The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-24
THE PASSING OF a
VA. LEGISLATURE
Gossip About the Personnel of a Body That Is NJ
More The Members Were EVen-Tempered,
Sober and industrious
EPJIBLICANs AND INDEPENDENTS WERE
TREATED WITH UNIFORM COURTESY

The Legislature chosen by the people IN
Novem Der. 1899, is now a thing Of the
past, and the members have returned to
the bosom of their constituents, to render
an account Of their stewardship. and to
! enter the many great political struggles
/ that will engage the people Of the Com
monwealth during the present year. 1t
may be said without disparagement to
other bodies that the personnel of the
membership Of the House Of Delegates,
which adjourned sine die on Saturday,
February 18th, was of as high an order
as any that has assembled in the Capitol
for many years. It was a sober, even
tempered, Industrious body, taken as a
whole, and one that could be relied upon
to dispose f1of the most difficult and
important matters in a conservative and
intelligent manner.
In point OF ability the House ranked
well up with those of recent years, and
rarely in any body have the members
engaged in as little personal acrimony
and treated each other with more uniform
Difference and courtesy. Even those not
in sympathy with the dominant party
We're accorded the fairest treatment, and
were always referred to in the most COM
plimentary manner in the heat Of politi-
cal controversy
ONLY THREE REPUBLICANS.
Out of the entire membership of 100
there were only three Republicans in the
House, and they were all fine fellows.
Hon. ]. D. Honaker, who was the rec
ognized leader of the minority party, is
a most affable gentleman and never tn Sew
his followers against the Democrats in
any objectionable manner, during either
the regular or the extra session. Mr..
Honaker, who represented the district
composed of Smyth and Bland, is u
C~,~,
Gap, in the latter county, and was a men,
her of the House back in the eighties.
when quite a young man. He is a good
mixer and became very popular with his
colleagues. During the regular session
last winter Mr.. Honaller accompanied
the Committee on Public Institutions on
an inspection tour through his south
western country, and entertained the
members in a very handsome manner as
his guests a Marion.
Hon. Amos L. Cannaday, who repre-
sented the district composed of Floyd
and Franklin, is another Republican for
whom the members entertained the high
est feelings Of personal regard. He could
always be found in q company of south
west Democrats, and is a gentleman of
high character and much popularity. lie
was highly pleased at the action of the
Legislature in giving Floyd a delegate
HeTSSlI Ill lie O1lSllldIlOileil SouS Gil
ton. Mr.. Cannaday was treated with
the utmost courtesy by his colleagues, as
we'll as by the Speaker, and made
record for constant devotion to duty, of
which his constituents may well be
proud.
Hon. S. z. Pitts, of Caroline, the other
Republican member of the House, made
faithful representative, and was con.
stantly in attendance upon his duties.
TIE TWO INDEPENDENTS.
The other two House members who
styled as independents though nearly
every one believed they We're good Demo-
Gratis. They were DR.. r. S. Powell, OF
Brunswick, and Hon. w. II. Graveley,
of Henry.
DR.. Powell was nominated by a faction
Of his party, and elected over the gentle
man who was declared the regular
nominee by a very large majority. He
was member of the House in 1S95-1S96
as a regular Democrat. and is very
popular in his county. It may be safely
stated that nearly every member of the
House was DR.. Powell's friend, for it
would be hard for men to serve with
him in any capacity and not feel kindly
toward him, such fine old gentleman
is he in every respect.
MIR. Graveley is regarded as one of
Lne very, ATTEST OF the younger members
of the body. He did not seek to enter
the Democratic caucus, though he trained
with the Democrats on nearly all ques-
tons Many Of his friends desired that
he should make application for member
ship in the caucus at the extra session.
but he did not do so. Mr.. Graveley. is
q, very able lawyer, and is a most
aggressive and logical debater. He made
a very eloquent speech in nominating
Hon. e. w. Saunders for Judge of the
Fourth Judicial Circuit, and his COZ
leagues applauded him to the echo.