The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-07
PROGRESS IS
VERY |: SLOW J !
Will Take Many Days Yet to
Complete Consideration Of
Public Service Bill
A VERY SPIRITED coLLoQUy
Mr.. Duke CHARGES senator Wick.
ham With Inconsistency, but
No Ofci:se Meant.

The Senate Committee for Courts Of
Justice yesterday resumed consideration
OF tho bill In relation to public service
corporations, but after another long sitting
had made but little progress with this
volumfnous measure. About eight pages
were considered yesterday, which added
TO the seventeen concluded the day before.
leaves scventy-four yet to be considered.
With five more working days for the CON-
sideration of the bill, and at the rate Of
ten pages per day, the committee VIII
have finished fifty more pages, making
a total Of seventy.five pages, leaving
twenty-f four still to- be considered with
the limitation upon the life Of the Cen
cral Assembly at hand. That Is to say,
Unless more rapid progress Is made than
has yet been accomplished. there Is no
hope of a report on the bill at this ses-
sion. $50
The eminent domain bill, another over.
which there is a stubborn contest. with
Mr., Duke and others on the one side and
the attorneys for the various railways on
tho other, will be taken up at a meeting
Of the committee to be held at 10 A NJ.
to-day. This promises to be livery
hearing.
!. SPIRITED coLLOQUY.
Yesterdays sitting OF the committee
was unliyened no little by a colloquy Of
some length between Delegate Duke and
Senator Henry T. Wickham, who IS at
torney for the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway. At one time the passa &c be-
tween the two gentlemen threatened to
1eyelon some feeling, but happily it turn
cd 20 merriment and the members NED
quite a bit OF fun out of the exchanges
between the two. Senator NVickham had
stated that no was a citizen and q far- \
rner. as we'll as an attorney Tor the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and That
he was a citizen and a. farmer before he
was an attorney. ! he had to give up
either law or. his farm he would give
IN the law. The senator In his ctlarac-
realistically earnest and impressive man
mel, dwelt somewhat upon the fact that
he was farming on his ancestral acres,
where his father and his grandfather be-
fore him had lived and wrought. He
spoke with some impressiveness OF his
devotion to this historic old home and Its
fertile acres. on which he raised wheat
and sold It to the Gallego mills. MS
was followed by the statement that the
farmers themselves were benefited By
what was known as the n1!il ~ w ~ on OF
grain. I,
1t was after this that the gentleman
from Albemarle, Mr.. Duke, reviewed what
Mr.. Wickham had said. and then charged
him with Inconsistency. Last y week
said he, when we were here discussing
the eminent domain bill. the gentleman
from Hanover was here advocating the
right OF a railway to run Its line through
n. farm or even through a mans d we'll
ing. II necessary. How would he like to
have a railway run through his farm"
Mr.. Wickham replied that 1t might 40
SO II It would Benefit him as he believed
II would.
Mr.. Duke asked il he would consent
to have a railway run through his ances-
trail home, and not receiving So ready
reply, he asked Mr. Wickham II the
humble home Of another man was not
lust as dear to that man as was the
Sc nator's to him.
No OFFENCE MEANT.
Mr., Wickham protested that the dis
cllssion had developed into personal
matter and wanted to know what Mr.:
Duke meant. That gentleman explained
that he meant to show that the gentle
man from Hanover occupied one posltlon
la st week and had reversed Dimself ana
taken another this week, when the ques-
ton was brought home to him. He as
sured Mr. Wickham that he did not mean
to offend anybody. but thought It legi-
innate to show the Inconsistency, as he
regarded it in the positions taken py the
gentleman from Hanover.
After this tho colloquy was turned into
a. good -humored and very amusing one,
ii, which some very bright retorts were
made on both sides It. was q i1ashlng @ @
Wit from two rapiers and the fencing was
thoroughly enjoyed by the others present.
Mr.. (Wickhana in the course Of his ar
gumcnt as to the benefit OF the mill rate
on grain, asked Senator Keezell II the
rate was not benefit to the farmers OF
Ills section. II don't know 80 much about
that" replied the Rockingham Senator.
"ItJ permits tho grain from the western
States to come IN at practically the same
rate and compete with ours.