Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-02-25
Virginia Legislature.
SENATE.


SENATE.
IA stated in the Gazette of that day
theSenate yesterday passed the bill drawn
by Senator Anderson, approprlatlng
$3.50. 900 for repairs to the State Capitol
building. The fight over the measure
has been on for months in this and pre-
ceding legislatures, and its passage today
was by only the narrowest margin.
Twenty-one votes were need and only
twenty-one were secured, ten senators
being recorded in the negative. 1t is
said that the bill will have plain sailing
in the House. Chairman Boaz, Of the
the finance committee, and other leaders
beingin favor of it. The defeat of Chair
man Wickham was one of the few he
had sustained as leader of the Senate.
The bill proposes to thoroughly renovate
the building and make it freproof alter
its internal arrangements, and add two
wings, so as to give space for all the de-
partments of the government, some OF
which now occupy rented rooms. The
plans to be followed are those prepared
by Architect PEBBLES, Of Norfolk.
HOUSE.
The House passed the Anderson bill
providing method for annexing terri
tory to towns or cities. The bill allows
a circuit judge, from some other terri
tory than that affected, to hear testimony
from all parties interested and to either
order or forbid the annexation. The
passage of the bill followed a debate of
several days The measure failed of
passage at the Last session.
There was no direct vote on the bill,
the fight occurring on substitute offer
ed by Mr.. Lee, of Fairfax, under which
the people of the territory sought to be
annexed are allowed to settle the matter
by their votes, the annexing city or
town having no say in the matter. Mr.
Lee made a strong plea for his bill, and
cited in support OF it iruitless attempt
in the past to annex Alexandria county
to the District of Columbia. The vote
by which the substitute was rejected,
and which represented the strength of
the Anderson bill, was 81 to "A.
The Anderson bill providing for the
protection Of HOudon's statue of Wash
ington in the routunda of the Capitol was
taken up out of its regular order and en-
crossed
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Jor-
dan and referred providing that the COM
mittee on the Chesapeake and its tribu-
taries shall consist of not less than one
member from each congressional district.
1t is complained that too many Tide
water men are now on IT.
Bills were presented
To provide for the placing OF lunatics
in private sanitariums.
To require school superintendents to
make prompt reports of railroad property
for taxation.
To amend the law in relation to the
condemnation of property for bridge
purposes.
But fourteen working days, including
today, remain before thegeneral assembly
must conclude all the business of the
present session, If the session is extend
ed beyond the prescribed time, the mem
bers will have to serve without pay or be
convened in extraordinary session, and
even in the event of the latter they can
not sit more than thirty days. The
session, therefore, unless extended will
end two weeks from next Saturday.
The Richmond Leader says: "The
pVaoiLil;t;os &c o"tossioa of the SEES
sion-either by a proclamation of the
governor or by resolution of the members
is remote-sxceedingly improbable.
The oldest members Gn point of service)
in both branches say that there in no
reason why all the business cannot be
of before the day of adjourn
ment. This includes the appropriation
BILL consideration of which is now on in
the House. 1t is believed that ten days
will suffice for getting the bill through
the Senate, though double daily sessions
may be necessary. 1t is accepted, as a
rule, that when the appropriation bill is
under consideration, other legislation is
ended. The presence Of every member
is essential when the appropriation bill
is considered. The question of general
Increase of salaries for State officials, pro-
positions to which end are now pending,
IS again coming to the front, and from
ak heard in the Hobbies, based on
figures Estimates furnished by the audi
or, the chances of the granting the in
;reases are not at all good. 1t looks as
f there'll be rush of matters for the
coming two weeks in legislative circles "