Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-08-18
JUDGE MANN VOTED AGAINST
THE OYSTER PEOPLE.

ShsuhafcdNeTy large permanent
interest in the protection of
the great oyster bottoms of
the Chesapeake Bay and it's trib-
utaries, from which source an
immense population derives its
sustenance. To cripple this in
dustry would mean ruin to these
people.
For more than q quarter of q
century persons with foreign capt.
tai at their command have en-
ueavored to secure possession of
these great natural oyster rocks
OF the State, which for a hundred
years have afforded employment
TO thousands of our native popu-
lation andhave yielded much rev.
enue to the State.
During the session of 1903 the
famous Jordan Oyster Bill was
introduced and considered by the
Legislature. The object of this
BIN was to break the Baylor sur
vey and to let out to individuals
or corporations many of the
natural oyster beds that had been
iHcluded in the survey.
This Bill passed the House of
Delegates against the strenuous
opposition of the members from
Underwater, and was communi-
Gated to the Senate, where a pow
erful fightwas made against it by
members of the Senate represent
ing the Tidewater Counties. The
blilwas practically defeated when
a motion was made to re-commit
1t to the Committee on Fish and
tame, the object being to keep
the bill alive and give its friends
another opportunity to force its
passage through the Senate.
The Tidewater Senators, as a
matter OF course, objected to the
re-committal of the bill, expect
ing on the next vote to finally
defeat the measure. In this they
were supported by some up
country members, but Judge
Mann was of the opposition
which succeeded in thwartino-
their desire.
A reference to the Senate Jour
nal for December Is, 1903. dis
closes the fact that Judge Mann
was one of the seventeen Senator's
who voted to keep the famous
Jordan Bill alive and to refer it
back to the Committee, and in
SO doing he voted against the
wishes of every friend of Tide
waters great industry. Here is
a copy OF the Journal:
"Mr. Harvey called for the special order
which was agreed to.
No. 437, House bill to authorize and |
appoint Joint special committee OF the
House and Senate to lease ont barren
area and exhausted or depleted oyster
bottom within the Baylor Geodetic Sur
vey and define and determine the natural
BEDS rocks and shoals of the State: with
a substitute.
Being the special and continuing or.
der OF the day-was taken up.
The substitute offered by Mr.. Keezell
was rejected by the following vote-yeas.
II; nays, 20. Senator's who voted are
"feas-Messrs. Anderson, Chapman.
Cogbil, Donohoe, Ford, Gold. Halsev II
Harvey, Keezell, Walker and Watkins
"Nays-Barksdale, Bryant, Campbell (
cromwell Garrett, Gunter, Hobbs,
HntchesOn, Mann, Massie, Moon, opie.
hivereomb, Sale, Sears, Shackelford. /,
Stands, Tyler, Wallace and Wickham-I'
Mr.. Watkins offered an amendment
Mr.. Wickham moved to re-commit
the bill to the Committee ON Fish and
Game.
"Mr. Barksdale called pending ques- {
ton, which was agreed to. {
"The bill was then referred to the Com. ,
mittee on Fish and Game by the follow
ing vote-yeas, II; nays, IA. Senators
who voted are: s
Yeas - Messrs Anderson, Bryant. {
Campbell, Chapman, Cromwell, Dono- {
hoe, Ford, Gold, Halsey, Harvey, Kee- 9
cell, Mann, Massie, Sale, Shackelford. !.
Watkins and Wickham-17.
Nays - Messrs. Barksdale. Garrett
Gunter, Hobbs, Hutchinson, Mcnwaine, u
Moon. Opie, Rivercomb, Sears, Stands, IL
Tyler, Walker and Wallace-I4." ii
1t will be observed that some
OF the friends of the Jordan Bill.
including Bryant, voted against
the Keezell substitute along with :
Judge Mann; they did not want :
it. When the vote came up onI
the Jordan measure Ito recon- :
NIT, or be brought to a vote att
4 time when Barksdale, Sears,
and other friends of the y
oysterpeOple wanted to kill it for 1,
good and alp Judge Mann voted :
against the Tidewater people to !
give the Jordan Bill another
chance. 7
Judge Mann and his friends s
here have declared that he stood :
~ Tidewater's representativeson :,
he Jordan bill, and but for this = :
persistent claim we would not :
lave produced the record show. :
~ he was net with them. If he 7
,0ted aQaiaaff, the -Jafd,,,, HIN =