Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-03-13
March IL, 1912.


Editor Alexandria Gazette:
In compliance with your reques
to give you an account of my con
nection with legislation, local ant
general, during the session of the
late General Assembly of Virginia,
beg TO state as follows:
My committee assignments were
"a Privileges and Elections commit
tee, the ranking committee of the
House, and this year particularly i'm
portant because of the magnitude Of
the questions considered by it, to-wit:
Redistricting for Congress. State
Senate and House of Delegates dis
tricts; Woman Suffrage; Statewide
Prohibition and similar subjects; CD
Courts OF Justice, preferable from a
lawyers point of view because OF the
particularly legal and judicial char
acter of the bills and questions to
be considered BY it; C. and a Re-
trenchmcnt and Economy committee
and Corporations Committee, OF
which latter was chairman, neither
OF which are very important.
The bills I took part in passing ]
set forth hereafter, taking up the To-
cal bills, to-wit, those affecting par
ticularly my district, which is COM
posed of Alexandria city and county.
CD A bill to give the City Coun-
Gil of Alexandria more ample power
to borrow and secure money, and
make improvements, which was re-
qucstcd by Mr.. Samuel p. Fisher, our
Corporation attorney.
(2) A bill to abolish the present
board OF fire commissioners and the
board of health of this city, and
place their duties and prcrogatiycs
under committees of council to be
appointed therefor, said bill being
requested by the Council itself.
CD A bill 10 change the organ
izalion of. the police force from a
chief, one lieutenant and patrolmen.
to chief, one or more sergeants and
patrolmen, about which Hon. Fred
J. Paf, the mayor, and / had con-
rersed, and understood that the
board Of police commissioners and
members of council and aldermen
were generally favorable thereto.
This is, however, the bill about which
there was considerable newspaper
discussion, and which held up un-
ill tho Council and Aldermen indi-
Gated that they desired it passed, and
then had passed. because being 3
public servant, it was my duty 10 fol-
low their instructions in that behalf.
/, however, felt and believed as sew
cral members Of council and alder
men afterwards agreed with nc, that
certain of the newspaper comment
Lhcrcupon was for the most part sen
sational cffcrvesccncc rather than ac-
curatc clean news. and Of all things
in my humble judgment that tend to
make great newspapers. newspaper
men Or anything else, 1t is accuracy
and the stunning of scnsationalism
The only comment on the routine
of passing such measures as the
above is that each being a change OF
city charter, has to pass two COM
mittees of each house Especial. pri-
yaLc and local legislation commit
ice. and counties and towns commit
tecI. and have to receive even more
votes than money appropriation bills
to insure constitutional passage.
ca A bill to authorize the Mt.
Vernon Chapter of the Daughters OF
the American Revolution to erect Il
fountain in the city. which was sent
to me by Hon. J. *. NJ. Norton.
The local bills affecting the coun-
~ Of Alexandria were:
% A bill giving the board OF
Supervisors the power Of city coun'
Gil, so that the sewerage, water
health, police and street affairs OF
The county could be properly han
died under existing and future devel-
opments and conditions therein, and
to which required (bcforc prom
isiug my supporu that there should
DC added provisions giving the cir
cult Judge d power Of approval anu
veto after hearing evidence Of any
party. offered at any proposed ordin-
ancc. so as to prevent any person
or section Of the county from Deine
imposed upon by any other, so the or
dinauccS would be constitutional ant
reasonable. SO that check ana sl'
pcrvising mind would pass upon tn
spending Of the peoples money
Briefly, to give all possible advantas
cs and avoid all possible abuse Of
power. All factions and nearly al
hn