The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-17
SENATE GIVES TIM
TO VOTE CANVASS
HALF AN HOUR SPENT IN ACTUAx
WORK IN SENATE
CHAMBER.
BILL S OF INTEREST
wENDENBuRG WOULD PENSION
JUDGES AFTER RETIREMEyTs
$4,000 FOR CONFEDERATE
wOMEN's HOME.
BILLS OF INTEREST

Actual time spent by the senate
being the time from noon to 1890,
when the members proceed in
BODY to the hall of ths house of dele
gates and assisted In canvassing the
vote cast last November for STATE OIL
GERS. %A
This consumed something like four
hours. and when il wa over the sena-
tors did not feel like attempting any
sort Of work.
The process of canvassing the vote
is farcicai. The members of neither
branch of the legislature pay the least
attention to the reading of the figures.
and White there are m members IN.
both branches there were several oc-
casions yesterday when the hall OF the
house and less than a fourth OF this
number actually paying attention to
the work that was being done. One
man opened the envelopes, another
took out the returns and a third read
them, adding machines operating In
the room to take them down, and to
make known the actual figures for
each of the several candidates for
State offices.
Pension For Judges.
Possibly the most interesting bill
introduced was that by Senator Wen-
denburg, which provides that Judges
of the Supreme Court OF Appeals shall
have the right to retire from the SER
vice of the State when they have
reached the age OF seventy years.
They are to receive four-f1fths OF the
pay on retirement that they receive
at the time Of the retirement The
bill provides that no Judge shall ac-
cept or receive any position OF trust or
emoiument after being retired. and
L. l. 4 -f
pension shall stop.
The bill went to the finance conn
mittee for consideration and report
Detectives. police, sergeants. sheriffs
and other officers Of Virginia will not
be permitted to sweat prisoners or
to give them the third degree" the
bill expressly prohibiting any such ef-
forts. The senator Lays that often
prisoners are detained. and that they
are subjected to such processes as
those named above for the purpose OF
getting confessions and to implicate
others. the promise being made in
some instances of immunity or mini
mixing of the punishment
Under the provisions Of bill pre-
scented by Senator Saunders yesterday
the Home for Confederate Women will
receive not less than $4,000 for it's
support and maintenance. The needs
and claims of this institution have
long been noted. but for some rea-
son the legislators turn a deaf ear
when the comfort Of the women, who
suffered as much as the men in the
army, are mentioned. The home fs In
this city, 1t Is supported by charity
and the gifts of those who feel kindly
to the inmates, but the State gives no
pittance to make their declining days
bright and light.
Yesterday the first report received
from a committee was that presented
by Senator Echols. of the finance COM
mittee. recommending that $4,000 be
appropriated from the funds OF the
State for the payment Of criminal
expenses for this current fiscal and
appropriation year. The State appro-
priated $4,000 for this. but this was
not ample, and the auditor called for
more to meet the heavy charges that
have come because of the increase In
costs and the prosecutions for all sorts
of wrongs. The bill was placed on
the calendar. and will be passed. be-
ing an emergency act 81
A large number of other bills, COW
ering a wide range Of subjects. we're
offered and referred to the various
committees for consideration.