amendment ms to rates offered
by the Senator from Lynchburg.
Mr.. Sands said The Senator from Lynch
burg was !mpetnous. When Mr.. Class
. no a ,,,{$h