The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-29
FOR A FOUR YEARS TERM.
suggestions Regarding the Virginia
House and Senate.


RICHMOND, Va, Aug 2-R Walton
Moore, Chairman of the Committee on
the Legislative Department, made the re-
port OF that committee today to the Con-
stitutional Convention. 1t provides -four
years term for members of both House
and Senate, and provides what officers
are not eligible to election. The following
is a synopsis of the report:
THE Committee on the Legislative De-
partment, except such matters as come
within the jurisdiction of other standing
committees, begs leave to submit its re-
port.
has relation to the legislative depart
ment. Several sections of that article
are adopted without any modification
whatever. Others are only slightly nodi-
fed. By modifying some and by adding
new sections. number of material
changes are made, of which the following,
briefly indicated, are the most important:
Il. Members of the House of Dele gates
are to be elected for term OF four years
and members of tha Senate for a term
of four years
''2. Persons holding certain county. city
and other offices are disqualified from
serving in the General Assembly.
% Members of The General Assembly
are to be ineligible to any civil Office of
profit unless elective by the people.
Il. Regular sessions of the General As
sembiy are to be quadrennial, beginning
the second Wednesday in January. Such
sessions are to continue ninety days and
extra sessions are to continue thirty
days and the members are not to receive
compensation beyond the ninety-day limit.
%. Safeguards are thrown around the
enactment of laws by requiring that every
bill, except cOdifcation bill or emer-
gency measures. shall be referred to a
standing committee and read on three
different days in each House; printed for
the use of members; passed in each House
1.ld nf nr 1s- no.
members thereof; and publicly signed by
the presiding officer of each house.
%. The General Assembly is to be al
most entirely relieved OF the right to en-
act special private, and local laws.
Z. Barring general appropriation acts
and emergency acts. no law Is to take ef-
feet until ninety days after the adjourn
ment of the General Assembly.
=. In the exercise of the power of EN-
inent domain, compensation is to be al
lowed to owners of property damaged. as
well as to the owners of that actually
taken
20 The expense incident to sessions of
the General Assembly is to be greatly
curtailed.
Section p of Article is omitted.
Section of Article v respecting ap-
portionment, is omitted. until the con-
vention shall decide what committee has
charge of that matter
All resolutions and ordinances referred
to the committee have received careful
consideration. Those approved are sub
stantially embodied in the sections recon-
mended Many are disapproved simply
upon the ground that the subjects which
they embrace may be more appropriately
dealt with by the General Assembly than
by the convention Others are beyond
the jurisdiction of this committee.
Second .. Any person may be elected
Senator who at the time of election is
actually resident within the district and
qualified to vote for members of the Cen
eral Assembly and eligible to office ac-
cording to this constitution. and any per-
son may be elected a member of the
House of Delegates who. at the time of
election, is actually resident within the
county. city. town. or election district.
and qualified to vote for members of the
General Assembly and eligible to office
according to this constitution. But no
person holding a salaried Office under the
United States Government or under the
State Government, and no Judge of any
court. attorney for the Commonwealth
sheriff, sergeant. treasurer, assessor of
taxes, commissioner of the revenue col
lector of taxes. or clerk of any court shall
be a member of either House of the Gen
eral Assembly during his continuance in
office. and the election of any such person
to either House of the General Assembly
shall vacate any such office held by him.
The removal of any person elected to
either House of the General Assembly,
from the city. county. town, or district
for which he is elected shall vacate his
office"