The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-07
DAY IN THE SENATE.
Bill for State Highway Commits.
sion Ordered to Engrossment.

Nnilc Il NUMBER OF important matters
engaged The attention OF the Senate yes
icrday the Item of chief note was the
ssnercssment Of the I.asslter bill creating
State Highway Commission. a flood Of
new bills poured In and many Of the
measures on the calendar we're passed.
The session opened NJ 1880 O'Clock with
Presiden; Eilysop in the chair and the
usual attendance OF members quite n
number Of visitors were in the galleries.
PRAYER WIS offered by the Rev George
H. SpOoner pastor Of the broad Street
Methodist church. Several lengthy COM
:nittcc reports were received. and a flood
Of new bills came In under the call. The
llst was longer than ii has been for
several days ard included a number OF
Important measures.
For Deaf and Blind.
Under q suspension or the rules :,
House bin appropviating 1890 for i'm
nrovcmcuts and acquisition OF adjoining
land AT the Virginia School for the Deaf
ana Blind Wis taken up out OF it's order
and passed. with an amendment reducing
the appropriation to sIp.osp
Immediate action Is necessary. be.
cause the option on the land desired
by the SCHOOL will expire on February
1oth The long and tedious calling OF
fhe rolls suggested an additional means
of facilitating this process. Some days
ago It was suggested that the initials
OF Senators be dropped. and each name
called with the formal prefix Mister
THIS netod. IL was found was II ANY,
thing more cumbersome than the old
BY unanimous consent The titles was
abolished and the clerk thereafter rat-
tied of the names at magnificent
speed. without either prefix or initials
1T WAS syly suggested by one Senator
that real objection to the use of the
Mister came from the Judges. generals,
majors and others In The body whom
tho plain civilian title MAS distinctly a
commonplace affair. The first official
communication from the new Governor
10 the Senate WAS received announce
Ing the appointment OF James b. Doher-
tS, as Commissioner OF Labor for a term
OF two years. beginning March LIST. 1905.
The Highway Commission
Discussion of the Lassiter-Withers
road system. sprang up, when the bill
providing for "A State Highway Com
mission was taken mp on its second read
ing. This bill WAS reported favorably
without amendments some time ago. but
has not been passed, the patron await
ing action by the Committee on Roads
upon the other bills carrying out the
provisions of the Lassiter-Wthers plan.
The committee acted yesterday and when
the highway commission bill was reached
YESTERDAY Mr.. T.asster was ready. But
MIR. Keeze. of Rockingham. objected
Tile bill. he said made an appropriation
and should. before 1t Is engrossed. go
10 the Finance Committee. In reply
to printed question. If he did not
think that his suggestion should have
been made earlier when the bill was
first placed upon the calendar. Mr..
KeeZell admitted this, but said that it
had not been done because the mea-
sure had not been placed Every ap-
propriation, lie declared should be passed
upon first by tho Finance Committee
which has to adjust the demand for
funds to the revenues of the State!
While it, asked but II small sum, the
hill. he believed was the entering wedge
that would open the way for the spend
ing of enormous amounts by the state.
Vigorous objection. came from every
direction. MIR I.ussiter declared that he
had been abused by the Richmond news
papers for not asking for more money
than lie had. Instead of demanding q
half million, as some senators intended
10 do or had done already, he asked
for the maintenance of the commission
for two entire years, II total amount 81
$4,000. The Democratic party. lie said
and the Republican party, and all Other
PARTIES stood pledged to State aid fol
good roads. Understanding promises hat
been made to the, voters in, the, las
campaign by all the candidates, and gye
s. after four weeks this was the first In
dlcation that the General Assembly hat
taken up the matter of redeeming Tho
pedge. MI. Lassiter, asked that there
"