The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-13
Tnx pchate in Senate.

The Senate spent most Of the morn
ing session in discussing the joint reso-
luton calling upon the State Corpora
tion Commission, with the aid of the
Auditor and the Attorney General. to
submit to the next General Assembly
a plan for the segregation of property
for taxation. This resolution was
adopted. but IT is not supposed that 1t
will interfer. with the bills pending
In both houses for a tax commission.
which will be charged with a similar
duty and with the formulation of a uni
form system of taxation. The segrega-
ton Of property cannot occur. under
the Constitution. until 1918. In the
meantime there Will be two sessions of
the Legislature, which may consider
many plans and perhaps accept one.
The Senate. too. adopted a resolu-
ton in1uiring what had become NJ The
debates OF the Constitutional Conven-
ton. 1t took year to make these
debates. and it has taken six years TO
get them printed. How long II would
take strong man to read them all has
not been calculated.
The House yesterday proposed an
other amendment to the Constitution
1t is dull day in the Legislature lust
now when one house or the other does
not propose an amendment to that in
strument. The one in question is to
allow those cities. whose charters NAV
so provide. to require abutting land
owners to pay certain proportion of
the cost OF street improvements. not
to exceed the special benefits accruirg
to such landowner from such i'm
provements. The proposition appears
tn be wholly reasonable one. and 1t
is only surprising that the Constitu-
tion should have undertaken to deal
with the matter at all. similar
resolution passed the House last ses-
sion. but did not come to vote in
the Senate on account OF lack. OF time
Public Sentiment for Repeal.
The debate in the House on the re-
peal bill, however. made every other
legislative matter yesterday appear in
significant. The States large interest
in the road. the enticing revenue de-
rived therefrom. the influence of the
roads officials and their friends. of
the Sinking Fund Commissioners and
of majority OF the State proxies not
to mention the five other great rail-
road companies interested in the road
and the army of private stockholders
majority Of whom are Virginians. to-
gether constituted an apparently
formidable opposition In comparison
the Gould interests. which were said
to be urging the bill, appeared to be
sufficiently feeble. But SO cogent were
the reasons given for abolishlng the
monopoly. so Imperative were the de-
mands of the communities affected for
removal of the restriction. and so
strong was the pressure of public opin-
ion, reflected in the press and else
where that the bill finally passed
both houses by vote SO large as to
approach unanimity.
Await Rhen Report.
Matters OF moment will be pressing
forward now, day by day. The Rhea
committee is making up Its report.
or reports. and may be expected to
present It's findings very soon. At the
same time will be filed the steno-
graphic account of the evidence.
Whether the Assembly will decline to
act upon the report until the evidence
has been printed and each member
given an opportunity to examine It
for himself cannot be known. but that
there will be strong plea for de-
liberate action In the matter is Ger
tain. The evidence Is voluminous, and
two or three days would not be more
than enough for the members. busy
as they are with other matters to
examine it with any degree Of care.