The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-28
2H ouse Passes BillzNi / t Amend
ments
$75,O00.F /. R E ? CAPITOL q / ] j

road lax measure &PaSSed-Mr. AkerS
is Chosen Railroad
Commissioner.
The House yesterday passed the APP;
preparation bill for the next two years
and it now goes to conference com.
z1nittee. The only amendments yesterday
were the addition Of $15, o0O for repairs
Ito the Capitol building and 5000 for e,
Confederate Home for Needy omen
The Legislature elected Mr.. e. G. Akers
railroad = commissioners and disposed OF
a great deal Of other business OF more
or less Importance. The Senate held
only one session, while the House helu
two. In the afternoon it passed the Dill
fixing a tax of one per cent on the
gross earnings Of railroads, and that IN
cooperating the South and western
Railroad. The House will meet at uo
and the Senate at noon to day.
THE $SINATE PROCEEDINGS Z
The Senate had no afternoon session
yesterday. The feature Of the morning
session, which lasted for two hours, was
the fight, made by the representatives
I eff Southwest Virginia. he'd by Nj
Bruce to have the COMMITTEES on Roads
and internal Navigation discharged from
the consideration of bill for a road
to develop certain coal properties N
Southwest Virginia. In :opposlt'on 70
this and other similar charters have
stood the Norfolk and Western and
Chesapeake and Ohio in alliance Inc
bills have been in the hands Of the roads
committee for three weeks, but no re-
port has been made.
The appeal Of Mr.. Bruce to tho Sen
ate to give these measures a hearing
was forceful, clear cut, and to the point
The argument, which he presented IN
speech Of a half hour, was probapiy the ne
best speech Of the session in the Senate.
The speaker is a, young man of fine pres
ence and splendid voice, OF thorough
acquaintance with the needs of his peo-
Die and his section and Of energy ana
earnestness and vigor in the manner III
which he presented them to the consld-
Grafton OF the Senate During the course
Of Mr. @BruCe's speech he not only re-
ceived the closest attention from those
In the Senate chamber but those m li =.
Hobbies and cloak-roOms croWueo II II
around the rail.
COURTEOUS AN DIGNIFIED.
The strength and excellence OF MI
Bruce's appeal arose from the courteous
and disnified manner in which he re-
ferred to the committee. He at no time
charged that the committee had been
undl1ly influenced by the interests OF the
| Norfolk and Western and Chesapeake and
Ohio. This bill, he said, had passed
the House weeks ago and had
been in the hands Of the Sen
ate committee since March 10th
It had been impossible to get a report
from the committee. Eight days ago
the argument before the committee had
been completed and still the committee
would not report. The opposition Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio and Norfolk and
| Western had resulted in the failure of
any efforts at the development of South
west Virginia coal fields.
Mr.. Massic endeavored to reply to Mr..
Bruce He referred to Mr.. w. A. Glas-
gov, attorney for the Norfolk ana West
ern This brought Mr.. Keezell to his
feet to inquire how the favor or disap-
prevail of Mr.. Glasgow figured in the ac-
ton of the General Assembly Of Virginia
in the matter Of granting a charter.
Mr. atkins wanted to explain why the
committee had failed to report.
Mr. Keezell, Mr.. Cogbill, Mr.. Byars
and Mr.. Bruce piled Mr.. Watkins with
questions.
Mr.. Byars forced Mr.. Watkins to con-
TESS that no report could be expected
from the committee at this session. Mr..
Byars could not see then why the COM
mittee should object to the Senate's con-
sidering the matter.
| A vote was then taken. OF the TWEEN
ty-sevcn Senator'S present twenty votco
to discharge the committee and the mo
ton was lost, twenty-one votes being
necessary.
RECORDED VOTE.
| The vote was as follows:
Ayes-Messrs. Anderson, Bruce. Bryant.
Byars, Chapman Claytor. Cogbill: Ford
Garrett, Glass, Harvey, Keezell. LeCato,
Lupton.: McIlwaine, opie. Sears St.
Clair, Tyler and Walker-2O.
laoes-NIessrs. Ba rksdale, Cromwell,
Hobbs, Mann, Massie. Watkins and
| Wickham-!7.
Not voting-Messrs. Dinwiddle, Done
hoe, Gold. Harman,4 Hutcheson. Lyle.
Moon, Revcrcomb, Sale, Shacke!ford,
Stands. wallace and Whitehead-12a.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
The joint resolution for a commission
to revise the statutes OF the State to
make them conform to the new Consti-
tuition was reported from the Commit
tee for Courts of Justice. The resolu-
ton provides for a commission OF seven
members. two from the Senate, three
from the House, and two to be selected
by the other five, the members to re-
! ceive a per diem of 81 and travelling ex-
penses, the total cost of the commission
not to exceed $4,000. The resolution was
adopted, only Messrs. Barksdale and
Chapman voting against it.
At :35 o'clock the Senate succeeded
with the execution of the joint order
the election Of a Railroad Commissioner.
Mr.. Lyle nominated MIR. E. G. Akers to
| the position to succeed General j. G..
Hill There were no other nominations
and Mr. Akers received all the votes
cast. Mr.. Cromwell and Mr.. Byars
We're appointed a committee to canvass
the vote, and reported that Mr.. Akers
had received all the votes cast-ninety-
three in number. Il
was discharged from the consideration
of three Senate bills concerning licensed
warehouses. and these bills were re-
5ferred to the legislative commission when
it shall be appointed
The following were announced as mem
bers Of the joint commission on con-
struction Of a penitentiary: Messrs. lie
Cato MI sERrv1