The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-21
FlNESPEECH
FOR .C||.',H|[ANCi.E
Mr.. Eugene Mdssie for Tor '5'l
rens System.
ADyOCA TES LEAKE BILL
Two Judiciary Committees, LA~yers,
Business Men and Legislators Lis
ten to Earnest Appeal for New
Plan for Land Reglstaton.
ADyoC ATES LEAKE BILL III

The Committees for Courts Of Justice
Of the senate and House OF Delegates
mot n the Supreme Court room yester.-.
day afternoon, heard q powerful speech
BY Mr.. Eugene Massie in favor OF the
Bill offered III the Senate BY Mr. Mo-
Sllwstne, and in the House by Mr.. 1eake,
putting Into operation the Torrens (EnG-
illsh) system o { registering land In Viz
ginia, and adjourned without taking any
action. There was g. good attendance OF
tho members Of tho committee, ana e 2
large number Of lawyers. business men,
and members OF tho legislature
were present TO hear tho discuss
sion, which was as able as has been
heard here on any subject IN q Ions
time. The Joint committee was called
to order by Senator McIlwnlne, chairman
OF the Senate Committee, Quorum OF
both bodies being present He stated
that ne had offered the bill under consid-
Grafton IN the Senate, but he claimed no
credit for 1t, as IL had been worked out
and drawn after hard study by Mr.. Mas.
sie, assisted by Professor Lie, OF the Uni.
versity OF Virginia, n
III Ho introduced Mr., Afass!s; who at
once waded into an able and eloquent
discussion Of the bill, He deplored the
present system Of registering land In vir-
ginia, and said 1t was a we'll known fact
that great doubt and uncertainty lowered
about titles In tho State, and that 1t had
been SO ever since ne tablishtnsn ., 81 q
~ OLD CASES CITED.
AZ He cited the case Of Hight Va Fairfax,
as far back az the eighteenth century.
ana said since that the law books OF
the state vera crowded with cited cases
bearing out tho uncertainty Of the OLD
worn out system now In vogue. 7e reao
case after case, running through many
years, showing that now and heretofore
the matter Of getting clear titles to real
iplished through long years OF hardshlp9,
uncertainties and difficulties.
55 Mr.. Massie read a letter from Col, WI.
Ham II. Palmer, president of the City Bank
endorsing the Torrens system, and gi'v1ns
some Interesting experiences that had
como in his way In the matter Of 40.
curing title to real estate. both IN the
city and elsewhere In the State.
4 Mr.. Massie pointed out tho dimcnltlee
nf examining titles and said that. how
ever honest might be the examiner. hin
road was a hard and uncertain one, ana
then he argued that the present system
bore hard on the poor, as money could
not be easily obtained upon real estate
unless a clear title could be easily and
speedily shown. .,3$38i
MI. Masse treated the present system
ably. and at great length, and then he
took up the Torrens system and explains
ed It ably and In detail.
But before passing thence he hit the
delinquent land system q crack, and said
q man land was given to vandals and
land grabbets, the cause Of the very d1tti-
GUILTY Of passing clear III title. 55 the
state often lost the! greater portion Of
It's taxes, and the owner his land, and
IL this matter Of title. could be remedied.
as 1t would be In HIS bill, there was no
need for such performances.
h Mr.. 5Massle was terribly Ia earnest and
made an earnest plea for the relief az
the widows and the poor Of the land who
were being crushed under the present
system. 535Sg
TFlD NEW SYSTEM,