The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-07
Long Time Spent In Limited
Arguments on Many Amend
ments Before Small Body
Advocates Win.
Appropriations Go
To ConferenceNow
Senate Refuses to Concur In
Amendments Tackled on Bill
By House Reconsideration
of Statue Gift Costs State
Neat Figure.

Slashing the commission recon.
mended in the report of the finance
committee on house bin No. 4S3.
known as the tax commission bill,
which provides for the appointment
of tax commission to study the sub
1ect of taxation toward view Ct
equalization and revision. from fifteen
members to ten members, the hose
Of delegates last night advanced the
iii. ~ It's third reading ana cngross-
ment 1t would have been put upon
its passage, but for the supporters Of
the finance committees report. who
turned on the bill
1t was distinct victory for thu
side who advocated small commits.
sion and after innumerable amend
ments, providing for commissions OF
from five to ten members. the house
finally adopted the amendment intro
duced by Mr.. Gregory, of New Kent.
This amendment provides that in
place of the legislative commission
recommended by the committee. that
commission shall he appointed by the
speaker of the house, three by the
president of the senate and three hy
the governor.
1 After the amendment had been ac-
cepted strong efforts were made by
the advocates of the large commits
sion to pass the. reconsideration OF tho
vote by until this morning, but tho
house was in no mood to pass by, and
J friends of the amendments swept it .
n to victory.
Change OF Tax Situation.
However, there were strong rumors
around the lobby last night that the
bill as amended was not legal and
would not stand the test, and It Ii
expected that hot fight viii be pre-
cipitated this morning when the meas
ure is put upon its passage. The very
men who reported the bill out Of COM
mittee have turned upon the bill and
will dc all in their strength to defeat
*.
! The debate on this-considered the
most far-reaching and important bill
was limited to five minutes to each
member. Acting under the rules,
! member had only started his argument
when he was reiegated to his seat by
= Il rap of the gavaf. Some OF the mem
bers were highly indignant over the.
method or procedure and Mr.. Walton,
of Hanover. denounced the action OF
the house in no uncertain terms. At
first the house moved to debate the
bill from 1880 o'clock until 1850 O'Clock.
! then a vote be taken. This was later
extended until 80 o'clock. Promptly
on the minute, the rules were carried
out, debate was cut short and this bill
which will mean the entire change OF
the tax situation. was before tho house
only to be amended and advanced to
its third reading, where II is beyond tha
amendable stage
Over half of the members of the house
awaited themselves of the five minute
period allotted. Without any organized
movement in either direction, the
speakers taking just whatever point
, struck their fancy, wadcd in and con-
suned hours of time, without going
| into the depths OF the bill to any
extent. Needless OF the fact that every
member knew that Governor Stuart adj
vocated a small commission. the amend
ments providing for the small commits
sions were smothered overwhelmingly. \
The vote on the different amendments
{ toward the end became SO mixed up.
that few members knew where the
( others stood.
Reconsideration Costly.
/ The house, early in the day. re-
considered the vote of Thursday night.
when they refused to appropriate
ST zoe for the replica of the Houdon
statue of Washington. which was Of
fered 10 and accepted by Great Britt
ain. and voted TO appropriate the
money. This proceeding of going
back, to reconsider a proposition, ~
which they had agreed nearly month
ago. and which they refused to carry
"a out Thursday night, cost the States
it is said, $3.50. This is based on the
figures that 1t costs the State ~ for u
every minute the house is In Seo-g
sion. ttaS7
The day also marked the passage
OF the appropriation bill. with only III
feur dissenting votes. Immediately "
the senate appropriation bill was
taken up and the house bill sub9tt-
tutea, which placed before both bodies
tie senate bill with house amanda
ments The. senate refused to concur
, III the amendments placed on IN
measure blythe house, SO the lever
body asked for conference. 1
was acceaed to and Speaker G0E rkssss
pointed Messrs. BreWeFs Mn ~ &s
Hobsou az the conferences NN 1140SS
from the house. The coumtk4& ~ MI
! the upper branch IL cornNQe1 ~ AZ
Senator Echols. Fletcher and lMNemlA M
Arrangements have been N1l1 ~
I whereby the bill will be- E0nA 01 s4@
with an eye toward meeting thA 4gNs
] ernors views. In an ulttmAtuM hi
/ through Mr., Brewer. chairm4n IN
\ appropriation commitfee, G0yo9
stuart declared he would not AN
! fcontl ~ Al Thlr4