The times., 1901-06-26
DELEGATES FEEL SLIGHTED
The Virginia Convention Commit
tees Not Satisfactory.
Hard Workers Claim They Have Not
Received Proper RccOgnition-The
Question of TaNntion-A Motion 20
Adjourn Expected on Friday.

Question of TaNation-A Motion 20
Adjourn Expected on Friday.
RICHMOND. Va. June 25-Beneath
the apparently calm surface Of the Con-
stitutional Convention there is an under
current that is running surely and swift
| Iy to point at which the troubled waters
will be visible to the public.
When the committees were read in the
convention a few days ago there was not
a voice of dissent. nor to the casual OBJ
| server was ii apparent that many of the
members were Testive under what they
conceived to be poor treatment. The
| fact that not one OF the men who had
/ been prominent in the work of calling
! the convention was recognized as com
mittee chairman made some of them feel
/ rather 'out of the game and the gen
! eraI makeup OF the committees. it is
[ alleged. tends to create factlonal spirit
{ that sooner or later is very apt to be
betrayed on the iioor.
/ T. w Hubbard. of Rockingham. repre-
Scuting constituency of 1900 people. is
not placed on any committee which deals
directly with any OF the provisions of the
constitution.
Judge Portlock OF Norfolk County, rep
reSeu,iDg constituency of 5000 people.
E
committees before which will go any of
the questions To be determined upon in
the new constitution.
There are also some four or five other
gentlemen who are talking quietly Of the
failure of President Goode to assign
them to working committees, while some
members are on as many as three good
committees. II IS well known that the
ability of the gentlemen named was not
considered. for they rank well in State
affairs, and both Messrs. HUBBARD and
Portlcck have served with distinction in
the Legislature.
There is some talk, of course, as to
political reasons. but in the constitutional
convention these were not supposed to
count, and the friends of several of the
disappointed members are inclined to re-
gard the situation as simply over
! sight on the part Of President GoOde,
which perhaps can be remedied by a few
changes in the committees as announced.
There is not unanimous endorsement
of the placing of Virginius Newton, of
Richmond at the head of the Finance
Committee
State Senator ReezeI, of Rockingham,
said this morning that this grew out of
a speech that Mr.. Newton is said to have
made before the Chamber of Commerce.
in which he took a position against the
taxation of invisible property"
Il introduced my resolution said Mr..
KeezeH, to show that there were mem
bers of the convention who differ widely
/ from Mr.. Newton in this matter
Mr. Keezen is opposed to the farms and
real estate bearing the burdens Of taxa
ton while the invisible personal property,
as bonds, stocks. and bank accounts. pay
no part of taxation. This proposition is
one that will bring forth some stirring
debates when the time comes.
There is some talk Of the establishment
of another committee in the convention TO
be known as the Retrenchment Commit
tee, and the probable appointment of Eu-
gene Withers at its head. Mr.. Withers
was not given chairmanship. although
he was recognized as the parent of the
convention movement.
What viii come of this is a matter of
speculation, but ii is being seriously dis
cussed by many of the members.
On Friday next a motion TO adjourn for
probably a month win be made by prom
inent member from the Southwest and
there is some talk this morning along
the line of its adoption.
President Goode called the convention to
order at noon. Prayer was offered by the
Rev. DR.. George B. Strickler of the Union
Theological Seminary. After the reading
of the journal resolutions and memorials
were called for and a food OF papers
rolled in to the clerks desk. Nearly
every member had a resolution affecting
either the franchise, taxation, or schools
President Goode laid before the conVen-
tion several memorials from colored peo-
pie in various parts of the State protest
ing against disfranchisement of the ne
81.
ing for the education Of the negroes of
the State. the latter coming from the
State division of the Afro-American
League All the resolutions were re-
ferred without being read.
Mr.. StebbinS. Of Halifax. offered reSo-
luton requiring all bills Of a private ma
ture presented in the Legislature for en-
actment shall not be considered under ten
days after their Introduction and requir-
ing such resolutions to be published at
least five days before being acted on.
Mr. TurnbuI. Of Brunswick. offered i
resolution directing the Committee on
Education TO report a clause for the new
constitution providing for a division OF
the school fund on the basis Of taxes paid
by the two races. The resolution is as
follows:
Whereas the public school system Of Virginia
has proved OF little value 10 the people Of
the rural districts because the money derived
from the taxes ASSESSED for that purpose is not
sufficient to run the schools more than five months
in the year; and
Whereas 1t is believed that the burden OF taxa
tion resting upon the white people. who pay
the great bulk Of the taxes assessed for school
purposes. is great they can bear and IT Is,
therefore, impossible TO increase the school tax
50 10 keep up the schools for Il longer pc
Rod; and
Whereas the colored people Of Virginia have
shown no appreciation Of the large amount Of
money that has been expended in the past thirty
years in attempting TO educate them. and the
money 80 expended has resulted in benefit
70 them, but has had 2 tendency TO unfit then
for the duties for which they were intended; and
q =. Iii +f.rH 81 f4aa