The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-08
SENATE
Continued From Sixth Page,

NSoHunueu FROM sixth PaBo)
Gated, This practice has resulted In
ono dotalcation after another.
Ho reiterated mis- argument OF Mon
day. that. having been LOCALLY sub
mitted to the pooplo and legally do
fcated by thom, the amendment In
question could not bs resubmitted by
this Legislature without violating tho
Constitution. which requires tho rati-
iicatlon of two succeeding General AS
semblies you cannot unscramble
scrambled GEES" he said: "the amend
rnent is dead"
Defended by Senator Tucker.
senator Tucker took up tho defense
OF the bill In speech tseming with
fire and conviction. The Senator from
northumberland, he thought. had wan
dercd from the real question at Issue
in his anxiety to show that tho sub
mission OF constitutional amendments
III couples was within tho provisions
OF the Constitution. Tho reul uues-
ton, no said, was ono OF legislative
decision and power. Ho failed to ma
u single line In tho Constitution which
forbade rcsubmitting tho amendment
IN question, and was convinced that
no court would undertake to ennul OF
inpeach tho Judgment of the General
Assembly on thet point
care not whethor an amendment
unconstitutionally, am willing to
take the broad ground that whenever
constitutional amendment submit
tea TO tho vote OF the people has
been defeated. the General Assembly,
II, the exercise OF it's sovereign power,
can resubmit tho same question TO the
people II. In its opinion, legitimate
doubt exists as to the quality Of the
vote by which such an amendment
was defeated"
TeIin of Hin Doubts.
For time, said Senator Tucker. he
was troubled By doubts as to whether
the amendment could constitutionally
De submitted to the people by the
present Legislature. or whether IT
would nave to be first ratined By tn.
succeeding General Assembly. This
touot however. had given way to tho
convection that the present LeE.sla-
euro had an unGueationed right to sub /.
init the amendment at once
But Il the Constitution has not
+ucceeded In making altogether clear
inc provisions which govern this mat
Ter. said Senator Tucker. Il think
mat the General Assembly should "a
'aplis!i the precedent that amendments
hhaii De submitted separately in every
instance. rather than relying upon
judicial oecisions which EXC out CON
Etitutional SHORTCOMINGS"
mo Constitution, he said, was re-
atraining Instrument solely. and before
~ can be claimed that II has been vio-
ihted by General Assembly en- tndfs-
rntaol. fracture OF one OF its proy,s
Ions must be shown.
Denies Insinuations.
deny Indignantly tho imputation
OF the Senator from Northumberland >,
no sad. "as we'll as the insinuat!on Of
morning Newspaper, that any Senu-
Tor In this body could be DETECTED from
his duty to ths Constitution through
motives OF friendship to county off :
Gals affected by this measure. Such
a charge liz unjust TO every member OF
the Senate"
Senator Rison. who spok. briefly In
favor OF tho bill. said that tn. question
appeared to him in two aspects In
tho nrst place, no thought that tho two
Offices embodied In tho amendment as
submitted to the people ware not ger
name to each other az claimed b.
senator Walker Because of this he
argued, tho submission Of the amend
'ncnt In 1910 was invalid
II tha procedure were invalid, he
continued. then the only thing tho
General Assembly can do Is to submit
the amendment 20 the people again.
Rut since X is admitted that The ini-
,!ative proceedings Of the Legislature
OF 1908 were valid, he saw no necessity
OK beginning all over again. and
thought that the General Assembly has
the right to submit tho question this
year
Senator Walksr replied with his ar
gument OF Monday that the Legislative
power of the present Assembly was
dead as far as this particular measure
was concerned. and that 1t could only
re!ntroducs 1t for the Endorsement OF
tho succeeding Legislature. He denied
that the two Offices affected IT, the
contested amendment ware not ger
name. Both OF tho officers, he said,
were connected with the revenue-the
commissioner assessed the taxes and
The treasurer collected them.
Senator Gravatt thought that when
lawyers disagree on a question II was
time for tho common people 30 step In
and decide, and stated that he would