Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-03-09
Virginia Legislature.

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A scramble was made By members in
both houses yesterday to discharge the
committees from consideration of pet
bills and get them before the House.
Many succeeded, but many we're fatty
turned down.
1t is said that there are bills enough
before the committees to give the legis-
lature two months steady work, but
MANY Of them will never be reported.
SENATE.
The Senate passed the bill to appro-
pirate $25, 900 for the erection of an
electric plant to light and heat the gov
ernor's mansion and other buildings.
The general appropriation bill was
then taken up and considered at length,
strenuous objection being made by
Chairman Wickham, Of the finance COM
mittee. to the increase of salaries recon-
mended and approved in the House.
The bill to amend the law in regard to
State dispositions, which was amended
by the Senate so as to allow the COVER
nor and treasurer to designate any bank
giving the required bond, which amend
ment was rejected by the House, was
taken up. The Senate refused to recede
from its amendment, and a conference
committee was asked for.
The Senate held an afternoon session,
and agreed to amendments to the appro-
priation bill, reducing the salaries OF
second auditor, treasurer and register OF
the land Office to the amounts now paid.
The House increased all these salaries.
The Senate committee on roads killed,
by postponing it indefinitely, the bill re-
curing railroads to fence their tracks.
The Senate cOncurred in the House
amendments to the Senate bill requiring
employers of large bodies of laborers to
have them inspected periodically by
health officers.
The Senate also concurred in the
House amendment TO the Senate bill
making it a misdemeanor TO desert a
wife or minor children and prescribing
punishment therefor.
HOUSE.
A fight occurred in the House over
the appropriation OF Sl65, 900 to the
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and $780,
900 to the Female Normal School, passed
by the Senate. The House bill as re-
ported from the finance committee, cut
these amounts nearly in half, and Mr..
Boaz, chairman Of the committee, used
copious figures to show that the State
treasury would not stand the strain.
But its advocates met figures with other
figures, and there was much talk of
Juggling with these convenient helps to
argument One speaker declared that
the watchdog of the treasury never even
barked whenever there was an appropri-
alton up for the University of Virginia.
Mr. Heermans, republican, of Mont
gOmery, the county in which the Vir-
ginia Polytechnic Institute is located,
made a speech for the appropriation and
was cheered again and again by the
House. The bills went through by
big majority. These bills were passed
by the Senate several days ago, and only
the signature of the governor is now
necessary to make them laws.
The Edmonson road bill, which affects
the whole State, passed the House as
amended by the Senate, the principal
change being to allow county super
visors, instead of circuit judges, to name
road Overseers.
The bill to authorize the commission
ers of the revenue to list certain agri-
cultural and mineral products in the
State, was defeated.
1t was stated in the House yesterday
that the record in the contested cleo
ton case of Johnson and Etheridge
against Parker and Owens, from Norfolk
county, has not yet been considered by
the committee. The record cost about
$500, but as the session ends in four
days the matter will hardly be put to
practical use.