The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-07-20
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION.
Doings Of ana Sayings In and About the
Great Virginia Body.

| VIII continue TOT NtNVl" "''" -,
report to he made will propahly be th"'
from the judiciary committee.
Mr. Withers thinks from $4,000 TO
$50. 600 per year could he saved 10y com
bining the offices of treasurer ana sherln
| This il one of the methods he would
adopt with view To the reduction Oh
the expenses of the state government.
II would he we'll for the Suffrage com
mittee To bear this point in minds II II
docs not advocate stricter Suffrage
clause than those adopted by other south
ern states. Virginia il going To become
the negro dumping ground oil the south
charlottesville Progress.
| The Commercial League of Tidewater
| Va. will make an effort To have the Con
stitutional Convention frame law al
lowing cities and towns, under certain
conditions. To exempt manufacturing IN
| dustries from taxation. committee
will 90 10 Richmond for the purpose.
rpon the action of the Committee on
| Judiciary now hangs themOst important
| legal question ever raised in English lu-
risprudence Ii involves the principle as
| To whether or not n prisoner shall he
twice placed in jeopardy for the same oil
Tense. Bva vote of & 10 Z the commit
fee decided that the Commonwealth
should he allowed the right Of appeal in
all criminal eases involving the constitu-
tionality of the law.
| There was a highly interesting discus
| sion before the committee on education
ON the subject OF dividing the school
funds of the State between the two races
| Mr. Tarbull. of Brunswick, made n strong
| speech i'm favor of his resolution propos
| ING 10 carry out his object He contends
| that a separation Of the school luna
| would be to the advantage OF the whites
| and blacks Mr. Quares, of Augusta
made strong plea for the election oi
school superintendentsa and all officers 10y
the people.
Members Of the convention have been
brought face to face with several very
serious. il not insurmOuntable, reasons
| against the plan To declare the suffrage
| clause and submit the Constitution 10 a
| restricted electorate for ratification.
| They discover that only two plans ARE
| practicable and possible, II the Constltu-
| ton is To go into effect IN time Tor the
coming Legislature To sit under its pro
visions. Those two are: For the con
ventiOn to proclaim the constitution IN
toto or submit il in November To an un-
abridged electorate.
Mfr r. Walton Moore. OF Fairfax. has
n novel plan which he will offer in few
davs. This contemplates requiring
property qualification OF, say. $500 ana
n noll tax of more than -. The idea II
to permit the father and all Oi his sons OF
| legal aye to vote il the former pays taxes
ON real estate To the amount named. The
idea of this scheme is that it would let III
NIL of the male members of "A family. Mr..
Moore also proposes to exempt all sold
iers from either the poll or the property
tax requirements, il matters not IN what
war they served. This exemption, how
ever. is not tOeXtend To the veterans de
scendants There il IA very decided OPP
position to the principle of the grand
father" clause. either in the matter OF
the right to vote. ~ provided under the
Constitutions of South Carolina and
Louisiana. or that the military services
of "A man shall entitle his descendants TO
exercise the right of suffrage
Occasionally Rev Dr. W. +. Runaway.
Of Lancaster county eloquent in prayer
tall and white-haired crosses over from
the west side of the hall and holds good
natured conversation with Rev. DIR. Rich
ard McElwaine. Sometimes Or. Neil
waine goes over To DR. Runaway, but in
any event their relations are always very
cordial. notwithstanding the fact that
DR.. Runaway is n Baptist and DR.. Neil
waine Presbyterian. Years ago, even
before the Revolution Baptists were
persecuted and imprisoned up in lancas-
ter and fredericksburg for nonconiorm-
| ity, and those prosecutions have even
made an impression To this day, for the
Baptists of DR.. Dunaway's section like
nothing that smacks of connection be
| tween church and state. Ii WASH many
days ago that Dr. runaway offered a resO-
| luton in the convention fOrbidding any
appropriation ofmOney to a sectarian or
religious institution. The learned doe
tor started in life as a lawyer, but he
came from a family of preachers and he
was able 20 stick to the law for but five
years after receiving his legal education
at the University of Virginia. lie has
been Baptist minister ever since, and
many pulpit in Northern Virginia has
echoed with his stirring eXhOrtations.
| lie has preached much in Lancaster and
vicinity, and was for several years pas
| tor OF a church in l.OudOun county. Two
of his sons are Baptist ministers. DIR.
| Runaway is a man Of fine mind and pos
sesses real ability lie is thoughtful a. n
preacher, but his sacred calling does not
| detract from his very cOmpanionable
| qualities. He was nominated and elect
| ed to the constitutional Convention with
ont Observation-Disclosures Post.
MEASURES INTRODUCED.
Mr.. Hatton, OF Portsmouth, submitted
a resolution, declaring against amending
the bill of rights.
Mr.. Mundy, OF BotetOurt, presented a
resolution providing that all county Of
ficers shall be elected by direct vote of the
people.
| Mr.. Wise: When voter shows that
he is worth more than $500 Of property
| he shall have another vote on account OF
said property.
Mr.. Richmond, Of Scott, presented n
memorial from cOlOred residents of his
county protesting against wholesale dis
franchisemcnt and division of the school
| fund.
by Mr.. larry, Of Mecklenburg, requires
that the boards of supervisors Of counties
before expanding n sum exceeding 81 900
shall submit the question to the vote OF
the people.
BY MIR. Alexander Hamilton: To pro
hibit any county OF city from subscribing
10 the stock OF any company or from be.
coming interested in any internal i'm
provements.
Mr.. Green. Of Danville, presented a me-
mortal from the Richmond District Meth
Odist Conference protesting against the