The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-17
MAY REACH VOTE
ON ENABLING ACT
IN HOUSE TODAY
White Makes Strong Eff
fort to Have 1t De-
cided at Once.
SEES NO REASON
FOR ANY DELAY
Oliver Opposes Immediate Con,
sideration and Makes Speech
Against Observation-Disclosures
Want Question Settled, So
That Other Work Can
Be Taken Up.

Efforts to have the enabling act. pro-
yidin,; for n Statewide election on the
question or prohibition. taken up out
OF it's order and acted upon forthwith,
received a temporary check yesterday
IN the House OF Delegates. but will be
renewed when tho body convcnes to-
Gay The plan has the support OF
friends and opponents OF the act itself
Both sides frankly admit that enough
votes are pledged to the bill TO put II
through the House. That being the
case, there is Il disposition to avoid
useless waste OF time in hearing adyo-
Gates and opponents--in going over de-
bate that has been fully aired In two
previous sessions
The Senate rejected the bill III 1912
by n vote Of - to 16. No changes have
been announced. The Senator'S are
keeping their own counsel. and whether
or not they Will pass the bill does not
nj all depend on what may he said ana
done In the House. This Is the view
taken by House leaders, who would
clear the calendar for other matters
and leave the enabling act battle 70 be
fought out at the other end of the
Capitol.
Hnd special Order nt 12.30.
When the House met at noon yester-
day Judge Martin Williams offered a
Joint resolution fixing 1890 o'clock for
n Joint session to canvass the vote for
Governor and other State ofiicers
which was adopted. and a moment later
Senator Echois notified the House that
the Senate had concurred In the spe-
cial order.
Hugh A. White, OF Rockbrldge, then
moved to discharge the Committee on
Privileges end Elections from further
consideration of the enabling act, ana
that the bill be placed or the calendar
FOR Immediate action. He explained
,l,at ,,o tn T1n "a SuSneuSiOn
OF the rules TO put the bill on its pas
sage. ask for an Immediate roll call,
and get II out of the way at the carl
lest possible moment. The bill offered
by Judge Williams. he said. was the
sane in substance as the Jordan bill
before the last House. Personally, he
had not changed the views he eX-
pressed in the 1912 session that the
bill was unconstitutional. While per-
sonally. he did not believe in 1t, he did
not think there was a member present
who was not prepared 10 vote on an
issue that had been before the House
ut two former sessions. and had been
continually agitatcd through the
State. It's Immediate adoption by the
House. whatever disposition the SEN
ate might make OF II, would clear the
atmosphere in the lower body, would
expedite legislation, and would enable
the members TO devote their attention
TO the DllDllC matters DeIDFe tnc House.
oliver Leads Opposition.
Mr. Oliver led the opposition, and
cheerfully consumed all the time un-
Ill the arrival OF the special order at
1890 o'clock, when the entrance of
mem 1crs OF the Senate put an end to
the discussion.
MIR. oliver opposes the enabling act
In toto. and expressed the belief that
there was enough patriotism In the
House to secure its defeat as unwise
Legislation. He was certainly opposed
10 proceeding without due deliberation.
and would not shirk any responsibility
by putting it on the Senate The
House, composed OF 100 members. has
In 1T sixty-three who were not In the
last House. he said. The present bill
was substantially the same as before,
but many of the members had not
heard the debates of the previous seq
sion.
Two years ago" said Mr.. oliver.
almost the Identical bill was defeated
by the Senate by vote OF "a to l6
Until the Senate acts on this measure
IT Is moot question. The same bill
has been offered in the Senate II II
falls there. action we take will
amount to anything save n loss OF
time.
Affects Finances OF State.
This is a bill which affects the f.
nances Of the State, and should not be
rushed through without consideration
OF q committed IT means q reduction
OF moro than 100000 n year in the
States revenue. l am willing to agree
that the Committee on Privileges and
Elections hold joint hearings with the
Senate committee considering this mat
ter, so that the arguments need be gone
ever but once"
IF 1t is a moot question. why not
get through with 1t as soon as pos
sible?" asked Mr.. Weaver.
If the Senate acts 1t will not be
moot question" replied Mr.. Oliver. .If
the Senate defeats it, and we should
spend the entire session discussing it,
we would not accomplish anything
This is the third session since l have
been u member of this House that
have opposed State-wid prohibition
in any form On that Issue the people
of my county have sent me to the pre-
sent General Assembly, after most ac-
tive opposition. / cannot understand
how any one should desire to rush
through n matter which votes out Of the
State Treasury more than 100000 a
year"
Williams for Prompt Action
TT is evident that Mr.. oliver knows
there is n special order at 1890" re-
marked Judge Martin Williams, chair
maai OF the House Committee on Priv
tleges and Elections and patron OF the
enabling act. "As patron of this bill
and as chairman of the committee. T
am violating no rule of propriety when
i second the proposition of Mr. White.
Tho people OF Virginia are fully on
record as favoring this legislation, and
(. It's advocates have n right In the SEN
ate to the moral effect of vote in
this House. The Senate was elected two
years ago on this question--the House
Continued On Second Phge.)