The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-02
THE SENATE.
General Appropriation Bill De-
batcd and Made Special Order.

IeHcrdI Appropriation Dill ~
batcd and Made Special Order.
Dlsposing rapidly OF the preliminary
business. the Senate was early n. work
on the calendar. passing upon n number
OF matters before the noon hour brought
UP the appropriation bill again. An ef-
fort to get up the Sadler salary bill under
II suspension OF the rules fell six below
the necessary twcnty-scveii votes. This
measure doubles the pay OF members
of the General Assembly. in asking that
st be taken up out of It's order. AT.. Sad
Ter declared that the matter was one OF
equal interest and Importance to au the
members. who are now occupying the
absurd position of staying here at 4
salary Of four dollars per day On the
ground that 1t would clog the wheels
OF the legislative mill with roll calls to
begin taking up bills out Of their order,
Judge Phlcgar and others objected. and
though "A majority were in favor of taking
the bill up, prevented a suspension OF the
rules.
Proceeding with the calendar. the SEN
ate passed six or eight bills amending
city and town charters. which bts We're
passed by last night because at that time
there were not a sufficient number of
senator's present to act upon them. imme;-
dlately after this had been done Mr.. sad
lcr renewed his motion with reference
to the salary bill. Mr.. Wickham. of
Hanover. chairman of the Finance Com
mittee. which reported the hsll without
amendment, offered a late change, reduce
ing the amount from IS a dag, as pro-
poscd. TO 3; a Iay-that Is. $3.50 for n
regular session and $50 for q special
session.
A gubstitute was promptly offered by
Mr.. Sadler, lightly increasing the
amounts allowed his own bill. making
= fla, salary Of 500 per member for a
regular session. and $50. for a special
session. The Powhatan Senator asked
that the bill In this shape be passed,
saving for one thing that the members
OF the General Assembly were the laugh
ing stock of the business men OF the
State for consenting to work for the
paltry sum OF 81 per day, which was not
sufficient to pay their living expenses.
Mr.. Shackelford, of Orange, also spoke
in favor of the bill, declaring that the
senators all realized that the present
salary is insufficient In the opinion OF
Mr.. Shackelford a man who was not
worth IS Il day should not be in the
General Assembly. The consideration of
the direction public opinion would take
in the matter should not, he said, pre-
vent the Senate of Virginia from doing
what 1t knew to be right. Both Mr..
Shackelford and Mr. Sadlcr called atten-
ton to the fact that the proposed change
could not benefit the present General AS
sembly. The discussion was growing
open. when Mr.. Wickham, of Hanover.
called for the special order, shutting
or the debate. The bill was then fixed
as a special and continuing order for
to-day at 12:l5 y. Nj.
Consideration of the general ~appropria-
ton bill was then resumcd. The Senate
amendments to the House bill were taken
up ono after. the other and the. majority
OF them sailed through without even
the formality OF Il vote. Objection was
raised here and there, however, and it
was soon evident that one or two sharp
fights were looming UP. Mr.. Walker, of
Northampton, made an Intellectual eff
fort to have the Senate committee ap-
preparation of $1,000, for the second. desk
book stands in the State Library In
creased TO 5000. An amendment pro-
posed by Mr.. l.assitcr, of Petersburg,
allowing $500 to the Central State Hos
pital for electric woring of buildings, was
yited down.
At 2:45 p. NJ. after disposinG of the
University of Virginia appropriation ms
reported at length elsewhere, the Senate
took a recess until 4 p. NJ.
Afternoon Session..
At the afternoon session the general
appropriation bill was tNkenraup agaln,'
An earnest appeal in behalf of the coll
ored Virginia Normal and Industrial IN
vtitute was made by Mr. I.assiter, of Pc
tesrburg. who asked an increase in the
support fund from the $4,000 allowed in
the hill, to $4,000. Uniting in the sappeali
of Mr.. Lassiter Mr.. Sadler, of Powhatan,
who represents the district in which the
vchool, is located, offered n substitute pro-
viding that Instead of Increasing the
annuity the General Assembly should col
tribute a lump sum of $4,000 for neeued,
improvements ITO the buildings which
have stood for twenty years without re-
pairs and are now in wretched condition
and practically going to waste. When his
attention was called to the fact that tho
general appropriation sbllldenlt only With
Rnnuities MI Sadler Withdrew his snbstl-
tute.5 Mr.. Lassiter then accepted q propo-.
sltion madefby Judge Phlegnr, of Mont
gomery, providing that the annuity should
be $1,000. by q considerable majority the
Senate sustained the unit and re-
? jected tho Lassiter amendMent as
changed by Judge Phlegar, Mr.. Sadler
voted against tho amendment, still hold
Ing that the college needed repairs moro
than annuities, and while 1t might well
come both, would be better served by
the Improvement fund il there had to DO
any choice between the two,
by the time the discussion or the con-
stitntional questions involved in the Board
OF Fisheries proposition and allied sub.
jects was checked 1T was nearly 8 7