The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-26
GAN STAY LONGER,
BUT WITHOUT PAY
Members Of the Legislature
to Begin Working Longer
: Hours a Day
GREAT INTEREST IN
SENATE THIS WEEK
Committee of Privileges and
Elections Has Public Hear
ing on Enabling
Act Tonight


branches of the General Assembly
every day for the remainder OF the
session which now has but two
weeks to run, March being the
last day for which the members are
allowed pay.
- ttndcr The law the members. fred
with sufficient patriotism To do so.
may remain in session for thirty days
hunger. tut they must work for moth
ing and board themselves. 1t Is safe
TO say that. with the exception Of the
nominal sessions held after that date
for the purpose of giving the Gov
-ernor time TO consider and sign the
bills rushed through the last hours
of the session. there will be moth
ing doing after March 2.
All eyes center this week upon
the Senate and It's work with regard
to the enabling act. 1t is known that
the vets" having discovered the
error OF their policy of delay. will
now do all they are able in order
To ge, vote at an early date
unless they find that the hand OF fate
has swung too far and majority
ts against them.
Should the vets ascertain before
IA sote is actually taken that they
ate III ttts OF tfat tie SUI y
Is tied then they viii again. by every
means in their power. seek 10 delay
the vote. They are at this time
neither confident nor hilarious.
the Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections will give its first pub
lie hearing on the enabling act In
the hail OF the Senate tonight at s
o'clock. when Secretary MeAllister.
OF the Antf-Saioon League, and Rev.
James Cannon. u, r.. will present
the case OF the advocates of the
enabling act" and MIR. S. l., Kelly
and probably others Will argue
agains; the measure.
Little Bitterness shown.
a most pleasing feature in con-
naction with the fight for and against
the enabling act" mt this session Is
the almost entire lack Of bitterness
In the debates and in the arguments
before the committees. The dry
folk generally are at pains To make
IT clear that they arc not lighting
men but an evil and that they would
60 great deal further than half
way In cooperating with the men
who may be forced out of business
ny the operation of Statewide pro-
hihition In establishing themselves in
new business
The tense situation in the Sonata
has given rise to numerous news
paper forecasts. none OF which have
been more than approximately cor
rect- The wet claims OF twenty
two senator's Is declared by the wei,
Informed TO be without foundation
In fact
Framing Up Amendments.
IL Is understood that tho '.wets" are
framing up number OF amendments
10 De lacked TO the measure before
IL Is reported out of committee. such
amendments wearing the faces of old
friends. having been much discussed
IN the debates In the House. Among
Ahe amendments will be one that will
increase the number OF petitioners
necessary for the calling OF the State
Woe vote. The amendment will
probably require twenty-five per
cent. OF the registered vote as found
al some specified date In the year in
which the election Is to be held In.
stead of referring back to the ,ast
Subernatortal election.
In Trying Position.
The fact that two-thirds of The
members OF the House OF Delegates
Z representing almost all Of the rurat
sections sections q, Nirginia. haye liz shaSr s,s.esr
on the enabling act indicated that
the people outside of the large cities
are absolutely for the enabling net"
the Senators from these districts who
have been counted wet" are occupy-
ing positions that are extremely un-
comfortable. IL the members of the
House represented their people in
voting dry" the question has arisen
who do the wet" Senators represent
who come from the same territory
Petitions Thick and Fast.
Determined that there shall be No
doubt as to how they stand on the
LIQUOR question the people of the state
have been veritably flooding the mails
with petitions. AS compared with tho
sentiment expressed By petition or
otherwise for the contention that the
people should not be given the right
TO vote the "fors" are an innumera
BILE host as compared with the op-
ponents OF the Statewide measure.
Redistrictina Bill.
The House Committee on Privileges
and Elections will this morning re-
port out the measure fixing the Iegis-
lative and senatorial districts. The
noater delegate has been dropped
wherever possible. and some very rad
ical changes have been made, II In
said in the composition of the SEN
atorial districts.
General Appropriations.
Wednesday at II O'Clock has been
set as the time for the taking up OF
the general appropriation bill report
ed out on Saturday by the House and
senate Finance Committees. The
measure will give rise to a considera-
BILE amount OF debate and its discuss
sion will be one OF the principal fca-
lures OF the week In the House.
Amend Rolling stock Bill.