The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-09
HOUSE..

The House Of Delegates engaged IN
rood days work yesterday with the
result that one bill was defeated. one
dismissed from the calendar, one
passed aaa eleven ordered to thelr
engrossmcnt.
After a long debate in which
Montague. White, Oliver. Leedy,
Weaver. Williams and Milstead tooh
conspicuous part the House defeated
the express companies tax measure
framed by the joint committee on tax
revision und offered in the House by
the House members OF the committse'
The measure provided for change
in the method of taxing express COM
pa MES, placing a tax of one and one
Quarter cents on the Sl00 of assessed
value OF gross earnings instead or on
the mile Ign at the rate OF six dollars
a mile, Us under the existing law
MIR. White opposed the bill on the
ground that it would cause confusion
at this time when the new system OF
taxation to be adopted is about to be-
come operative. Weaver. Montague
and Oliver stated that the change IN
the system OF taxation would not az
feet the States revenue In any way.
but the House was evidently AFRAID 70
try the new system and "a majority OF
all members being necessary for us
pa ssage il was defeated, 49, ayes ana
as noes.
Oliver Protests.
Mr.. Oliver. of Fairfax, objected to
what ne thought had been imputa-
lions that the subcommittee OF the
Finance Committee had acted on the
bill through ignorance or for some
i'm proper motives, declaring that the
| am putations are absolutely inbound
ed
The bill was first defeated by good
majority, then reconsidered and final
lv defeated. though securing ma
iority Of those voting. because or the
lack of constitutional majority.
The Stearnes bin seeking to place
the department of agriculture in Jus
expenditures under control of the
General Assembly and to provide for
an audit of it's accounts by the state
Auditor rather than by an auditing
committee of tho department. as un.
der the existing law was amended, ON
motion Of Mr.. Adams, to make II er-
fectiye at once instead Of in 1919. the
bill was then ordered to.its engross-
ment.
Other bills ordered to their cngross-
ment yesterday were a NUMBER OF
| local bills and one by Mr.. Gregory. OF
New Kent. allowing district schooi
literary fund. if approved by those IN
whose charge the fund is placed.
The Morning Session.
pebate in the House of Delegates
es,erday morning was enlivened by
q sharp passage Of words between
Hill Montague. OF Richmond, and
Hugh White. Of Rockbridge, over the
Montague bill exempting from taxa
/ ton assets of an insolvent bank while
il ia in the hands of receivers, the
| bill was finally engrossed as amended
/ by Mr. White. with the approval OF
the patrons of the measure The
White amendment provided that de-
positors of insolvent banks must de-
clare their deposits for taxation ac-
cording TO law.
The tilt between Mr.. Montague and
Mr.. White was occasioned by the lat
ters reference to the fact that an In
solvent Richmond bank IL interested
in the passage of the bill. The Rich
mond delegate seemed 70 take this
reference as an unpleasant instnua-
ton against himself and In his reply
took occasion to declare that he Is
not in any way Interested In the Com
monwealth Bank He also referred
TO previous remarks by Mr.. White,
which he lso had taken as a refiec-
ton upon himself Mr.. Montague
spoke with some degree of heat, but
the gentleman from Rockbridge did
not reply to him.
Amendment Acceptable.
the amendment offered by MIR.
White proved acceptable to those In
terested in the bill and was accepted
by Mr.. Montague willingly.
Almost nc entire morning session
of the House of Delegates was con-
sumed with consideration Of the cal
andar, neither the Tavenner amend
ment 10 the segregation bill nor the
administrative feature of the pro-
posed new tax system being consid-
cred until later in the day
Some discussion over the bill pro-
vidins for = recordation tax OF thirty