The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-07-30

|
it il said property qualification would
kill the negro vote.
The Times saws: "Thcrc are three mem
hers Of the convention who have thuslar
not offered n resolution during the SEES
sion. They are NIcssrs Wescott, llunton
and Walker.
| One of the most interesting features IN
connection with the Constitutional Ton
yention in the last few daysis the decided
sentiment which has developed among
the members against submitting the
work of the convention To the people Tor
ratification or rejection.
Chairman Withers recommends III place
of the county court at least twenty err
| cult Judges, aud would abolish the
| CORPORATION courts in eight cities. One
| ol these il fredericksburg. MIR. Cris
| mond takes the view that corporation
court il paid out Of the funds oi the city
where il is located and II thepeople want
| il their business is To support IT. Accord
ingly the rest Of the State ought not To
complain.
If we reflect for minute we will see
that the rejection of the proposed new
| Constitution will throw us back upon the
| prescnt Constitution. and that we Will c
as deep in the mud hereafter "a we have
been in the mrc, and that the pitiless
reign of corruption will continue, than
| which nothing could he more disastrous.
| Action and reaction are equal ana oppo-
site both in physics and politics. The
method of launching this Constitution
and making it effective is just az serious
| a. its construction-lii Times.
MEASURES INTRODUCED.
4 memorial from the Chambers of Com
| MERGE and Boards Of Trade in the state
| concerning the homestead laws, and n
| resolution fixing the amount ut $1,000
| instead OF - 900, ~ at present
That the General Assembly may 10y law
provide for the trial by justices of the
| peace. without jury, of man accused
| of any criminal oiiense not punishable by
| death or confinement in the penitentiary,
| but in all such cases the General Assembly
shall preserve the right OF the accused to
an appeal and trial by jury in the Appel
| late Court.
President Goode presented resolution
] to require the General Assembly To make
provision for obtaining an accurate to
/ biographical survey and map OF the state
| which shall contain data of the geOlOgi-
| Attenuation. mineral resources and soils
extent and quality OF forests, fisheries,
It's water power. rivers and harbOrs. it's
climate and general information con
cerning the resources of the State.
resolution making sweeping
changes in the public school system. Ii
| wants the superintendent Of public in
struction elected by the people ~ well ~
| the sulerintendent of schools for the sew
| eral districts of the State, and provides
| that there shall be one superintendent Tor
each Senatorial District Compulsory
| education il provided for children be-
| tween the ages oi eight and fourteen
wears. The poll-taX for each county and
| city shall be applied TO the school fund
for that county or city.
WORK or COMMITTEES.
Ii was decided that the white and col
ored schools should be kept separate and
| distinct.
Authority was granted to the suffrage
| committee 10 sit during the session oil the
convention.
| The county government committee
| voted by a large majority Saturday To
retain Commonwealth attorneys in each
county.
| The committee on privileges and cleo
| tions has set the Treat-Gregory contest
ell election case for peremptOry hearing
and argument Wednesday morning.
The judiciary committee has practically
| agreed that the county court system
| must 90. The question now il, What
system shall do duty in it's place? 1t
| looks as if the plan Of having bench OF
magistrates for the trial Of petty cases
| will he adopted.
At a meeting of the educational com
mittee Mrs Anne ;. Greene, OF Culpeper,
was heard in advocacy of system OF in
| dustrial schools in Virginia. She was
| given a very attentive hearing by the
committee, and urged strongly the need
| OF Industrial education for the poor white
| children of the South.
Mr.. Stebbins, from the committee on
| reduction of expenses, presented MINOR
| ity report of that committee signed by
| himself and Messrs CrismOnd and Willis,
| dissenting from the majority of the com
| mittee on the questions OF cutting down
| the Governors salary, reducing the civil
/ contingent funds, and eecting the State
| Auditor and Treasurer by the people.
The committee heard the fourth debate
on the resolution of Mr.. Dunaway pro-
| hibiting the General Assembly from APP
| prOpriating funds to any institution OF
| q sectarian nature. The resolution had
! once before been defeated and was up
again on motion to reconsider. Messrs.
| Turnbull, WestcOtt, Quarles and Rich
| mOnd spoke for, and Messrs. Robertson,
| Harrison and Blair against putting such
a section in the Constitution, but thought
| it matter for Legislative regulation, as
| now obtains The vote was to D, and
| the resolution failed Of adoption for the
| third time.
ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION.
One OF the most important resolutions
| introduced in the Constitutional COnyen-
ton has attracted little notice 1t pro-
vides for the payment OF criminal ex-
penses by the counties and cities wherein
they are accumulated. Delegate j. S.
Barbour, of Culpeper, is the author of
this resolution, and we hope that he will
push it with vigor when the proper
time comes, unless the committee to
which it was referred does the pushing
for him. Some of the counties in Virginia
are pensioners upon the State in the mat
ter of criminal expenses. They pile up
bills far in excess of their revenue returns
to the State, and,the deficit has to be sup
piled from the Treasury-that is, from
the contributions of counties and cities
which pay their own way. The adoption