Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-18
Here and There
in the Legislature

Tho Senate Finance Committee, after
working day and night on It's biennial
appropriation bill, has got no farther
IN the consideration Of minor appro-
priations than the Department OF Agri-
culture. 1t IL confronted with tho task
Of reporting on Individual bills at tho
same time 1t is busily engaged in
making UP the general appropriations
Tho committee has reported out House
b!lls so and 81 which define capital.
practically TO take the place Of Senate
bills IL and u, which have been the
bone or contention on the subject in
not less than half a dozen public hear
!ng5. Senate bill II is the West meas
ure defining capital, TO which Senators
buchanan and Addison havo offered an
anne ndment, including in taxable values
borrowed money 20 the extent Of the
excess OF accounts and bills payable
over accounts and bills receivable. while
tho other merely asks for definition.
The House bill. which will probably
take the place OF the West bill. accepts
tho amendment referring to capital and
strikes an average OF the excess men
toned as OF February l and August /.
The Senate bills have been postponed.
Governor Davis transmitted 4 mos
sage 10 the Senate. which has under
contemplation bill proposing the pur-
chase for $4,000 Of :hc Davis Building
abutting on the Capitol Square on
Governor Street. in which he requested
The Senate to consider the character
and location OF tho building and its
ada ptab!lity to remodeling and re-
minded the Senate that the building
was at present fire trap" for valuable
records. This was the first message
the Senate had received from Governor
Davis.
The House rejected the Strobe BILL
proposing to enlarge the dover rights
of married women, in order that they
might release that right in real estate
20 be conveyed by husbands. Senator
STROBE has introduced in the Senate a
new bill proposing to place men and
women on an equal footing as regards
contracts and conveyances. If this bill
passes the House it will meet the same
demands as the bill rejected by the
House.
Senator Gayle at a late hour Satur-
day introduced bill in the Senate to
amend the drainage laws. whereby the
words .or scmiannually" arc inserted
after the word annually" which sets
the time for the payment of bonds is
sued in the matter relating to drain
ing swamps and overlooked lands in the
state.
A bill proposing the punishment for
misuse of street car transfers an mis-
demcanor by fine II at least IS has
been introduced by Senator Drcwry.
Many persons are said TO use the
transfers in a systematic method to
beat" the street car companies.
The Senate in session Saturday passed
Il bill providing for the payment TO the
Legislative Reference Bureau small
appropr!a ton. This was the only bill
passed during the all-day session in
which the Code was discussed
The date Of the effectiveness of the
Code was amended by the Senate so
that if adopted ii shall go into effect
on January Is. 1920. which is the day
before the next General Assembly con-
vcnes 4 report from tho revisors
within the next six months setting out
tho changes in the new Code Will allow
the attorneys of the state ample time
to investigate their merit and be pre-
pared at the NEXT session of the Lcgis-
laturc TO amend such sections as may
be deemed tit. The House amendment
changed the date from January 1, 1919.
to December 81, 1919. The Senate de-
ferred the effectiveness only fourteen
days. This difference, along with others,
will no doubt be settled easily in the
conference to follow the adoption by
the Senate of the proposed Code.
Bernard II. Twyford. clerk Of the
Senate Committees on Counties. Cities
and Towns and Privileges and Eec-
lions. of Accomac, Va. has enlisted in
the army. He will be attached TO
Headquarters Company, Three Hundred
and Thirteenth Field Artillery. Camp
Lee, as an expert clerk.
COAL MEN TO SERVE