The Washington times., 1901-07-14
COLLECTION Law CHANGES.
Virginia Merchants to Petition the
Convention.

Notifications TO He ASked-Exemp-
tion From Poll Taxes Because of
Military Service Attacked ns Class
Legislation by a Warren Delegate.
RICHMOND. Va, July l5.-Merchants
from every section Of the State, met here
today for the purpose OF considering q
change in the State collection laws, which
they will bring 90 the attention of the
constitutional Convention in the shape
of a memorial. 80 be presented to that
body bv a committee composed Of Col
A. s. Ruford. Capt. George d. Wise John
Garland Pollard, Judge George l. Chris
tan and /. l. Morris. President Of the
Richmond Chamber OF Commerce.
Ths merchants met in the large han in
the chamber of commerce. President Nor
ris occupied the chair. Judge Christian
said that to tax the purchases OF q mer-
chant sEyas wrong in principle and calcu-
lated TO be detrimental to the progress of
the State lie himself wanted 10 see the
collection laws abolished.
The merthants accompanied the mem
bers Of the Constitutional Convention on
a trip down the James River TO Dutch
Gap tonight.
Today's session Of the Constitutional
Convention lasted only fifteen minutes,
Tuesday. The most salient feature OF
the proceedings was the discussion over
resolution offered by Delegate O'Flaherty,
of Warren County. which refers in strong
words TO the governing class. The meas
ure, makes it appear that it is the sense
of the body that the adoption Of any pro-
vision whereby a privilege is given TO
one citizen over another in the matter OF
suffrage by reason Of his or his ances-
tors military service is class legislation
of The most vicious kind and violates the
principles Of the Bill o. Rights, wherein
it is declared that no set OF men are en-
titled to exclusive privileges. The reso-
luton also states that it is a violation
of the Constitution Of the United States
and Objectionable because II establishes
n permanent hereditary governing class
which NJ. o OFlaherty terms as undem5-
cratic and contrary TO the spirit Of a
republican form of government
Mr. Withers presented an amendment
to the resolution naming the Committee
on Reduction OF Expenses. providing that
the committee snail report TO the con-
vention from time TO time. and that the
subjects shall be explained by members !
Of the committee and referred without
further action to the standing committee !
special subject affected by the report of .
the Committee on Reduction Of Expenses. /
The effect Of this resolution, which was
adopted, viii be TO throw on the standing I
committees the questions Of rerenchmert !
which the convention is pledged to ac- |
compish. placing the onus and uupopu- |
larity OF the scheme virtually in the con- |
Vention
Senator Carter Glass. member of the |
convention from Lynchburg. has been or |
nered by physicians TO relinquish his work |
and TO return to his home. This is due |
10 the fact that Mr. Glass is in poor !
health, and the excitement and fatigue |
of the work Of the convention were telling !
on him appreciably. Mr.. Glass is really in !
a serious condition. though his indomita- |
BILE energy and viii power keep him up. |
A few days ago he offered a resolution |
instructing the Suffrage Committee to re- |
port a resolution prescribing to what of |
the electorate the new constitution should 1
be submitted, and il was expected that he |
would call the paper up and discuss il, |
and Representative Flood was to lead the |
opposition