The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-18
YESTERDAY IN
HOUSE OF DELEGATES

The House INDUCED In a session
some two and e-half hours long yes
terday, . very considerable proper
ton Of which Was spent In vigorous
debate On the bill Of Mr.. White. Of
Rock bridse, relating to widows dow
er rights.
The lawyers In the House enjoyed
RockhridHe, and the gentleman from
Fairfax. MIR. Oliver. who denounced
the bill as the worst piece of legis-
lntion which had come up during his
three terms in the House. Mr.. Cox.
of Richmond city, was frequent con-
tributor to The fun. and the bill fin-
ally went to its third reading, not
without a few very vigorous noes. y
The measure was brought about by
a difference of opinion as to the dover
laws between lawyers which finally
reached the Court OF Appeals. The
court. ir defining the existing law,
acc orGine to Mr.. White. seemed to
indicate that more legislation was
needed and with that legislation pro-
vided 1t would have decided in n
fashion believed to be right by Mr..
White. The gallant gentleman FROM
Roci1br1dRe proposes 10 give the tom
ample legal grounds on which to do
what he believes the right by the
widows OF the State. Under the pro-
visions Of his bill should a tnarrleo
man have real estate worth say twelve
thousand dollars on which he borrows
$4,000. the wife uniting in the trust to
secure tho lean. ana should The hus-
band then die before paying of the
mortgage, tho widow could claim rs
her dow er the four thousand dollar
equity In the property. and not the
one-third Of the four thousand dollars
as the courts now hold to be the law.
Mir. White contends that when the
wife signs away her dover right II IL
only for the purpose OF securing the
loan and that she does not intend
to assign anything further than such
amount. He contends that in such a
case, should no loan have been ne
gotiated, the widow would have had
an undisputed dover right of four
thousand dollars. He sees no reason
why after a loan shall have been made,
when the creditor shall have been sa,-
ianed, the widow should occupy any
less advantageous position. MIR. OIL
yer, of Fairfax. vigorously denounced
the bill a. giving what too often would
prove mans whole estate to hts
widow and leaving his general cred
itors out In the cold.
Another measure on which the
House got pretty well tied up was the
bill OF Messrn. Buck and Roberts.
merely asking that Washington coun-
~ and the city OF Bristol be included
among those counties and cities In
which the clerk OF the courts collects
the commissioners transfer tee At the
time a deed 10 recorded. 80 many
wished to have their counties put In
the same category that 1t looked Tor
while like the measure might be-
cone n general law. a few represen-
tativea, however. protested against
such course and the bill, amended by
the insertion OF the names Of some
score Of more counties. passed to its
third -EAadaRs.- ----- -
The biII Of Mr. Cox. known as House
bill No. ., introduced at the instance
of the Board of Charities Rnd Cor
rections. amending the act to organ
iss county and city boards Of poor
commissioners and requiring reports
from dbch boards. likewise passed to
its third reading ~ did House bills
No. 10. a. to the extension of town and
city lirnits. introduced by Mr.. Peek;
Nos. IL and II introduced by Mr.. Har-
wood with respect to the handling OF
the unclaimed dead bodies OF those
who die In the charitable or other In
stitutions OF the State.
Anti Gambling Bill Deferred.
House bill No. Is. the measure Of
Mr.. Stephenson. of Bath. to prohibit
al forms of gambling and reverted to
the House with the recommendation
that II do not pass, was passed BY un-
III tomorrow morning by request OF
the patron of the measure and nf Mr..
Oliver in order that printed copies
Of the bill might be procured and
generally distributed 80 that the menu
hers might ascertain what really
good measure II n.
House bill 10. patron Mr.. Stephen
son. Of Bath, 10 provide for remedy by
thirty DAVIS. notice for any tort: Mr..
Lunsford measure. House bill, No. ~,
relating to tho approval OF title to real
estate for public uses; Mr., divers
pill. No. is. to restrict the use Of the
writ OF fer1 facias and OthAr processes
in the collection Of claims bearing UNI
lawfuI inteFeSts Mr.. Dstl'e- n1lt No,
Is, correcting from dfty EeaSs - Af-
tsss the tins ~ p2seseseon al2e1 -