The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-06

ment OF tho senator from Greene that the
city of Charlottesville was being held
up" the law, Judge Phlegar declared,
provided for condemnation proceedings
and a commission that would. 1t was to
be presumed determine upon q fair and
Just valuation of the land.
After some further discussion, the
Thomas bill was recommltted. Mr.. Full
ton, OF Warren. offered an amendment
permitting the boards of supervisors of
counties TO condemn and purchase turn
pixies. This amendment, which was sat
| isfactory to Mr.. Thomas, was SO sweep
ing that Judge Mann, of Nottoway, asked
that the bill be recommltted. Mr.. Thomas
agreed with the understanding that n
report would be made this week. The
bill then went back to the Committee for
Courts of Justice, of which Judge Mann
is chairman.
The Campbell Bill.
Considerations of vast moment were
involved in the Campbell bill next taken
up, making husband and wife competent
witnesses for or against each other IN
certain cases. In explaining the objects Of
this bill the Bedford Senator. who spoke
with certain particular instances In view,
pointed out that in cases of transfer
of property between husband and wife
the present laws regard the transfer
In as far as II concerns wife to husband.
as a gift, and in the case of husband
to wife presumes fraud At the same
time II permits neither to testify and1to
use this method OF proof that the trans
action was bona fide. Great hardships
had resulted. Mr. Campbell said he
realized that there were and would be
many instances where tho transfer Of
property Between husband and wife Is
used as n means for evading the law.
but In many other cases the law had
caused great and serious trouble
why gentlemen said the Bedford
Senator. II am personality aware of
cases where the parties concerned have
spent far more than the amount In
volved in trying TO clear their character
of the odious and monstrous imputation
of fraud that the law imposes without
allowing them TO testify. It Is bad enough
that there should be such presumption
of fraud. do not charge that. I simply
ask that you permit the husband and
the wife to prove their innocence by
their own statements IL they can
Dangerous, Say They.
In the opinion OF Mr.. Chapman, of
Greene. and Mr.. Shackelford, of Grange,
the bill was dangerous and would effect
revolution that would be disastrous
to the commercial interests of the State.
Mr.. Shackelford asked that the old law
be retained. declaring that the proposed
change would simply furnish pre-
MUM on collusion.'' Mr.. Chapman took
a similar view.
This BILL" said tho senator from
Greene, will do vast harm. AS for my
self, instead OF carrying this on farther,
would be in favor OF restoring the old
common law as to husbands and wives
for believe the men are amply able to
take care OF the property for them. But
we have allowed them to have separate
estates and now you are proposing some
thing now. This bill will introduce a
disastrous policy. 1t will impair the
credit of the mercantile people OF the
State and Of other people as well. 1t will
furnish means whereby just debts may
be evaded by fabricated testimony
Which the husband will manufacture
and which the wife will be induced to
come into court to swear to. 1t will
simply be persuading the wife to per-
jure herself.
Advancing to the middle of the room
Captain Patteson, OF Buckingham, strong
ly endorsed the hill, declaring that the
old law, with its monstrous presumption
OF guilt was a blot upon the statute
books. He severely scored Mr. Chap
man for his reference to the restoration
of the common law. The law of the
heather Turks concerning women was
moro liberal, he said, than the old COM
mon law In Virginia.
Some further discussion ensued An
important defect, which Mr.. Campbell
desired to remedy was discovered in the
bill and by agreement the measure was
recommltted, gazing back to the Committee
| for Courts of Justice.
BY a large majority the Senate refused
to suspend the rules at the request of
A DIMPLE MAKER.