The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-13
THE SENATE

Speeding up the legislative roller
rs II went along the Senate yesterday
closed it's session at II 30 In q furry
of work. and will reconvene for the
last days work at 10 O'Clock this
morning. The morning session was
featured by n resolution endorsing the
work and foreign policy OF President
Wilson. by the adoption of an amend
ment to the railroad franchise tax bill.
making the rate OF taxation / IA per
cent, and the provision for construc-
tive session next week to allow for
the fnal signing OF hills.
In the afternoon the Senate voted
TO participate in the expense payment
bill. which will give each member of
the Legislature sbo for the week OF
the recess session. There were only
six votes in the Senate against the
proposition and only seven In the
House. although both bodies previous
TO the recess declared their willingness
to serve without pay other than
twenty cents mileage. Another i'm
portant feature OF the afternoon SEES
sion WAS the insistence of the Sen
ate on It's amendment TO the railroad
franchise bill. which the House had
refused to accept. and the appointment
OF Senators Blanks, Goodrich and
Drewry as a committee of conference
At the might session the features
were the final passage OF the bank tax
bin, n prolonged debate of the foot
and mouth bin. with its final passag e,
the acceptance OF the conference re-
port on the railroad franchise bAi and
the refusal of the Senate to advance
the bill 10 appropriate $500 to send
the Richmond Light Infantry Blues to
san Francisco as special escort to
Governor Stuart.
All these measures took time, and
IN addition. there were many local
hills which various Senators insisted
should be passed. Consequently
large part OF the time OF morning
and afternoon sessions was spent in
roll calls or in recesses to allow for
reports on local bills.
Al the morning session the first mat
ter Of interest was the Wilson endorse
nent resolution, which was adopted
with only four votes against 1t, MessTs.
Royal. Paul. Catron and Sowder. All
the Democrats present, save Senator
Holt. voted for the resolution
Flowers were at the desks Of all the
Senator'S as II special token from Mrs
Edward Echols and resolution OF
thanks was adopted.
The franchise tax bill, providing
for tax ca one and Il fourth per cent
bf iGAAt bat iidilf IlSSS was dtlFa'G0.
being favored by Senator Wendenburg
and opposed by Senator Buchanau.
The Finance Committee had amended
this blll 10 restore the one per cent
rate, and Senator Wendenhurgs
amendment was In the nature of a
substitute :or the committee amend
ment. This being lost and the com.
mittee aendment. adopted the bin was
sent back 10 the House.
AT the afternoon session Senator
Goolrl6l asked for a conference COM
mittee on this bin the Senate refusing
TO ercede from its amendment The
conference report amnding the In
slrance bill relating to sick be<at
companies and others was adopted.
The b'H TO appropriate fifty dollars A
man 10 members of the legislature for
attendance "a the recess session was
adopted by vote OF 27-6 1t is un-
1erstood 1hat the bill will be taken
before the attorney general for an
opinion % te It's conStitutionaiity.
Tight On Bauk Tax lii.
n 6uht on tho bank tax bin began
at his session and was resumed at the
n ht session when It finally passed,
after the opposition nad spoken it's
last words ard had yielded to the ma
jority, after long Eight Senators
Fapi and West proclaimed their dis
iElft tpIbstt3hD 10 n bilA- EiNiHS tHSil
reasons FOR having opposed IT. SEN
ators Brock and Lesner also spok>
Ariefy in exploration OF their posi-
inns Senator West stated that he
bought the bill was fundamentally
"rong in that ii limited the right of
> locality TO tax property OF distinctly
oeals control. The bi4 parsed by
iarge vote.
The foot and mouth bill called for
prolonged deba.e. participated. in by