Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-03-16
ADJOURNMENT
OF LEGISLATURE
Session Closes at Early
Hour Yesterday Morning
Amid Applause.
WORKOUT BY WORK.

Important Bills Had Been Cleared
From Calendar, Making Easy Sail
ing Saturday and Saturday Night.
Richmond, March 16.-The General
Assembly of Virginia ended its lab
ors carly yesterday morning, the
House of Delegates adjourning at
1922 o'clock, after repeatedly
turning back the clock to make it
possible to rush through a few more
minor bills. The Senate had been
marking time all evening. Its cal
endar had been cleared, and the vote
could not be obtained to take up
other measures not duly advanced.
While the final day was an in"
tensely busy cne in the House, the
measures of most far reaching i'm
portance had been disposed of on
Friday, and the struggle throughout
the afternoon and evening was to
hold a quorum present to dispose
of routine matters, hear conference
committee reports, straighten out
amendments, and clear up all the
loose ends Of legislation before tho
session could come to conclusion.
Technically the General Assem-
bly, will not adjourn until Friday.
Extra time has been given for the
enrolling of bills which are to be
signed by the Speaker cf the House
and the president Of the Senate, but
AT no time will there be moro than
q few members present to witness.
those formalities. The period for
the passing of bills ended with the
final adjournment last night, and
singing, "Auid Lang Syne," the
members filed out Of the halls.
Of the bills left on the House cal
endar which might have secured
final% adoption, there was none Of
supreme Importance, or that, in the
Judgment of the House leaders,
You'd have justified an extension of
the actual working session. Lower
down on the calendar came more
t5lan 200 House bills which were
never reached or given any serious
consideration.
: Among the many bills passed yes
terday, that; creating the greatest
comment allows the Gorham Manu-
featuring Company to make and sell
duplicate casts of the Houdon statue
of Washington, the passage of
which brought forth heated protests
against the presence on the floor OF
attorneys, office e-holders, profession
at lobbyists and politicians from sew
efa! sections of the State, who were
openly attempting to induce mem-
bers TO: vote for the bill. The statue
Bill has been one Of the most per-
sistently lobbied measures before
this session, and was bitterly thougs,
unsuccessfnly fought until its final
passage.
An important bill passed Satur'
day night will, it is believed, to a
large extent abolish capital pun
ishment in Virginia, since it give
iuries, in cases of murder in tn
first degree, the option of punish
ment by death or life imprisonment
Features of the session that stant
out are the reduction OF tax on PAM
deposits, the plan for an extra ses
sion for tax reform, the passage O
the enabling act, the fee reform
bill, the primary bill and the reVlS
ion of the Code bill. The three meas
ures most generally discussed a
over the State which failed of ina
enactment into law were the gam
bill, the coordinate college bill an
the Torrens land registration bltl.'
A feature of the closing day y i
the House was the presentation Of ,"
report from the investigating com
mittee entirely vindicating the man
aeement of the Confederate Sold
iers' Home, and highly praising tn
institution and its work. -Anothe
feature of the morning session wa
the presentation on the part of tn
members of the House Of a HAND
some silver service to Speaker CO;
and of suitable ren1embrances
Clerk John W. Williams ard to Il
other employees.
While the Senate disposed