The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-19
Legislative Committee
VotesSolidly toAmend
Law as Urged.
FIRST READING
COMES TODAY
Measure, Which Will Be Put on
Final Passage Friday, En-
ables Cities to Consolidate
in Time to Get Combined
Population in
Census.

f
Eument, punctuntcd by ordinations
and rccrlininntionr, accusations ana
dcniuls, and In which no small amount
OF bitter feeling WINS developed, the
Committee on Counties, Cities and
Towns OF the House of Delegates yes
tcrdny afternoon unanimously voted 10
report the RichnOnd-M Manchester con-
solidntlon bill fnyornbiy.
This practically insures the passage
OF the bill through the Legislature, lor
if the Observation-Disclosures desire 10
continue the fight on the floor oil either
house, the support of All outsider,
whose aid would be nil in local mat
ter, must be secured.
The bin Will be reported this morn
ing. and will pass its first reading
in the House. On Thursday 1T WIZ
come UP for its second reading. This
being the opportunity FOR amendment,
II any. II everything goes as smooth
~ as is confidently expected. tho
measure win be engrossed and put
upon it's final passage on Friday
Committee In Session.
The fun began at the beginning OF
the flrst session OF the House Commit
tee on Counties, Cities and Towns, al
10 O'Clock. Most of the committeeman
were present when the bill was called
up amending the general law. SO as TO
permit the calling of special electiots
on consolidation OF cities upon NO.
less than nsteen nor more than thirty
days notice.
Those Who discussed the matter IN
the morning were William II. owens,
Chairman L. Il. Brown of the Nan :
chester Consolidation Committee, and
Assistant City Attorney George sayn,.
Anderson, OF Richmond. for the meas
9ure. ana ID. L. and Willis G. Pulliam In
opposition. The Pullians made I'M
passioned arguments against report
ing the measure. saying that many OF
the citizens Of Manchester would be
disfranchised in an carly vote. u. l.
I,uilia,n's argument was partly on the
constitutional question. He contended
that 1t was a violation of the States
organic instrument to not allow the
fun seven months notice as required
by tho present statute.
He quoted resolution of the Man
chester City Council adopted in 1906.
asking that the people OF that city be
given full time TO consider such mat
ters.
Had Chance to Pay.
Mr.. Brown said that the statement
that the people OF Manchester are
being deprived Of their rights is not
true. He told how the matter has
been agitated for months, and said
that every citizen had full opportunity
to qualify himself for voting by paying
his poll taxes in ample time.
Colonel Anderson addressed himself
largely to the constitutional question
which had been raised. he said the
people who had not paid their poll
taxes had disfranchised themselves;
that no great constitutional matter
was here to be disposed Of; that the
citizens had been put on notice.
Replying to the argument of Mr..
Pulliam that no emergency exists JUS
tifying the csause putting the act into
Immediate force, Colonel Anderson
said that II was not necessary TO spec
ify what the emergency is, and that
no court would go behind a declara-
tion of n Legislature to inquire what
the emergency was.
The fight on the floor of the commit
tee meeting was conducted by Dele
gate Toney. of Manchester, who is
the principal patron OF the bill. In
pushing the consolidation, Mr.. ToneY.
who Is a member OF the committee.
evidently had no fears for his own
political future.
At noon. the time for the House TO
meet. the committee rose. with Colonel
Anderson still on the floor. The COM
mittee reassembled at O'Clock.
Poll Tax Question.
D. L. Pulliam occupied most of the
afternoon session. He said that the
citizens who had not paid their poll
taxes had not disfranchiscd them
presume that they would have seven
months within which to qualify thom-
selves. He attempted to ridiculc the
s"emergency" idea, saying that no
emergency could exist in connection
with the taking or a United States
census, which everybody has known
for hundred years would happen,
The cause OF the emergency, he said,
must be given.
Judge Yarrell. of tho committee, re-
minded Mr.. Pulliam OF decision by
the Legislature in the case of a Judge
ship, that In removing a Judge for
cause, tho cause could be anything
even a bald head.
Manchester" resumed Mr.. Pulliam,
gives up everything for promise of.
some things, He said that many of
the spectators who We're furnishing the
applause We're citizens Of Chesterfield
county. and not OF Manchester. and
declared that he believed the deal was
all a part of "a big scheme" to later
take In part OF Chestereld county,
whether 1t wanted to he taken In or
not.
Mr.. Anderson said only a few words
In reply ,i5,
Delegate Toney Speaks.
Mr.. Toney was frequently inter-
srupted as he closed the debate. He
said he was fought by annexationists
I'm his two recent campaigns, and had
.unn ahnf H. thnlltrl1 w taalyxa -enarall,s