The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-05
Declines to Indorse Pro-
posed Amendment
to Constitution.
JUDGES ELECTED
WITH SOLID VOTE
Senate Committee Would In.
crease Taxes on Insurance
Companies-Tax Commits
sion Plan Reported-Bills
Passed in Aid of Good
Roads Movement.

Two of the proposed amendments to
the state Constitution were approved
! and one was rejected by the Senate
yesterday. a vote on the remaining
amendment was not reached.
The provision which went down in
defeat was that to extend the time
for the biennial sessions of the Gem
eral Assembly from sixty to ninety
days. The vote stood: Ayes, II; noes,
22 A motion to pass by motion to
reconsider was lost but before the
vote was had on the motion for re-
consideration adjourntnent was reach
cd
The amendments in question were
first proposed and Endorsed by the
General Assembly. They have since
then been duly published, and came UP
at this session for action again. All
four have been approved by the House,
and those which are approved by the
Senate will be referred to the people
at the election next November.
All Were Opposed.
The two amendments which re-
ceived favorable action met opposl-
ton. although not sufficient TO cause
their defeat Three Senators voted
against the proposition to require only
one reading at length in each House
before bill is passed. while on the
proposal to elect Commissioners of the.
Revenue by the people in cities and
TO allow commissioners and treasurersI
IN cities TO succeed themselves indeh-
nitely. nine votes were recorded in.
the negative.
The fight against the latter was led
by Senator keazell, who thought It
an unwise move to change what had
been carefully placed in the organic
law of the Commonwealth by the Con-
stitut!onal Convention.
a companion bill. making the same
commissioners, remains 10 be acted
upon.
or the highest Importance were two
reports made by the Senate Committee.
on Finance. Ono was a tax commits
sion bill as a substitute for the King
bill, providing for {. body composed
of nve members to examine the tax
laws of the state and TO formulate
comprehensive system of taxation.
Taxes Increased.
Increased taxation on insurance
companies was the other measure
which came from the Finance COM
mittee 1t increases the license tax
on fire insurance companies from Ii
per cent. to l a-4 per cent. of the gross
receipts, and on life companies from l
per cent. to 1-2 per cent.
In separate sessions of Joint AS
sembly the Legislature elected Judge
of the Supreme Court. several Corpo-
ration Court judges. and a judge for
tho Chancery Court of the city of
5,,l
elected with the others some two
weeks ago, for the season that their
present terms do not expire until Feb
ruary 1, 1911
There was no opposition to anv of
the nominees of the Democratic eau
Gus, each receiving all the votes cast.
Judge Richard Fl. Cardwell was elect
ed Judge of the Supreme Court: Alan
r. Hanclkel, Judge of the Corporation
Court of the city of Norfolk; Ken
meth A. Balm. judge Of the Corporation
Court OF the city OF Portsmouth,; Hen
ry ". Holt, judge of the Corporation
Court of the city of Staunton. and
Daniel Grinnan, judge of the Chan
cery Court of the city of Richmond
All OF these arc their own successors.
Nothing Doing In Prohibition.
No move was made to introduce a
Dill IN the direction or Stalc-Wlde pro-
hibition, nor has any time been fixed
nor any definite action taken toward
the presentation of such a measure.
There is very little discussion of the
subject of prohibition among the mem
bers of the Legislature.
The House passed one Senate and
ten House bills, These were all local!
or uncontested measures, the lower
body being still at work on the big
batch Of bills which We're advanced
to third reading several days ago.
However, at the last moment the
''anti-cussing" bill was reached An
amendment was proposed so as TO
eliminate the Jail sentence for the man
who might let an occasional slip OF
language escape him. The bills pa
tron made an eloquent plea for its
passage, but was Interrupted by tho
arrival Of the time for the election of
judges.
Tho Senate passed four of the mi
nor House bills. 1t also took favor
able action on the Senate bills refer
, ring TO road Improvement, including
tho STROBE proposition to allow cities
and towns to aid in building roads
in the country.
Taxes an Minerals.
| Although the House was not adj
! ranced SO far as the Senate IN Its
(Continued on Third Page,)
| T.. L.