The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-11

70 DO held in Richmond February 10Th,
18th and 18th. { 55
Please have enclosed programme read I,
to your honorable body and obllgc, {,
GEO. Il. DAVIS,
Secretary.
Robert Gillian. President.
Mr, Leake presented memorial from
school suDcrintondents In counties OF
lOOW population or less, asking that their
salaries be not less than 500 per year
II was referred to the Finance Com
mittee and there wore number OF
petitions In favor Of tho Mann liquor
Mr. Btearncs offered a bill "a refnnd
to John w. Rodgers and Others, liuuor
dealers In certain local option district
In York county. money paid for liuuor
licenses, and Mr.. Cation presented one
to perfect tho title to tract of land ii,
Alexandria county to Eleanor A. Means
and her heirs, and they were both re-
ferred.
& Mr. Boaz called UP House bill No. "a
from paying tho clerks and officers Of
tho House during recesses. and 1t pro-
1voked big fight.
Mr.. Hunley moved to recommft. ana In
favor OF this motion he made strong
speech. He and Mr. Boaz became In
VOWED in several ooloquays. and at
times the cross-nring between them was
quite spirited.
The motion to recommit was lost and
the bill was passed.
A message from the Governor informed
the House OF tho resignation Of Judge j.
3. Prince OF the County Court OF South
anpton, and an Invitation was received
E by tho House from Eis Excellency to
O public reception at the mansion to-
night
ELECTION CASE UP.
Sc On motion Of Mr.. Duke the House or
ldered b rule to issue against certain wit
dates OF the committee in the Campbell
Gaze, and the House took up the Norfolk
city contested election case.
The first speech was by Hon. g. =.
Kelley OF this city. chairman Of The
committee. and It was powerful and
eoquent argument in favor of the ma
jority report.
that the burden was upon the contestants
to show that the contestees were not fair
~ elected, and that this they had utterly
failed to do. He said he might admit that
every vote alleged to have been fraudu-
lent Was fraudulent, and still there were
not enough discrepancies to elect the con-
testants.
personnel OF the leaders Of the two fac
lions In Norfolk. and he denied that the
contestants stood for all that was high
and pure in politics.
TOOK UP RECORD.
The speaker then took up the record
and the speech OF Colonel Cabell, and
dwelt at some length upon both, under
taking to break down the contention OF
the latter and contending that the for
mer showed that the contestees were
clearly ..ected to the seats now held by
them.
AS to the voters alleged to have voted
more than once. he said 1t had been
proved that only one such case actually
existed, and that to strike this out would
not in any way change the result.
In closing Mr.. Kelley made an eloquent
appeal to the House to retain the sitting
members, to whom he paid high trib-
ute as men and legislators, and he sus-
tained his well established reputation as
one Of the most brilliant advocates In the
present Legislature.
When Mr.. Kelley had closed, Mr.. Heer-
mans (Republican). Of Montgomery, was
recognized, and spoke about minute
against both reports and in favor OF re-
ferring the matter back to the people Of
Norfolk for o new election.
COL. CABELL CLOSES.
( Colonel George G. cabell, Jr. closed
=
speech OF exceptional force and strength,
He went over some OF the poinss brought
by himself In his former speech. ana
then he took UP Mr.. Kelley's speech and
replied to it in strong language. He laid
great stress upon alleged fraud In the
First and Fourth Wards. and cited many
decided cases to show that time and
again members of delberatlve bodies had
been unseated on evidence less strong
and direct than that adduced by the con-
testants. He said the alleged padding"
in Norfolk could not have been done In
nocently. but was done with the consent
and connivance OF the election officers for
purposes OF fraud. Colonel Cabells pero-
ration was an eloquent one, and he plead
ed strongly for honesty and purity I'M
elections. He contended that in his RE-
port he and his colleagues had brought
fraud home to the election officers, and
this entitled them to win their case under
the law. If the Second Precinct of the
Fourth Ward were thrown out. the con-
testants would win, and without abandon
ing his position as to the other precincts,
CONTESTEES SEATED.
he asked earnestly that this be done.
When Colonel cabell closed the Clerk
read the minority report, and the vote
was taken upon It first It was rejected
ayes, 10: nays, 43.
The majority report lin favor Of the
sitting members) was then adopted upon
roll-cal1 by tho following vote:
AXes-Messrs. Charles T. Bland. Boaz
BoIs-an, Branch, Cardwell. Garter, Chris
tia hurchman. Cumming. Davis. Duke,
Ea Edmondson. Edwards. Elan, Fea-
thy N. Gardner. Gravely, Green. Hun,
Hssy J, Jones. q. c. Jordan, Kelley,
L{sSss Lawson, Leake, Lewis Lion
sws. Mays. Murrell. Nottingham,
Ca, Owens, Powers, Purdy. sebrell.
herman, Blackburn Smith, Walker
lace. and Wares.
ESJoes-Messrs. G. G. Baker, Cabell
fssolkes, Fulton, Gent, Jennings, Lee, Rey.
nolds Snead. Stafford. stearnes, Taylor
and West-13.
Mr.. Jennings stated that his duty had
been very painful one, and that the