Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-20
LEGISLATIVE DOINGS.

LEukJLHINL UUiNuy.
All incomes over 81, 900 will be taxed.
He tofore the exemption has been $500. !
The Governor engaged the services
of one of the most accurate account
ants Ga man well versed in the finances
and revenues of the State) to make a
careful estimate of all appropriations
and expenditures of public money made
during the present session of the Cen
eral Assembly, to ascertain whether
there would be safe working balance
left in the treasury. This statement,
which was submitted to the Governor,
shows that after the provisions of the
appropriation bill are carried out, there
will be safe working balance in the
exchequer, and hence the Executive
preparation bill.
Four hundred and nine measures
passed both houses of the Virginia Leg
islature during the session just closed,
and about thousand died. Among the
bills passed were:
One raising the salaries of commons
wealth attorneys.
The compulsory education bill to re-
quire the attendance of children be-
tween and IL years of age on the
public schools of the State. The en-
forcement, however, is left optional
with boards of supervisors.
| To oraof. xol;af f,,~l
To regulate the employment of chill
dren in factories, workshops, mercan-
tile establishments and mines.
Appropriating the sum of ST, 500 to
the State Board of Agriculture and I'm
migration.
To provide a pension for INDECENT
teachers.
Senator Sale asked that the vote by
which the conference report on the
Board of Fisheries bill was adopted be
reconsidered, as there seemed TO be
doubt as to whether it could be adopted
with fewer than twenty-one votes. AS
the report received only nineteen votes
he did this in order to get the required
twenty-one votes. The vote was re-
considered and the report was adopted
by vote of % Senators to 4. The
Conference report was adopted in the
House by 63 to 2. Mr.. Rev, of Acco-
mac, opposed the amendment which
raised the salary of the chairman from
81, 900 to 81, 500 and that of the secre-
tary from $500 to $1,000. Mr.. Cur
lett, of Lancaster, urged the adoption
of the amendment, saying that for the
first time in the history of Tidewater
the State had a competent board.
''The chairman of the Board of Fish
cries, w. Mcdonald Lee, is no politi-
cal friend of mine," said Mr.. Curlett,
''but he is no cheap man, and he is one
of the most efficient men l ever knew.
l ask this House to adopt the confer
ence report. You are not overpaying
him. His salary comes out of the
oyster fund not the treasury of the
State. "-Times-Dispatch.
RECORD OF THE ASSEMBLY.
Times Dispatchl
By this record the General Assembly
of 1908 is to be judged. To give a
detailed account of its strictly legisIa-
| tive work would be to write a table of
contents of the next volumne of the
Acts of the Assembly, which will be q
fairly large book. Speaking generally,
the Legislature was conservatiyely pro-
gressive. 1t made marked advances
along many lines, but 1t made no really
radical departures along any.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Fredericksburg Journal. Republican
Few General Assemblies, of recent
years, have enacted more beneficial
laws than the present body. Many
strides have been taken in advance OF
the old let-alone-system, so long popu
lar in this State. Laws have been en-
acted looking to an improved road sys
tenn which bid fair to do something to
wards solving that ever present anC
ever perplexing problem. There hav,
been however some things which tn,
present body might have taken up will
honor to themselves and with. grea
benefit to the State. We refer espec
tally to the present unsatisfactory, un
fair and illegal method of assessing
property both real and personal.
WELL DONE.
fredericksburg Free Lance)
The Legislature just adjourned ha.
of course done some things that i
should not have done, and has lef
undone some things that it should hav,
done. 1t would not have been com
posed of men, fallible men, if this wa,
not the case. But on the whole, it!
work will be prolific of much good anC
benefit to the whole State.
The Legislature only convenes il
general session once in every two years
Then under the Constitution its session
is limited to 60 days, which is entirely
too short for the great work to be &C
: complished. a
Virginia is growing, progressive
and prosperous State, and the State a!
a unit, and its several parts, impera
lively demand legislation, which de
mand cannot always be met in session
every two years for only go days. The
Legislature was, as whole composed
of Woodworking, energetic, loyal Vir
, ginians, who seemed inspired to try t,
| do Ill thof xuoc ,10ccshIa Gov +I,,