Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-02-20
70CoMAO COURT HOUSE. va.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, l9O4'

The House of Delegates, by vote OF
Sc to 25, passed the Jordan Bill 10
break the Baylor survey and to lease
barren and depleted grounds thereis'
on Wednesday, despite the many de
fects which were pointed out in the
bill by the Underwater delegates and the
vigorous efforts which were made by
them to amend it. The advocates OF
the iniouitous measure, in their haste
TO transfer the natural beds, rocks
and shoals of the State' into the hands
of syndicate, by farce which VIII De
PLAYED later by calling them rex
hausted" and depleted beds, were
not omen to conviction or disposed to
listen to reason, as indicated by the
following report of the closing debate
on the question by the Times-Dlspatch:
Mr.. Gravely, of Henry, was the first
speaker on the oyster measure he
spoke briefly against the passage OF the
measure. and declared that he did not
think il was proper one to put on the
statute books in its present shape
Mr.. Rev followed Mr. Gravely, ana
his effort was an exceptionally strong
one He appealed to the House in elo-
quent terms not to pass Dill Which
would inflict a great injustice upon his
people and which was both unfair ana
unconstitutional. Mr.. Rev declared
that it was not proper to send par
tisan commission to deal with the very
vitals of his people, and he argued al
some length that the bill was not such
a one as would, i'll his judgment, bring
in any additional revenue to the public
treasury. Mr. Rew's peroration was
vigorous and eloquent, and he was
loudly cheered when he had resumed
his seat.
Mr.. Cardwell spoke for the bill, and
before he had proceeded far he was
piled with questions from many sour
ces. Messrs. Rev and Withers asking
the major part of them.
1t looked at one time as If there
might be compromisa, which would
be agreeable to both sides. Mr.. Rev
said that if the words exhausted" and
depleted" should be stricken out, and
the commission chosen from without
the Legislature he would support the
bill, and he was followed by Messrs.
Lambeth, Gum, Withers, and j. Nj.
Lewis on the same line. 1t looked as
if the whole Tidewater delegation were
about to tumble" and th,t Mr..
Jordan would accept but Mr.. Card
well, who still held the floor "sat still
in the boat" and, when it was all over,
declared that on his part he would de
cline to enter into any agreement
which would load" the bill so that 1t
would not pass the Senate.
Mr.. Hundley, of Matthews, opened
his speech in opposition to the bill
with a declinatiOn TO serve as a mem
Der of the committee to make the re-
survey. He referred to the fact that
the patron himself had not been sure
of his ground and had Sc t the bill to
Courts of Justice to see if it were COZ
stitutional. He appealed to the Leg9
lature not to pass this bill, which
would be unfair to his people, and the
Tidewater contingent cheered MIN
when he resumed his seat.
At O'Clock Mr.. Hundley resumed
his seat, and Mr.. Jordan, the patron,
arose to close the debate for the meas
ure. The bill was read by the clerk
when Mr.. Jordan had concluded his re-
marks, and upon roll-call it was passed.
The bill has not only passed the
House, but it is predicted also, that II
will pass the Senate. We cannot be
lIeve It, We believe that body too con-
sentative and wise to endorse meas
ure, which in the language of the Vir-
ginian-Pilot in whatever shape it has
been presented, sis always lacking the
guarantee that productive rocks will
not be seized or the guarantee that the
State will get an adequate rental for
the bottoms leased"