The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-20
BE UNA.B|::|,.|L|..E||:
TO ADJOURN
Tie Strange Prcdieainct1t III
Which the Legislature Now
Finds Itself.
QUORUM OF MEMBERS NEEDED
Lacking a Requisite Number, the
Body May Have to Remain
Constructivcly il, Session.

!. "
Tho General Assembly Of Virginia has
,nyo,ved itself In what promises TO De
peculiar, but very Interesting comi pa
cation. Tho Senate yesterday adopted
,oint resolution. proposing adjournment u y.
the General Assembly sine Gle on Meu-
nesday, December 23d The House. now
ever, rejected the joint resolution, ana II
neces sarily failed of effect,
After adjournment yesterday until Mon.
aay many Of the members OF both houses
La IN. their homes, many Of them with
4 tho nvowed Intention not to return before
Y Christmas, If at all. The House having
s,cndfas.i. and deliberately refused 70
adjourn. the Senate having done an J.
could to fix date for adjournment u..u
failed, the senators generally tecl ao-
solved from any obligation TO return pe-
fore Christmas. Many of those VINO !No
at distant points do not care TO return
al pll. with the uncertainty Of quorum
md The accomplishment Of anything by
returning. Members Of the House IN
large numbers have gone to their homes
&yesterdav there was hardly more than a
comfortable quorum Of deega tes' Inns
was true Of senators also
UNABLE TO ADJOURN.
Presenting, therefore, that quorum OF
either house be lacking Monday, ootn
\ houses will find themselves in the ulu'
s,,al predicament Of being unable TO al
( 1ourn sine die. To finally adjourn re-
J n,,ires the presence and vote of quorum
81 both houses. In the event that
quorum of both houses does not appear,
therefore each house will find Itself with
orly tho power to adjourn from day 10
day. and yet without power to transact
any business. The General Assembly VIII
DO constructively in session and merely
go.
We'll known parliamentarians stated
Yesterday that the only means by when
the General Assembly could adjourn sine
s die without the presence OF quorum
would be by failure to take the vote oy
yeas and nays. Thus. ii member moved
TO adjourn sine die without the presence
ri q quorum. and another member. OBJ
jectins to the proposition, called Tor the
yeas and nays. the chair might IN ascer-
tanning whether or not the call were siis-
tanned. automatically decide and declare
tina, the call Is not sustained, even
though It were secon~-- by suthcient
number under the rules. In the House
eleven votes afe necessary to sustain
cali for the yeas and nays. In the event
that there were not so many voting 10
sustain the call. the chair might then
I decIa re the House adjourned without day.
n-oy,ded the senate also should agree to
such final adjournment. Nothing save
call for the ayes and noes or vote by
yeas and nays on some pending PROPOSE
ton would absolutely develop either the
4 presence or absence or a Quorum.
THE SITUATION.
So rnuci1 for the technical phases OF the
proposition The situation In the General
Assembly is this: Mr.. Duke and other
members OF the House have offered
amendments TO the general law In rela-
ton X, public service corporations. and the
enactment OF some law supplementary to
End c1ecutory Of the constitutional pro.
visions on that subject is Imperative. The
amendments and the bill itself. having
Z uassed the House and gone to the Senate,
were referred TO the Commtte for Courts
OF Justice of that body, and have peen
uy:dcr consideration by It. a report
thereon has not ye, been submitted
Ia the Senate, If such report has even
been agreed upon by the committee, The
i,nnres sion is that the Judgment or sem
fincnt of the Senate Committee Is hos
tile 10 the amendments proposed by the
House. or to some of them. The house
having passed them. desires to see the
Senate approve them. The Senate hav-
Ing approved a day for adjournment sine
die. which, In the judgment OF the House,
does not eaye t1me FOR the passage OF
this bill and amendments. the House, en-
ercising its prerogative, refused to con-
cur in the adjournment resolution, which
in order TO become effective requires the
assent OF both bodies. That condition has
brought about the present snarl.
II both bodies have quorum on Mon
day or Tuesday, they may adjourn With
ont uay; otherwise not. unless by the ar.
bitrsry manner already outlined, Mean
while the two bodies can only adjourn
from day to day. And so the session VII
drag on until the legal lmita ton upon II:
lite is reached January 18th at noon
Necessarily the per diem Of members hnt
clerks will continue until final adjourn
ment or dissolution by legal Limitation.