The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-12

'TVdlNSS were dedu Ut t'le SdPitoi
yesterday. after the ltful fever
of the day before.
The Senate had a bare quo
rum. and whenever the Rich
mond Torrens bill came up there was q
conspicuous absence of a sufficient num-
Der of Senator'S to prevent vote.
Thus failed measure which has for
several SESSIONS been urged with SO
much zeal and tenacity The chief or
der OF the day was yacating the chair,
and early in the afternoon most of the
Senator'S took their leave. The only
matter acted upon was concurrence in
the House Joint resolution providing
for the formulation of the procedure
in the Blackstone case when the Legis-
lature convcnes on the 25th.
In the House the attendance was so slim
that only by long pauses at the end o.
roll calls and frequent scourings OF the
Iobbies and corridors could a voting
quorum be secured. A few Senate bills
were acted upon and some resolutions
were adopted.
Oyster Question, AEnin.
The ever-present oyster question
bobbed up again in resolution OF the
Delegate from Campbell for tour of In
spection investigation and reflection for
the collection. digestion and assimiIa :
matters by Joint committee Of eight
Legislators. all but two TO be selected,
as far as possible. on account of their
isnoranrc of those matters. The SEN
ate did not act upon the resolution. but
the sentiment among the few Senators
who discussed II was that II would turn
out TO be a junket, and would probably
be the occasion of more pleasure to
the members of the committee than of
-l,1 Na% 1t
on all sides that cruise in the waters
OF the Chesapeake and It's tributaries.
under the chaperonage OF the Board
of Fisheries and with alternate enter
tainments by the tongers and the
planters would fill the committee fun
of the subjects under investigation and
leave tender and !mperishable memo
rjes.
Nobody questions .hat the Campbell
delegate Is high man in every way.
and Is actuated by patriotic motives,
but 1t Is thought that the best way to
accomplish the end he has in view
would be for him to secure the CO.
operation of some member of the SEN
ate as sincere and forceful as himself,
and for the two to study the documents
OF the Virginia authorities and those
OF other States and OF the United States
on the subject. as we'll as all Iegisla-
tion dealing with 1t. Then they should
visit the tidewater section of Mary
land and Virginia, incognito. II possi-
BILE, and collect information concerning
the question at first hand from every
available source and compile it CAREFUL
~ and succinetly for the use of the
General Assembly. bill could then
be drawn along scientific and practical
lines and advocated with some pros
pect of passage. Similar cooperation
in regard to schools and roads has re-
suited in advanced legislation in re-
cent sessions. and there appears to be
no good reason why 1t would not be
equally successful in fish and oyster
matters.
Quorum Already Broken.
To-day will witness the disappear
of the General Assembly. 1t has been
the hardest worked body that has sat
In the legislative halls of this State.
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and the
Speaker of the House have presided in
manner worthy OF all praise, with
entire fidelity and with an earnest pur
pose to expedite the business of the
two bodies, which, though beset by
distractions and confronted by a mutt
tude OF problems. limited as to- time
and shackled by a cumbersome consti-
tutlonal procedure, mas YET, Dy per
sistent diligence, accomplished Won
ders. 1t has distributed eleven millions
of the States money. If somewhat free
ly. still, in the main, judiciously. Fo;
roads, for education and for pensions
the utmost aid has been provided. Pub
lie health and public morals have been
greatly ngthened by new statutes
Fees and salaries have been consider
ably increased, and. while all may
not be commended, yet tho general
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