Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-04-03
LEGISLATIVE DOINGs.

LEGISLATIVE DOINGS.
A bill has been presented to legal
ize party primaries.
The Senate passed the bill making
it unlawful to entice away servants
or laborers.
A bill has been introduced en-
towering Supervisors to increase the
school levy.
The Senate has agreed to the
House resolution providing for a
committee to investigate and report
upon the feasibility of leasing the
barren area and depleted oyster
bottoms.
The general game bill was passed
1t sets uniform season for hunting
quail. East of the Blue Ridge from
November lst to February lst, and
west of the Blue Ridge from Noyem.
Der lst to January 1st.
Governor Montague Saturday signed
two important bills from the Legis,
lature, and they became laws from
that date. One was forbidding the
use of any kind of slot machine and
prescribing the penalty; the other
was the bill providing for the cleo
ton of Commissioners of the Rev.
enue.
The Senate Revenue bill doubles
the tax OH liquor dealers and lays q
tax Of 81 per member on social
clubs. 1t also abolishes the tax on
boarding houses. Senator McIlwsine
SAID in most cases the keepers of
clearinghouse were poor, helpless
women, and were engaged in this oc-
cupation not because they desired to
do so, but because they were forced
by circumstances so to do. "Many
women suffer ia silence where men
would protest"
The Gsrdner-W Whitehead General
Legalized Primary bill was intro
duced i'll the House Tuesday. The
bill is designed to carry out the rec
Ommendation of the Democratic State
Convention held at Norfolk. 1t pro.
yides for the extension of most of
the laws governing general elections
to the primaries. Judges are to be
selected by the electoral boards,
notice of the primaries given by pub.
lication in newspapers 80 days before
the primaries are held, and candi-
dates who wish to be voted for must
give notice in writing to the county
or city chairman of their party Is
days prior to the election. Ballots
are to be used, and any person who
wants help in making a ballot may
designate person to help him who
may come within the 40 foot line for
not over three minutes.
wEsTMoRELAND OYSTER FIGHT.
After hot fight the bill granting
oyster bottoms in Curioman Bay to
Murphy, Mayo and others was or
dered to its engrossment in the
House by a vote of 81 to Is.
There is very good reason to be-
lieve the bill will pass. 1t is
not thought the bill is an unjust
one, and that the agitation against
it turns more on political lines than
anything else. This is the senti-
ment in Legislative circles.
MANN BILL PASSES.
The Mann Anti-Liquor bill passed
the Senate by vote of % to 4. The
recorded vote was as follows:
AYEs-Barksdale, Bruce, Byars.
Chapman, Coghill, Dinwiddie, Dona-
hoe, Ford, Gold, Halsey, Hartman,
Harvey, Keezell, Lupton, Mann,
Massie, Sears, Shackelford, st. Clair.
Tyler, Wallace, Watkins and Wick
ham.
NoEs-Anderson, Bryant, Crom.
well aud Sale.
The bill was amended so as to
exempt villages or towns over 500
population that had police protec-
ton. Speaking of the police protec-
tion so much talked about, Mr.. Har-
man said it reminded him of turning
a mad dog loose and hiring a man to
guard hun. He declared that liuuor
was responsible for nearly all the
crimes.
The final struggle so far as the
House Committee is concerned, was
had before that body in the hall of
the House Tuesday night, and
the vote taken Wednesday. The
measure then goes to the House, and
the prevailing sentiment among
members seems to be that the COM
mlttee will report 1T. and that it will
be passed, but not without one of the
biggest fights of the session.
The committee met promptly ut
7:30 o'clock Tuesday night, aud the
argument lasted until IL O'Clock.
Judge William Gordon Robertson. of
Roanoke, counsel for the State LIQUOR
Dealers Association, opened up in a
powerful speech against the new
liquor tax scheme, and he was fol.
lowed by Messrs. L. @. Younger
John Blair and w. NJ. Parrish. of
the Richmond Wholesale Grocers'
Association, who presented resolu
tons passed by that organization
against the Mann bill, and the in.
creased license taxes.
Hon. Joseph L. Lawless, of Nor
folk. also made a speech which
orlstled with figures to show that
there should be no change in the
present system. Judge Mann closed
in an eloquent plea for his bill, and
when he had concluded the commit
tee, at II o'clock, arose until 10
o'clock Wednesday, when the vote
was taken.
BLOW STRUCK IN THE SENATE.
The most exciting incident since