The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-15
THE FLOOD BILL
IS AGREED UPON
Election in May; Con-
vention in June.
THE PEOPLE TO VOTE.
Referendum Clause Not UnequivocaI.
But Satisfactory.
BILL WILL NOT BE FOUGHT,
1t Does Not Please All, but Those Who
Opposed its Features Originally
Appear 10 Have Given Up
the Fight Adjouins
mcnt To-Day or
To-Morrow.
BILL WILL NOT BE FOUGHT,
1t Docs Not Please All, but Those Who

Ii is now quite evident that the LeSis-
lature will adopt Il new conference COM
mittee convention bill, providing for a
membership of hundred delegates,
chosen on the fourth Thursday in May,
to assemble in convention on the 18th
day of June. The bill will provide for
submission of the amended Constitution
TO vote OF the people for ratification.
In few words, the committee has agreed
on practically the Flood bill. It is almost
dentcally the bill offered by AIR. Flood
a few minutes after the General Assem-
bly, convened in extraordinary ses-
sion. 1t bears but very slight re-
semblance to the bill which passed the
Senate. 1t is more like the House bill
The Senate bill provides for eighty
members--two from each Senatorial dis
trict. The delegates were to be chosen at
a special election April 4th, and We're to
assemble in convention April 18th. The
bill provides for submission to vote Of all
the people. The House bill called for one
hundred and four delegates, to be chosen
at the May election, TO assemble june
18th. the amended Constitution to be sub
mitted to vote of all persons now entitled
to the franchise.
1t will be seen the Senate has yielded a
great deal; the House very little. Messrs.
ST. Clair Flood and Maynard repre-
sented the Senate on the new conference
committee; the House members were
Messrs. Anderson, of Richmond; Southall,
of Amelia, and Pollock, of Pulaski.
The committee held q meeting at the
Capitol yesterday afternoon. Only one
meeting was necessary to an agreement.
agreed on after a. short conference. The
nature Of the compromise bill was very
generally anticipated. There is no doubt
of its passage. 1t is a victory for MI.
Flood. The referendum clause is not as
explicit as might be. But it is satlsfac-
tory to those who fought so vigorously
for a provision to have the amended Con-
stitution submitted to all the people. 1t
is not satisfactory to the advocates of a
bill leaving out all reference to Subnlls-
sion to popular vote, and still less is 1T
satisfactory to those who wanted a bill
providing for submission only to voters
qualified under the terms Of the amended
Constitution. But there Will be no fight
against it certainly none strong enough
to defeat it or endanger its passage.
Senator Carter Glass does not pretend
1 O like the new measure. lie made q brill
liant fight against IL bill which provided
for submission of the amended Constltu-
tion to all voters, including negroes whom
it is proposed to disfranchisc. But he said
last night he did not propose to make
further fight The new bill will pass.
Speaker Saunders is not ut all pleased
at the evident intention of the Legislature
not TO provide flor any delegates at large
to the Constitutional Convention lie re-
CARDS it ats miserable blunder. and one
that will tend in a large measure to impair
the usefulness of the body by A. failure to
secure the services of scrne of the ablest
and best men in the State as delegates
In the peppery debate in.the House yester-
day, the Speaker gave AIr Pitcher a whack
which showed that he was in dead earnest
in urging his views upon the body. The
member from Fauquier observed that the
scheme TO have delegates at large, if car
ried into effect, would give the whip
handle 10 the. corporations in the Conyen-
ton, and that 1T would not be best for the
interests OF the people. The Speaker
wanted to know when the gentleman from
Fauuuier had been transferred into
champion of the people as against cofnor-
at ions, and when he had become the great
leader of Constitutional reforms in the
State. He recalled, he said, long after
Sereltor Withers-the real Gather of the
-
liant fight in the Legislature. that some OF
those who, We're crying loudest now for the
interests Of the dear people were Tio-
=lcntIy opposed to a Convention, and now
they had come in to take charge OF the
whole affnir. SO far from being in the in
terest of corporate power and influence,
Mr. Saunders asserted that his proposition
vas the very salvation against such IN
tluerces. He believes the Legislature has
committed q grave error, but he mas made
a good fight, and is conscious OF hdVliS
performed his duty.
The report of the Conference Committee
will almost certainly be adopted by the
House without objection to-day. Speaker
Saunders has sDid he would offer no oppo-
siticn, and Hon. John Whitehead, OF Aor-
folk. whose district got one of the addi-
tional delegates in the original House bill
on account of increased population. said
last night that he never expected that pro-
vision to stand ultimately, but was only
fighting TO get an expression OF the House,
so when the next Legislature comes to re
aoportion the members according TO the
census of 1900, his peopIe can cite the ac-
ton of the body us reason why they
should have an additional member OF the
House.
1t is well not to lose sight of the fact
that those who have struggled, though
yainly. have insisted, and still insist, that
the General Assembly can bind the Con-
stitutional Convention to nothing save
TO meet on the date set in the Dill. Ihe
absolute omnlpotence of the convention
is insisted upon without qualification
In this connection. the following extract
from a letter written by one of the best
known public men. and also one OF the
ablest lawyers in Virginia, is pertinent
and interesting:
TT has disturbed and surprised me to
observe that some Of our best men in
the Legislature, particularly in the Sem
ate. have been attempting to impose re-
strictions upon and limit the powers of
the convention
III such linita tions were potential and
binding. think you would flnd shat toV