The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-28
Byrd M a kes Arrange.
nent to A c c e pit
Legal Fees.
WILL BE COUNSEL
BY DESIGNATION
Plan Agreed on Covering Com.
pensation Only for Services
Rendered in Representing
State-Amount Is Not to
Exceed $4,000 in Two
Years.

Years.
No salary will be paid To or accept.
ed by Speaker Richard Evelyn Byrd IN
his capacity as counsel for the instls
tutions and departments of the Statt
government. by new agreement, I'D
will receive only such fees as will bs
paid him for services which he may
be called upon by the Governor to reii-
der rho announcement to this effect
made Yesterday by MIR. Byrd. will bs
of the greatest interest throughout
the state His acceptance OF the APP
pointment as special counsel for twu
years. at a salary aroused Il great
deal of criticism
An appropriation for this service
was made during the closing hours ut
| the session of the Legislature. y
clause in the general appropriations
| bill. under the heading of 1910. pros
| vides that the Governor may employ
| an attorney by contract to look after
! the legal needs of departments and in
/ stitutions. the cost not to exceed So
600 in any one year. No mention %
this is made under the heading bs
1 1911. and it has been decided that !.
total OF $1,000 has been appropriated
for the two years until the next meet-
i ing of the Legislature. Consequently,
! the compensation of Mr.. Bryd could in
/ no instance exceed $1,000 for tho Sue
4 ceeding period of two years. AS u
matter of fact, the new contract lim-
its ii to $1,000.
Salary Thought Best.
/ The original Judgment of the Cover
1 nor WAS that 1t would be best to pay
! n salary thus insuring the constant
| services of man in cases in which it
| might be desirable to have an attor-
i ney. However, since now a fee must
/ be paid in every instance. 1t is prob
/ able that. the legal services will mt
be frequently called for.
/ Covering this idea, contract was
made and filed in the office of the Sec
rotary of the Commonwealth on Al
!. A. This provided for a salary to be-
paid to the special counsel.
A few days later The Times-Dis-
patch published the original an-
nouncement of the agreement. 1t was
i followed by great deal of opposition.
J some of 1t coming from members of
the Legislature, who, when the section
of the appropriation bill was adopted.
had evidently not contemplate tho
payment of a regular stipend
The original agreement, as Mr.. Byrd
says. in an interview given to this
| paper yesterday was made hurriedly.
/ After consideration it has been agreed
| between the Governor and the Speaker
| that he shall receive no salary, but
/ shall be paid fees If designated to do
any legal work. The attorney feels
that he can accept such designation
with perfect proprlety. while mcm-
| ber of the Legislature. In any case
/ he says "the state is safeguardcd
| from paying out great sums of money
| for special attorneys fees" which has
been done during the past few years.
THE employment" he says further.
was rendered and accepted in tho
i spirit which actuated the Legislature
in making the appropriation"
| Speakers Statement.
| Following is the statement given
out by Alr. Byrd yesterday:
I Shortly after the adjournment OF
the Legislature l happened to be in
the Office of the Governor upon another
s matter. Governor Mann broached the
subject and stated that under the sec
tion OF the appropriation bill authorize
ing him to do so, he intended to em-
ploy me as counsel to perform such
services for the various departments OF
State and public institutions as the
: Attorney General was either not re.
quired to perform or might not be
able to perform, or in which he might
. desire assistance These services, how
{ ever. We're to be under the direction
and with the association of the At
4 torneyGeneral
II thanked the Governor, and asked
him to defer the matter for a time,
on another OCCASION, early in this
month. l saw tho Governor again.
was preparing to leave the city, and
somewhat hurriedly made an arrange
ment with the Governor. which Was.
!, in substance, published in The Times
Dispatch.
Il left the city the next day and
did not return for eight or nine days,
Shortly after my return the matter
was again taken up and more care
, fully considered. then agreed with
the Governor that should not receive
, any salary whatever, but that when
, my services We're required l should be
paid reasonable fee, not to exceed in
!, the aggregate the sum of $4,000 for
two years. The Governor thus care
, fully safeguarded the interests of the
i State The amount of the available
: appropriation Is $4,000 for two years.
: and not $4,000. because the appropria-
ton, was only made In one OF the
yearly budgets.
Would Limit Fees.
THE purpose which Governor Mann
I and / had In view was the same. that
is, to carry out the idea which con-
trolled the Legislature in making the
appropriation, which was TO put
. Elimlt on expenditures for counsel fees
I and thus save the state money.
Il IN 1908, 100000 was appropriated
4 by the Legislature for special counsel
y foes. and of this amount $4,000 was
! actually expended The various IN,
9 stttutions and departments expended
: about $4,000 more.
a THE employment was rendered and
d accented in the spirit which actuated
y the Legislature in making the aPpro-
8 prfati5n. 1t was known that threats
9 a,ad been made to attack number Of
the tax bills,
SHOULD the Governor designate me
2, to try any case | will certainly feel