The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-02-04
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

The Convention resolved that the Com
missioner of Agriculture should neither
be elected by the Board of Agriculture
nor appointed by the Governor, but
should be elected by the people for term
of four years.
The great fight over the further restric-
ton of granting liquor licenses in Vir-
ginia opened in the Constitutional Con
vention on Saturday The Barbour
Ouarles resolution reported from the
committee on bin OF rights was up. The
shower of amendments that poured in
and the hall dozen vigorous speeches
made indicate that the great and wide
spread interest aroused throughout the
State in the measure will be reflected in
one OF the most earnest and animated
discussions of the session.
The bill of rights report consumed the
entire day Elm committee of the whole.
The sections relating TO the homestead
exemption, fixing it at 81 900, were ap-
proved without change.
The Barbour resolution was reached
about the middle OF the days session.
This paper, the adoption OF which is
prayed for in petitions from all parts OF
the State. that contains probably 90
900 names, provides that no license Tor
the sale Of liquor shall be granted in
county or tOwn-cities having been
striker out-unless the application is ac-
| companied by petition bearing the
signatures OF a majority OF the qualified
voters in the magisterial district or
ward. The first subsection provides that
no Intoxicating liquors shall be sold in
| this State without license therefor is
| first obtained. Subsection contains
the requirement OF a monthly majority
| signature of voters, and subsection 3
provides that nothing contained in it
shall interfere with the local option or
| dispensary laws existing in the State.
MIR. O'Flaherty offered to amend by re.
| quiring that all names of signers to APP
plication for license shall be published in
a newspaper or posted in some public
place. He said publicity to petitions of
| that kind would make people take their
names of.
Mr.. Hill Carter, OF Hanover, ridiculed
the proposition, and discussed the i'm
propriety of attempting TO police the
| State through the constitution. he as
serted that such provisions belonged ex-
| clusively in the realm of legislative au-
thority He strongly ridiculed and criti-
cised Mr.. 0'Flaherty's proposition to
require in the constitution publication
| of the names of all sgners TO petitions,
and antagonized the recommendation OF
the committee, showing that only six
out of the eleven members had voted for
| it.
Judge Garnett, of Mathews, made an
effective temperance speech, in which he
declared that ynder three years OF local
option rule in his county there had not
been single criminal put in jail
Mr. 0'FIaherty made another earnest
plea for his substitute, but 1t was re-
| iected by the vote of 30 TO %.
Mr. Lindsay moved TO amend so that
/ a license should not be issued ae ainst the
| protest OF majority Of the voters OF a
precinct or district.
Mr.. Wescott offered a substitute re
curing that the signatures be attested
| by at least two witnesses and certified
| to in the same manner as the signature
| Of deed Is required by law. MIR. Wes-
colt was speaking when the committee
rose.
| Early in the session Mr.. Withers pre-
sented a resolution providing that. be-
| ginning next Tuesday, the convention
| shalk hold daily session from 10 o'clock
| untiEl o'clock, and from 3 until ) o'cloek
! eaelHay He asked that consideration
-. until Monday