The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-03
THE SENATE.
Senior Body Passes The General
Approximation Bill

Senior Body Passes The General
Appropriation Bill.
AT late hour yesterday afternoon tho
Senate, after many debates passed the
general appropriation bill. which will go
back to the House OF Delegates this morn
Ing. The judgement of the Senate Finance
Committee, as TO the appropriations, was
sustained OH the floor In every instance.
though there WAS much sparring. Only
two changes were made In the bill as 1t
came from the committee-the STROBE
amendment. relative To the University
OF Virginia. and the Stands amendment.
relative to the board OF fisheries As II
ieaves the Senate the bill carries total
appropriation for two years of $4,000
approximately.
~ on time, with President Ellyson In the
chair and large attendance of MEM
bers. Preliminary business was dis
patched without delay. AS soon az con-
sIderation of the general appropriation
bill was resumed. Mr.. Keezell. of Rock
ingham. arose to make personal state
ment concerning the proposition to allow
the sum of 400 each to the. unsalarieA
members OF the Board of Fisheries one
of whom is the Rockingham senator. Mr..
Keezell declared that II there were any
question whatsoever as to the constitu-
tionality Of the proceeding, he Asired
TO have his name withdrawn, so that the
aenate could deal with the matter In
ensimpersonal way and vote the compen-
sstion to the ether twof.tasrI1beYs, of the
board, who are not members of the Cen
eral Assembly.
His Just Due. Say They.
Objection was made By Mr.. shands, of
Southampton. who insisted that the mod
esty and generosity OF the Senator for
Rockingham. who had performed dlstin-
gushed services on the board. should not
be allowed by the Senate to deprive him
OF just compensation. which the Cen
eral Assembly had given before and which
IT should give again. Attention was called
by Mr.. Stands and others to tine fact
that in previous years the Legislature has
seen At to allow to members of the Boaro
OF Fisheries compensation which
everybody regards as simple jus
tlce. 1t was pointed out on the other
side that there was no objection to paying
salary to members of the Board OF
Fisheries but this should be done in a
statute and not by an indirect method
that practically amounted to lodging the
Constitution. Replying to this. advocates
OF the Stands amendment defended the
constitutionality of the proposed act and
incidentally passed some sharp critic hp
upon the Constitution itself-that multi
tudinous document" the depths OF whic h
nobody had yet been able to reach, 9
suggestion that a vote he taken at opce
was opposed by Mr.. Campbell of Bed
ford. who said that on the afternoon
before he had moved a reconsideration
with the understanding that-the consti-
tutional question would be thoroughly de-
bated.
The discussion continued. At1the request
of.the Rockingham Senator, Mr.. st. Clair,
of Giles. moved that the name OF Mr..
Keezell be stricken from the list. This
motion was voted down by a large ma
Jority.
Speaking on the constitutional question.
Mr.. Wickham, of Hanover. pointed out
that the 500 was for past services, $lU0
for each year. II the name of Mr.. Keezel
were not on the list he supposed there
could be no possible constitutional ques-
ton involved. The chairman OF the FL
nance Committee argued for the consti-
tutionality of the entire proceeding and
was ably seconded by Mr.. Nlachen, OF
Alexandria.
The opposition continued to press the
matter. strenuously, Directing on con-
stitutional grounds, not only to an allow
ance TO a member of the General Assem-
bly, who happened to be on the board,
but for the creation during their tarm of
office OF an allowance riany public Off
Ger, whether A member of the General
Assembly or not.
Stands Amendment Adopted.
BY a majority OF ten votes the Stands
amendment was again adopted. The roll
call was as follows:
Ayes-Campbell Chapman. Dickensor.
Eehols. Garrett. GreeaA Gunter, Hartman,
Hobbs. Holt, Lincoln, Machen Pattcson,
Rison. Roberts, Sale, Sears, Shackelford,
Stands, Sims. Walker. II. T.. Wickllain
and T.. A. Wickham-23s
Noes-Anderson, Fulton, Kerns, Iassi-
Ter, Lynn, Mann, Niemeyer. Phlegar, Sad
Ter, STROBE, Tavenner, Thomas and Tur-
ner-13. ~
When the clause raising salaries of the
Eupreme Court judges to 5000 was
reached, Judge Iohlegar, OF Montgomery.
renewed his objection on the grounds he
Indicated on the day before, among which
we're that statute already In existence
Nxed the salaries of the judges; that tho
amendment to the appropriation bill vir-
tually repealed thfs statute without In
Guiding In the title any notice of this
change; that the appropriation bill was
valid only for two years. that the Con-.
stltution provided that the salaries of the
Judges be fixed for their entire terms,
and. finally. that there would be a serioua
doubteof what the salaries would be after.
the two years expired, The practice of
increasing salaries and repeating acts In
a general appropriation bill WAS, In the
opinionsof Judge Phlegar, n very danger
Gus practice, and a perverslon of the pllr-
poses of the appropriation bill.
Be Unconstitutional.
While he was anxious to see the su-