The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-14
TO BE HERE
TILL SUMNER
Heavy Work Yet Before the
8 Legislature.
INSURANCE FIGHT is ON
Many Bills to Come Up Shortly on this
Line-Annexatlon Bills are Now Up.
Move to Secure Uniformity Of
Laws in Different States.

The date OF tho probable adjournment
OF the Legislature Is amatter that is
entirely beyond mortal Anen to even
conjecture, 80 choatlc does tho situation
seem at this tlrne Not single report
has been made on any general subject
OF legislation save that OF taxation, and
that has not been disposed OF by even
ono branch
It will not get through the House for
ten days. and then It goes to tho Senate
There, too, Its. provisions will DO ear
nestly scrutinizcd. and 1t Is not expected
to get to the Governor for at least
month. Meanwhile little else OF gen
eral nature will be done.
The report Of the Roads Committee
on Corporations is about ready, but
with the tax bill pending, it will have
to await its regular order.
Tho report Of the Committees Tor
important OF all. and on the House
side it has scarcely been touched, ow-
Ing to the great deal OF time taken up
In the consideration Of the Campbell
Crawford case.
Then, In addition to the report Of tho
Committees on Counties. Cities and
Towns and others of general Importance.
there are now pending bills general in
their nature, which do not relate to con-
AOEIHlHS lIle StdLutes5 10 INC 1leH oTB SIllC
Law, which will require a great deal OF
time for consideration by both houses.
One Is the matter OF congressional re-
apportionment, and THO other Is the
Bnrksdale pure-elections measure, and
still another tho various oyster bills; so
It will be seen that should the body
be here ''in the good old summer time
there will be no cause for great sur
prise.
The fight over the various Insurance
measures. which have been offered has
been kept down by the Campbell Craw
ford inve, .fgation, and the various other
important matters. which have arisen In
the two houses OF the General Assembly.
but indications are that It will be set
tied once for all in very short while.
There are number OF bills pending ON
the subject of insurance. So far none have
passed either branch. The Sale bill. Gre
ating q department of insurance and
adjusting the present statutes to the new
Constitution is on the Senate calendar
and will be disposed Of. probably next
week. The various other bills which have
been proposed are all in committees
awaiting action H.
The Sale bill will very likely pass.
as there Is no serious objection to 1t,
save that the insurance people believe
that they should not be made to bear
the burden of paying the expense OF
maintaining the new department mas
much as additional taxes are already
levied upon them in the general revenue
bill.
Perhaps the other bills which are re-
garded as OF most interest and import
ance are those by Mr.. Bruce to re-enact
the Wharton anti-compact law and by
Mr.. West to abolish the three-fourth
valu clause in fire insurance policies.
Chances at this time would seem to IA
yor the passage OF the former and the
defeat Of the latter.
One OF the most Interesting matters
now pending before the Legislature Is
that relating to the mode OF annexng
property adjacent to cities and towns, and
although It has been threshed over
time and again in the two Committees
on Counties, Cities and Towns, yet the
battle Is by no means ended. and will
last for long time yet.
There are two bills now pending In
the Senate. and their status is this: The
Gardner bill, which provides that all ques-
lions relating to the annexation Of prop
erty shall be submitted to popular vote
was adversely reported, while that Of
Senator Anderson, which provides for M
Jurisdiction of nonresident circuit judEes
was approved by the Senate Committee
On the House side exactly the reverse
Of this proposition Is true the Gardner
bill having being favornbly reported from
the committee. It Is the old fight Of
county against city and it looks as If the
former forces have the big end of the
fight, The Chambers OF Commerce Of
many OF tho cities have endorsed the An,
derson BILL and the able Senator from
Richmond, Is making a ..g fight for Its
passagf Senator Cogbill. OF Chester
field, is leading the opposition In
favoi Q Gardner substitute, said last
nighs .liat he thought that measure
would wn even In the Senate. 1t seems
to be pretty generally conceded that the
Gardner bill will go through the House
by a largo majority,
Senator Mc1lwaine. of Petersburg, who
Is regarded as one OF the strongest law
yers In the General Assembly. and who
Is the very able chairman of the Senate
Committee for Courts OF Justice. has Of
fered a bill which is of peculiar interest
to prac ticing attorneys.
It Is to provide for the appointment
by the Governor every two years OF
commission to be composed Of three mem.
bers, whose duty it shall be to confer
with similar bodies from other States for
the purpose Of promoting harmony and
uniformity between the statute laws Of
bhe different States. This is a question
that has long been live one with at.
torneys, and with national and State
board associations and has often been
up on previous occasions In the Legisla.
lures Of many OF the States.
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