The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-14

CLOSING SCENES
THE TWO HOUSES
Members of Lower Branch Throw
Off Dignity and Take Part
in Fun.
LIME BILL MEETS DEATH
Senator Gravatt Makes Final, But
Futile Appeal for Its Pas
sage-Measures Lost.
LIME BILL MEETS DEATH

With scenes on the House side Of
the Capitol closely resembling those
witnessed at the conclusion of the
year at the graded schools. and the
same sombre dignity and decorum
prevailing in the Senate chamber, the
Legislature Of 1910 passed into his
tory shortly after IL O'Clock Saturday
night
The House was In q continual up
roar from the time 1t convened until
adjournment The delegates were res
1--we and loud until 1890 o'clock,
Khen Information was received that
he Senate had agreed to tie con-
ference committees report on the
Appropriation bill. Then they settled
down and became dignified for few
moments. Colonel Bowman. chair
man of the Finance Committee Of the
House, squared on and settled himself
% read the mighty conference report.
Delegate Bell moved that the House
adopt the report without the reading
This WAS done rhe-weEl- 81 the beg
islature twas thus completed. and
6ediam reigned In the House until the
Speakers gavei fell at 11:e5 o'clock
The DELEGATES and pages hurled
ottASs hVSlAhyAtAs fDUHylStS pAHpHiGlS,
books. hats and waste paper baskets
into the air. and the old House
chamber rang out with cheers and
handclnpping. General disorder and
fun making prevailed until adjourn
ment was taken. A number Of dele
gates had Senate bills providing for
local legislation still on the calendar.
With the greatest difficulty some OF
these bills were passed.
Salary Increase Last Act.
The Last act of the Legislature was
to Increase the salaries of the steno-
graphers, clerks and janitors In the
Office OF the Commissioner of Agri-
culture. Senator Garrett reported a
House bill increasing the tanifor,s pay,
and Senator Early tackled on an
amendment boosting the stipend Of
the clerks and stenographers. Sena-
tor Gravatt fought hard against the
Increases to the clerks, al he consid-
cred them Lobbyists and 80 styled
them on the fioor of the Senate. The
Senate adopted the amendment, and
by rakfng and scraping the House
mustered the necessary 81 Votes Ia
Sdopt Ii.
In the Senate Saturday night Sem
ator Keezeii. ably assisted by Sem
ators Echols and Holt. two other
members of the finance committee.
every item I'm the appropriation bill
that had been increased or reduced
by the conference committee. The
Senators followed closely. and now
and then compelled Mr.. Keezeu to
explain the changes infinitely and
why they were made. The House
made the majority ct concessions In
the conference as the majority OF the
Senate appropriations stood as fixed.
A fesp al .r.A hahf n =
Senate agreed to the conference com
n1ittce.s report. Il was then sent To
the House. where II was adopted In
stanter.
lime Bin Meets Death.
During the waning hours ot-tha
Senate night session, Senator Gravatt
made several futile attempts 20 get
the sa1ouS to consider the agrieul-
Z tural lime BILL Senator kmegeit stub.
hornly opposed It. He wittily twitted
Senator Gravatt for being an agri-
rtftturfEt. whiis he keexeliI was a
tactical farmer The giant from
8Tkingham said he saw no more rea-
son for the state 10 go into the lime
business than the shoe business. I'm
fact" said he. there is more Reason
for going into the shoe business. be-
cause everybody wears and shoes
and everybody is not an agricuiiu-
rtst''
Senator Gravatt very soleHaiy re-
ferred to the responsibility that rest
ed upon him as the guardian of the
fime bill in the Legislature. lie said
the farmers had Entrusted the meas
ure To his care; that he represented
the farmers. Senator Eeeneil said
he Is farmer. and II was news to
him that Senator Gravatt represent
ed all the farmers In the State, how
ever many agriculturists he repre-
sents" The two Senators engaged
In d debate over how much corn
could be raised To the acre. As a
parting shot at the senate Senator
Gravatt said he intended taking the
bruiEed. battered and MANNED lime
bill back to his farmer people and
Pointing out this hole. that tear and
the other rip would show them where
casstus ana noble BrutBs made their
thrusts and stahs. Senator Gravatt
modestIy confessed that he did not
possess the eloluence of Anthony.
hut he did know that the lime bin
should be something which
Anthony probably did not knew. even
with all his understanding and ethe-
real nrnamenting proves Sorry as
X was. the Senate could not see"
Senator Gravatt with q spy-glass, and
the State will not go into the lime
business.
Worked Hard for Equalization.
A more indefatiga Bile worker for
the equalization Of taxes than FIetch-
er, OF Fairfax. did not sit In the 1910
Legislature During the closing hours
he did not refine over the brutal kill
Ing of his equalization bill by the
House, but Kent constantly on the
lookout for a convenient place on
which to tack an equalization rider.
He found II In the bill allowing as
SCISSORS more time la which to make
their returns to the auditor, Just be-
fore the gong sounded Senator
Fletcher put on to this bill an amend
ment giving the Commonwealth at
torReys OF ail the counties 10 60 into
court and ask that assessments they
believed to be too low be raised to
the fair market value Of the prop
erty assessed. Both houses agreed to
this amendment. Although nothing
like what Senator Fletcher and the
Senate labcred 70 long and earnestly
fars she amendment simacts Of equal.
eatI6n enough to keep the attention
81 the people Of Virginia riveted Oh
1 Il.
Care or Criminal Insane.
Just before adjournment in the
y Senate the upper house, on motion
~ Senator Lassiter. concurred In the
am ~ n ~ 4 y1tr IN The hill urovfdiurr FOR