Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-14

%WomanS8 Christian ASSOCIATION Kin
Must Pay for Gas.
In addition to the above the following
customary contributions OF gas will be
cut off:
Young Mems Christian Association. $500
worth: Confederate Museum, $50; Valen-
tine Museum, $50; Methodist Institution
for Religious Work, SIS.
Only yesterday one of the lady officials
of the Women's Christian Associate In
ouired Of Gas Inspector Shelton at the
City Hall what the chances were for
getting free gas for this institution. = he
blue eye OF the genia official tWinkled as
he kindly but dryly replied:
MA dame. / suggest that you postpone
further inquiry until tomorrow, as the
City Attorney may render an opinion to-
night that will answer all questions Of
this kind
s.You viii see by the opinion" said the
City Attorney to reporter for the Dis
patch last night. that there Is an excep-
ton made in the cases Of .non-sec,arian
schools. Of manual. Industrial. and tech
nical training" which for instance. let's
in the Mechanics institute, which is
nom sectarian and technical.
THE effect of the opinion" he said,
would be to prevent the further making
of appropriations Of this kind by Council.
and It would have the effect Of cutting
out all such annual appropriations from
the budget OF 1903 which Is now being
made up by the Finance Committee =
One Way Around.
There is one way around the legal
obstacle to these appropriations and
that is by application to the Legislature
to authorize the city of Richmond to
make such appropriations, and those who
expressed any opinion on the subject last
night said it was very likely that the
institutions concerned would not lose any
time getting together and having intro
duced in the General Assembly the !egis-
lation necessary for this purpose. It Is
also highly probable that when these in
.huential forces bring their arguments to
bear on the Legislature that body will
enact the desired legislation.
city Attorneys Opinion.
Following is the full text OF the City
Attorneys opinion:
is..Gentlemen.-l am in receipt OF copy
OF resolutions, adopted by your honor
able body on December 8. 1909, reading
as follows:
:. g. Resolved. That the City Attorney be,
and he Is hereby requested to render to
this body at Its nextaregular meeting his
opinion as to whether under the new
Constitution the City Council can legal
" make appropriations of money. gas or
water, to. or for the benefit Of. any In
stitutlon not under the control In whole
or in part OF. s3or owned by. the city,"
In reply to request embodied in said
resolution, IS have; to say thai there are
two provisions in the new Constitution
bearing upon THE question you submit
TO me for. an ansWer-nam mely:
The General Assembly shall not make
any appropriation of public funds. or
personal property, or of any rea1sestate,
to any church, or secta rian society, as
aociation, or institution OF any kind
whatever. which is entirely or. partly.
directly. or indirectly, controlled by any
church or sectarian society: nor shall
the General Assembly make any like sap-
propriatfo to any charitable institution
which is not owned or controlled by the
State: except that It may, in IFS dtscre-
ion.S make appropriar rtons to non-secta-
elan lnstitutions for. the reform OF youth
fnI criminals; but nothing herein con-
tained shall prohibit the General ASSEM-
bly, from authorizing counties. cities. or
toWnssto make such appropria tons to any
charitab BILE institut Ion or assocla tion.',..
Section 81.
Ii Ii s s. NO osappropriat ton OF public funds shall.
be made to any school 8or inst Hutton Of
earning not owned or exclusively con-
trol1ed by the State or some political sub
division thereof. provided, arst tlla 4 the
General ASSENT bly, may, Ia its discretion,
continue heNappropr:atIon To the Col
lege5 OF w liam and Mary second. that
this sction aaall not bss nstrued AZ I'd.
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