The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-15

burg, was happy man yesterday, 9aeu
the Senate, amid applause, passed. the
employers liability bill. which .ne Sel1a-
tor has introduced and advocated with 50
much ability and carnestneSS on TO ineI
OCCASIONS, but each time to meet defeat
IN his own body. The bin mas oftSi
passed the House, but always failed 10
the Senate
1t was a proud moment, when, amid
fattering burst of applause Lieutenant
G.,N ernor Willard announced, The ayes
have it and the bill is passed"
With his face wreathed in smiles the
Senator Immediately reported the bill to
the House, and when he announced thai
i: had passed the Senate, a wave OF ap-
Diause swept over the floor and galleries.
Senator McIlwaine was warmly con-
graduated by his friends upon the pas
sage Of the measure, and he extended the
glad hand to all On the subject. Ihe
bill is now on the House calendar, and
will be passed shortly without OPPOSE
ton.
Hon Charles NJ Wallace, Jr., will have
charge Of the bill in the House. 1t is
| not expected to stir up much opposition,
as both parties are pledged to its pas
cage
Governor Montague will undoubtedly
sign it, as it was largely upon. this issue
that he made his recent campaign LOT
Governor Of the State.
Delegate Heermans Rep.), OF Montgom-
cry. appeared before the House Commit
tee on Privileges and Elections yesterday
| III support Of his bill providing that the
work of the Constitutional Convention
shall be submitted to tho people for ratl-
iication or rejection. He delivered a pit
| ing attack upon the convention and de-
clared that the body would usurp
| the powers of the Legislature should 1t
| either proclaim or submit its work. This
was the province Of the Legislature, ne
asserted, and said the convention should
not be permitted to dominate Its mas
| tiers, who were the people OF the state.
He arraigned the convention for what he
| declared were arbitrary proceedings, and
said the members had arrogated to them
selves tho power Of sovereigns, and IN re-
| fusing to take the oath had declined to
| recognize allegiance even to God.
The speech was full Of sings at the con-
vention, and Mr.. Heermans closed with
| an appeal for his bill, which. he said,
should be passed in the interest of the
people of the State. He said the convention
had no length Of days or end of life and
! there was no telling when 1T would adj
journ. He contendcd strongly that if the
convention should submit its work and it
| should be adopted, it would not stand the
test of the courts. as the question of sub
| mission was clearly one for the Legisa-
| ture.
The bill went over without action,
Messrs Cumming, Cabell and Cation be-
ing appointed a subcommittee to look into
the measure.
What was apparently q nice
question has arisen in connection
with the law requiring attorneys to
pay fees for appearing before legislative
committees when representing their eli
| ents. The fee is 500 and the law on the
| subject reads as follows:
"Any person who shall appear before
| any committee or either branch OF the
General Assembly," &c.
Attorney George E. Wise is counsel ios
the peddlers and is pushing the bill tc
| have their license tax reduced. He claims
under the provisions Of the act that he
| has a right to appear before the House
| and Senate proper and speak for the meas
! ure, as we'll as before the committees
| Of the two bodies. Mr.. Wise has paid
his 500 fee and told Speaker Ryan yester
day that he would appear at the bar Of The
| House when his bill is called and ask
recognition to speak. He produced the
! law on the subject, but Speaker Ryan
said he would decline to recognize MI
| Wise, as the statute was intended tc
| read "any committee Of either branch
| &C., instead Of "any commi tee or either
branch of tho General Assembly"
| The original act was resorted to and
| il was discovered that the word "or''
! Should have been of. so tis matter was
| settled.
| The House Committee on Privileges and
Elections, it is understood, has practically
| completed a bill to rcapportion the State
| into House of Delegates districts. The body
| is now at work on the Senatorial end OF
the bill. 1t is rumored that there will be
| but few changes in the present House ap-
| portionment. Some Of them will likely
be as follows: Newport News, Norfolk
/ county, Wise. and Smythc will probably
get one delegate each. They are now
tackled on to other districts. Petersburg
is to lose one Of her delegates: Rocl1bridge
(. one, King George and Stafford one. Mac
ison and Greene one. The latter four coin.
ties will be tackled on to districts ada
| cent to them.
The recommendations Of the committee
will be, Of course, fought on the floor oil
the House by those counties from which
it is proposed to take delegates to place
elsewhere The report will be made to thu
House next week, as soon as the Senate
portion of the bill is completed.
The friends of Hon. Charles T. Bland
OF Portsmouth, have about succeeded ii
! inducing that gentleman to become {
candidate for Congress in the Second DIS