Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-03-11
DOlNGS IN LEGISLATURE
Pertinent Points in Law-makins
Body That Our People Should
Know.

Know.
The Legislature will adjourn Samrda.
midnight.
| After most arduous and careful worl
the Senate and House Finance Commit
tees perfected the appropriation bills.
The House Tuesday defeated tn,
Fletcher-Holland equalization land ia,
measure which had passed the Senate
The House Tuesday followed the ben
of the Senate and refused to take VI
the Myers Statewide bill by vote O.
40 to "A.
The Byrd-Wickham bill of the Jane.
river survey may be voted on by tn.
Senate, but it is SO far down on tn,
House calendar it will hardly be reached
If attempt is made to take it up out oil
its order it viii probably suffer defeat
as such efforts to force measures ahead
of others usually do.
The Senate Committee on Fish anc
Game reported the Wickham James
river oyster bill favorably, with few
changes from the. original The Senate
may pass the bill, but it is not thought
it will be reached in the House before
the close of the session tomorrow night.
Tidewater members have not looked
into the changed bill but announced
themselves as opposed to any change OF
lines whatever.
For the first time in forty years Vir-
ginia has had occasion to vote on an
amendment to the Federal Constitution.
The House voted down the amendment.
which was to make valid the national
income tax. Virginia is the first of the
States to vote against the proposition.
and it is likely the other Southern
States will now do the same. Fear of
extending Federal control over the
sovereign States caused the adverse vote
of Sd to 81.
Senator Geo. B. Keezell, of Rock
ingham and member of the Commits
sion of Fisheries, was presented with
a chest of silver by his colleagues Tues
day morning. The presentation speech
was made by Senator Folkes. The SER
vice was given in honor of the compile
ton of Senator Keezell's thirtieth year
of faithful and patriotic service to the
Commonwealth. and is probably with
out precedent. Senator Keezell accep-
ted the gift feelingly in short speech.
The Petersburg Iudex-Appeal says
that Hon. Richard Evelyn Byrd is
not only one of the best Speakers that
has presided over the House of Dele
gates, but he is also one of the most
practical and Industrious lawmakers
in the present General Assembly"
That is the general verdict over here.
MIR. Byrd has a genius for work and
he uses it in dispatching the business
of the House. 1t is the expression of
well trained mind. = Richmond Vir-
ginian.
To oppose the bill to straighten and
practically define the lines of the sur
vey in the James River oyster grounds,
not because the bill in itself is wrong.
but because the next Legislature may
make a,'mistake, is the sort of opposi-
ton which might block any kind of
Legislative progress. The next Legis-
iature can do wrong anyhow if it will,
and we can't see how it is rendered
more likely to do wrong by a previous
Legislatures doing right. Norfolk
Landmark.
The Senate by vote of &c to Is de-
feated the Strobe Statewide bill. Some
of the majority Senators believed with
the conservative element in the Anti
Saloon League that the time was not
ripe for Statewide vote, and feared
the fanatics would force an election
when it is known today that the liquor
element has the registration on the
temperance people throughout the
State. Others were angered by the
impolitic methods Mr.. Strobe used to
force them into voting. 1t is not |
defeat for temperance, but will result |
in lasting good, so many temperance
people think. 49,
asked Senator Keezell, of the Com
mission of Fisheries, if there would be
any legislation during the present ses-
sion. He said he did not know. 1t
looked doubtful and he was we'll nigh
disguised. That whenever the ques-
ton was raised some member from the
Tidewater section put in an objection,
and as members from other sections
did not take much interest in it anyway,
the matter was passed by. Mr.. Keezell
thinks that it is bad policy on the part
Of the Tidewater people to pursue that
course. He pointed out that the James
river section yielded little revenue, but
that large percentage of the cost of
policing the oyster grounds was ex-
pended on the James. That if the peo-
pie would not allow any survey, by
which the cost could be reduced, the
oyster beds would finally be abandoned
% their fate.-W. S. Copeland, editor.
n Newport News Times-Herald. Il