The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-14
General Appropriation Bill
Falls on Desk Of Clerk Of
House With a Crash.
CENTRE OF INTEREST
FOR MANY DAYS YET
Reports as to Investigations Be
ing Eagerly Awaited by Mem
bcrs of Both Branches-New
Codification OF Laws of
state-Byrd's Whiskey
Bill Reported.
BY LEWIS II. MAcHEN.

AT the Capitol yesterday the gen.
eral appropriation bill fell upon the
desk of the clerk of the House with a
crash. This is the biggest bill of all,
causes more talk, distributes more
money. and. therefore, acutely inter-
nsts more persons and institutions
than any other. 1t is yet In skeleton
form, and the aggregate increases have
not been figured out, but 1t Is known
that these increases Will be about suf-
ncient to melt away Il large part OF
the 100000 surplus from which the
State is now suffering. If 1t were not
for these biennial tappings the State
treasury, which 80 many citizens re-
gard with afffctionate solicitude. would
surely become dropsicaE
Work on the Bill.
Next week the bill will be debated
In detail In the House and efforts will
be made at pruning and grating. This
last expression must be understood as
n figure of speech. and not as an l.sin-
uation against any ones honesty. In
plain English, the members who think
some Of the appropriations are too
large will seek to cut them down. and
those who think that certain appro-
priations Casually those which affect
their own particular sectionsl are RI
dlculously, If not disgracefully, small.
will endeavor to have them Increased.
In the meantime the Finance Commit
lee. which knows pretty we'll what 1t
is about, will stand firmly against any
reduction of appropriations, and viii
fight with even greater zeal ana VlSor
any proposed increases
In some Instances the members may
differ. from the Judgment of the COM
mittee. but in cases of doubt the opln'
ion of the committee VIII prevail
The Senate Finance Committee, too
is wrestling with its appropriation bill
holding sessions some days, hearing nr.
gt,r,ents from outside and debating
among themselves The cloth is beirt
carefully measured and everybody i
being fitted as becomingly as the neces
sity and the material will justify.
number of Joint meetings Of the twc
committees have been held and diplo.
matte relations have been maintained
between them. so that the two bills
when presented. will closely resemble
each other. But amendments VIII be
made in both houses, and COMMITTEES
of conference will be appointed to ad'
Just differences, which by and by vii
be eliminated, and a single Measure
Will represent the Joint actloh OF lh'
two houses.
Hard At 1t Now.
The House and Senate each held two
sessions yesterday. One of the Senatt
sessions was purely formal, for th'
purpose of advancing bills on the cal
4ndar. The Senate in the morning ses
sion debated and adopted the Parks
resolution, calling upon the Virginii
delegations in Congress to endeavor, b,
national Legislation, to shut out un
desirable European immigration. Th,
trouble is that SO many such immi'
grants have already come into thi
country and have so many votes II
doubtful districts In the North am
West that it is question whether tn
Virginia delegation will be apie
carry out the objects of this resolution
at least in the very near future.
The committees of both houses ar
daily presenting the results or thel
deliberations. In the Senate the pli
to break the Baylor survey, the bill 70
legalizing primary elections ana III
bill for the examination of banks nav
been reported unfavorably. The reso
luton proposing an amendment to I'll
Constitution so as to provide for nine
ty-day sessions has been approved D.
the Senate Committee on Courts. IN
House committee aso disapproVes o
the bank examiners bill.
In the House it has been decide
that there should be a revision an
Codifcat1on' OF the laws. Inere ia
been no codification for twenty on
years. The present Code, though ol
enough to vote. has been PRACTICAL
dlsfranchised by the new Constitution
This codif1cat!on is a great work, an
should be done by the best availabl
talent and provided with the best at
tainable index. It does little good
have good laws il one cannot find then
Investigations.
The next few days will witness In
teresting developments in the inyest
cation matters now pending. The Rhe
and Blacks tone committees have bee
holding meetings and may be hear
from at almost any time. When thes
committees finally present their find
ings 1t is pretty certain that som
things of surprising interest will b
said and done.
SESSIONS OF TWO HOUSES