The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-18
HERE AND THERE
IN LEGISLATURE
Speaker Makes Statement About
r., F. & p. Bills--Rl1ea Sub
committee Meets.


I In discussing last night his new
bills concerning the Richmond, Fred
and Potomac tns Rnirapa
II think that appreciate progress
has been made towards the entire So
luton of the vexed questions present.
the Richmond fredericksburg and Po-
totnac. The first bill, presented by
me, to compel the Richmond, .Freder-
ieksburg and Potomac to perform ! Its Is
| to compel the Richmond, Fredericks-
| burg and Potomac to give up it's pres
ent charter with its requirements. re-
strictions and exemptions. and take
a charter which the general law pro-
vides. The attorneys for the Rich
mond,. FREDERICKSBURG and Potomac
hold that section 6, chapter 3, of the
act concerning corporations, page 547,
Pollard's Code, gives the road no power
to escape its limitations and restric
tons by taking out II new charter, but
remain and what Is given up is the
roads exemption. OF course, if this
Is a true construction of the act. 1t
would not be fair to compel the road
less 1t could at the same time get rid
Of its special restrictions and limita-
ton. My first bill offered to-day
up special charter and of taking
a charter provided by general law. the
power to do so. This is only fair and
My second bill gives the Board
of Sinking Fund Commissioners the
power to exchange stock and dividend
obligations for new stock issued by
the company under its new charter
This Is necessary to protect the inter-
est of the, State, because the law as it
now stands, does not permit the Board
OF sinking Fund Commissioners to do
conserved by providing that no matter
what charge may be made in the
AMOUNT OF stock the State of Virginia
VII " , still have a one-slxth part There
that the State shall have a number OF
directors proportioned to the amount
Of q ... the States stock
These two bills, it seems to me,
are fair to the road and fair to the
State. If the owners of the road ac-
cept the advice of their attorneys and
take out new charter and pay taxes.
ing all the burdens of general law. it
VIII be most happy conclusion for
all concerned"
Mr.. Curlett. of Lancaster. has pre-
pared the following resolution relat-
Ing to the extension of the present
session of the General Assembly and
G # Of IN 1 by the ouSe t9da d,
gates, the Senate concurrins. Where
ms the session of zoos is rapidly
drawing to close, and whereas we
are compelled to consider measures
hastily or not ut all;
And whereas 1t Is impossible to act
!udiciousiy and wisely, thereby enHcting
detrIment of the welfare of the Com
monwealth and to our own reputation;
And whereas. II is conceded that the
General Assembly should sit for ninety
days;
And whereas there are important
measures now upon the calendars of
both houses and pending before the
should be considered and discussed
thoroughiy, fully and carefully;
Therefor, be 1t resolved. Tint the
Governor l. hereby requested to con-
Vcnc the General Assembly in extra |
session on the 10th day of March. 1905. I
The subcommittee of the General
Assembly's Joint Committee on Con-
firmation. having in charge the Rhea
investigation matter. held a meeting
last night. but failed to report. Another
meeting will be held tonight, when
draft of report is expected. This
will cause debate. and 1t is possible |
that it will be many days before there
is final report TO the Joint Assembly |
will not say who COMPOSE the sub
committee. but it is known that Judge
Mann is chairman, and that Major
George T. Rison, of Pittsylvania, is |
senate Who the House members are
Is a question. as no one who Knows VII
discuss the matter in any form what
II looks now as If IT might be the
end of the week before the final report
is made to the joint Assembly
The almost continuous sessions of
the two houses of the General Assem-
bly, each day have seriously interfered
with committee work, and no very
important meetings have been or VII
be scheduled until the calendars OF the
House and Senate are either mate
rally reduced or entirely cleared
There seems to be a disposition on
the part OF the members Of botn
now on the calendars before having
additional ones reported
Senator Parsons, of Grayson, has Of
fered the following bill concerning the
single book list:
"Dc 1t enacted by the General An
scmbly OF Virginia, That section 100!
of the Code OF Virginia, us amended
and rc-ennctcd by acts approved March
8, 1898, and December rs. 1908, rein
tive to change of textbooks which may
be adopted and used in public schools,
until used, after adoption, for period
OF not less than four years, and re-
uuirins the statc Board of Education
to adopt the single list textbooks for
free schools, be amended and re-enacted
so MS to rend as follows;
"No textbooks which may hereafter
he adopted for use In any public free
school in the State of Virginia shall
be changed or substituted until the
! same shall have been used for u period
of not less than seven years. The
State Board of Education ls hereby
authorized and directed to adopt the
single list textbooks for free schools"
The House Finance Committee has
reported unanimously a bill introduced
| by Judge Martin Williams, providing
for school OF mines at the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute, at BlaclssburG.
During the investigation at BIacksburg
II was develOped that there was no