Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-03-14
Work of Virginia Legislature
Brought to Close

/
The work Of the Virginia Legis
lature 1905 is at an end, though
the session will not actually ter
inmate until tomorrow Thursday
No moro business will be done an'
the extension is made only in con
iormity with the constitutions
provisions which require that tb
Legislature shall be in session I'm
til the Governor aigns ali the bill
pending.
There will be no quorum from
now on, and the two bodies vii
meet each day at noon in a mos
formal manner AID adjourn. A
great many important bills hov'
been passed and numbers Of other
of perhaps equal public interes
and Importance were either killed
in committee or upon the floor o.
one or the other of the two Houses
The appropriation measures are
naturally first in the eyes OF the
people. They largely exceed those
Of former years, the total amount
reaching up to about S5, 100000.
The general appropriation bill
carried about 81, 900, 900 and there
was q supplement ono of about
$416, 900. There wero sppropria-
lions fer pensions and primary
schools and other objects which
will carry the amount nearly to
S5, 900, 900.
The following brief sketch Of
the work done by the Legislature
is reproduced from the Richmond
Timss.Dispatch of Sunday:
Tine regular session Of the Con-
eral Assembly which came to q close
BY limitation last Saturday night
will be famed as one of the busiest
sessions of that body Slnce the
war. For some time past the men,
bers sat day end night almost in
continuous session and even with
that it was necessary to extend
the session several days in order
to complete the business in hand.
A number of good measures
we're enacted. If the Legislature
had done nothing else 1t was worth
while to establish State highway
commission and adopt q system
under which Jail birds can be made
to work on the public roads. We
hope that the Lassiter' Withers
plan will be given . fair trial.
These bright young men who spent
30 much time in advance in
formulating it and who worked go
industriouslY in putting it through
the Legislature have won deserved
praise for themselves, and il the
system operates as we'll as they
believe it will, they will have
performed valuable public SER
vice.
The State was redistricted for
cor gressional representation, the
of circuit judges was
increased from twenty-four to
twenty-nins, good men were elect
ed to preside over the courts, an
anti-graft law was enacted, the
office Of insurance commissioners
was created and various other
of more or lees import
ance put through.
One of the most interesting bills
passed was the "Churchman bill"
fixing a maximum rate Of two
cents = mile on 500 and 1000 mile
railroad tickets. 1t is the opinion
of several members, and it lie our
own opinion, that this measure is
unconstitutional, az the Corpora
ton Commission has the exclusive
right of making railroad rates.
The General Assembly az body
was manifsstly in doubt, for it
took double chances and passed
the "Booker resolution, request
ing the Corporation Commission to
establish a uniform fat rate Of
two cents u mile for all tickets. 1t
is interesting to note, by the way,
that if the Corporation Commission
should adopt the recommendation
of the "Booker resolution" the
Churchman law would become
dead letter. For why should a
traveller wish to purchase thous-
and-mlle ticket at an outlay Of 500,
If he could purchase transient
tickets to suit at the same rateP
Liberal appropriations were made
for the public schools. The special
of 100000 was
doubled and all the public institu-
tionA of learning were well provid-
ed for. The Legislature was as
generous as funds would allow to
the Jamestown Exposition Com
pany and very generous to itself in
the furture pay Of its
to $500 per session. But
that is a very small allowance. and
the taxpayers should not grumble.
If . member half way discharge
his duties, he will richly earn his
hire at that wage.
The General Assembly also did
q coed bit Of work in having the
rumors concerning the
Corporation Commission thorough
i~y a. VNlOpad end nXnl06o6