Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-10-04
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Some of the members are getting
restless over the slow progress which
they contend is being made by the
body with its work.
The Times publishes The following
remarks: DIR. McIlwaine: 81 am
beginning to feel like Governor
Tyler when he signed the call for
the convention. l feel like /, too,
will soon have to pray Sod save the
State"
Governor Cameron: ave must
adopt a rule in committee of the
whole to have the yeas aud nays
called so that absentees can be pub
lished to their constituents. The
published vote this morning will do
a lot Of good"
Delegate Withers offered a resolu-
ton providing for afternoon sessions
of the convention, but it failed of
adoption by a large majority. Mr..
Wlthers made u strong speech in
favor of its adoption, and pointed out
that, while the committees had
labored faithfully, yet the results in
the convention had not been such as
to satisfy the people of the State, and
that be desired that the body should
proceed as rapidly as possible.
The Committee on Public Institu-
tons is considering the question of
improving the public roads of the
State and the best means Of accom-
plishing that result at the smallest
cost. 1t is suggested that the PEN
itentiary convicts be used for this
purpose. Captain Shaw, of Abe
marie, explained the system now OBJ
tanning in North Carolina and in
Massachusetts,, the former costing
l,600 per mile, while the latter cost
in the neighborhood of $4,000 per
mile.
NEGROES WILL FIGHT.
1t is stated that several eminent
lawyers have been engaged on behalf
of the negroes of Virginia to fight in
the United States courts the suffrage
plan to be adopted by the Constitn-
tional Convention. This is being
done in pursuance of a resolution
adopted by the Negro Educational
Association in Charlottesville last
month empowering James II. Hayes,
u colored lawyer, to associate with
himself two white lawyers and five
colored to test whatever clause was
agreed upon should it discriminate
against the negro voter. Money is
being raised among the negroes of the
State to defray the cost of the litiga-
ton.
A DRAMATIC INCIDENT.
A committee Of the whole decided
that Legislators and Senators shall
be elected every four years and that
sessions of the Legislature shall in
the future be held every four years.
From the number of speeches pre-
pared it looked as though several
more days would have been taken up
IN debate on this subject.
DIR. McIlwaine, in warm speech,
demanded that he be allowed to vote.
He declared that this question had
been discussed sufficiently. He said
1T was a disgrace to Virginia and
dishonor to delegates that speeches
should continue here after every man
had made up his mind how to vote.
He was greeted with roars of ap-
plause. Marching out in front of
the presidents stand, raising both
arms up over his head, he passion
ately concluded
''You might talk here till Christ
mas and not change my mind (laugh-
ter and applause) or anybody else's.
No honest man will continue to thus
exploit his oratory if he knows it
means great expense and no profit.
Mr.. Chairman, want to vote, and,
in the name of the people of Virginia
and common sense, / ask that this
debate cease" Great applause and
prolonged sensation.)
1t was well known that at least
SIX carefully prepared type written
speeches were folded up in the desks
OF some prominent members ready to
be Tired off. DR.. McIlwaine's speech
dampened the combustible.
A motion to proceed to vote was
adopted with the foregoing result.
A section made senator's ineligible
to hold office of Judge, Tax Collector,
Commissioner of Revenue or attor-
neys of the Commonwealth.