The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-13
Amendments to Consti-
tuition Allow Commits
sion Government.
PROHIBITION BILL
OFFERED IN HOUSE
Apparently No Chance to Secure
Revision of Code - Senate
Committee Proposes to
Increase Tax on Express
Companies - Minor
Bills Passed.

CARRYING, out the ideas of the League
of Virginia Municipalities in the direc.
tion of reform in the uethods of gov
ernmcnt of cities. as expressed at the
recent meeting OF the committees OF
that organization in this city, joint res
olutions werc introduced in both houses
of the Legislature yesterday for an
amendment to the Constitution making /
such changes possible. The patron OF
tha resolution in the Senate was SEN
ator Sale. OF Norfolk, and In the House !
1t was introduced by Mr. Cox. of Rich
mond.
No mention. an a matter OF course, ig !
made of providing a commission form
of government. An amendment is pro-
posed to Section III OF the Constitution
OF the State. which empowers the Cen
eral Assembly to pass only general
laws for the government of cities and
towns, and forbids any special lcgisla-
ton along this line. In the new sec
tion this clause IL ra-enactod, but isl
followed by another.
Local Option Pinn.
Tho latter sets forth that the Gen.
eral Assembly may provide from timel
TO time such forms of government for
cities as TO 1t may seem best. For in
stance. IL may state in laws that n city
need not have wards. Changes I'M
forms of government are 10 be made
upon n majority affirmative vote of the
citizens. These changes, however, must
not be SO radical to make a differ
ence In the powers OF the new govern
ing body or bodies. whatever it or they
may bc--that is. the powers must con-
tinue the same those now vested In
cities. The present constitutional re-
quiremcnts as 10 clerks. attorneys for
the Commonwealth, commissioners of
the revenue. trcasurcra and scrgeants
arc not TO he discontinued.
In each house the resolution went to
the Committee on General Laws. IL
reported favorabIy :hcre is believed
to be not much doubt that 1t will be
agreed TO. Ii will be published for
three months and VIII come again be-
fore the next Legislature. Should ac-
tion be favorable at that time, tho
peoplc of tho state Will have chance
at It. Tho committees will meet next
Friday in joint session to consider the
matter.
This is not intended as any radical
departure from existing forms of gov
ernmcnt. 1t merely gives TO cities, un-
der certain conditions, a form of local
option as to the kind of government
they shall have.
No Code Revision.
Tho proposition to revise the Code
of Virginia Is so dead that there ls
not one chance in a thousand of its
rcsuacitation. Both of the bills pro-
yiding for such revision have been
acted upon unfayorably by the House
Committee for COURTS of Justice, ana
Judge Martin Williams. the author OF
one actually moved that II be dls-
missed. so as to save the cost of print
ing. His motion was only Withdrawn
ut the request OF a member who wished
the bill To get on the calendar Ihe
other bill was the one proposed by
the State Bar Association 10 fore-
stall series of questions as TO me
death of these bills. the answer might
as well be given here-the state Is
broke.
The counterpart of tho strobe State
wide prohibition bill was introduced IN
The House yesterday by Mr.. Myers and
1vent 10 the committee. No date mas
been set as yet for a hearing.
BLOW Mt Dlspensurics.
TWO striking bills on liquor matters
were introduced in the House by
sneaker Byrd These are aimed at
disnensaries one requires that all
the prof1ts of dispensaries shall go to
tho state Treasury. If this should
mass. a contingency which Is not ap-
pretended, one of the reasons for the
maintenance Of these institutions.
would be gone The other measure
makes the county tho unit In Ec.ins
on all dispensares except those W
Gated in cities These two are recon-
mcndat,ons of tho Virginia Anti-Sa-
loon League.
The Senate yesterday passed five
senate and two House bills. Ono of
tho former was the King bill to con-
tinue State aid to the retired teach
ors' fund, and one of the latter was
10 allow tho voters of WavcrlS Mag
isterial District, In Sussex county. to
vote on the retention or abolition Of
tho dspensary.
In tho House twenty-five House bills
were passed, this being the biggest
days work of tho session, The CAL
endar was again cleaned of tho local
and uncontested bills which had been
previously advanced. Among the bills
passed were Fixing tho compensa-
tlon of clerks for making lists OF
voters who have paid poll taxes; es-
tablishing a normal school for women
at Radford, with no appropriation;
allowing courts to give to relatives
or friends the care OF drug or liquor
1lend to place him in hospital OF
place of detention, upon giving bond,
-Four Senate bills went.to their third
reading In the House.
Accountant Bill Delayed.
The bill carrying our tile rccoinmen-
dation OF Governor Swanson as to q
state Accountant. TO- examine The
books OF all State officials, received Il
largo majority of those present, but
lacked a few votes of the constitu.
tional majority. and was passed by
until tomorrow.
Senator Folkes introduced a bill
segregating different classes of prop
erty for taxation. His ultimate ain
Is to have the State derive no revenue
from real estate,
A Favorable report was made in the
Senate ON the Harman bill, leVying {