Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-03-04
right Of SEARCH
OF AUTOMOBILES
Would Prohibit Such Pro-
ceeduces Without
Warrants
MEASURE ADVANCED
Amendment Offered by Member From
Ncttaway County Precipitates Spirit
ed Debate in State Senate.

Richmond, March 4.-Automo5ile
land all vehicles not listed as common
carriers are exempt from search war
rant under the provisions Of the Dea
BIZ, advanced Tuesday night by tn;
Senate, after a sharp debate 70 it:
.h:rd reading and engrassment.
The amendment carrying this ex
.arnption was offered by Senator Deal
Of Nottoway, and was considered 4:
considerable addition of strength t
,he measure, which has as its pur.
oose the curbing Of indiscriminats
searches in the enforcement Of the
prohibition law. It was adopted by /
vote OF "a to II.
Senator Epps, however. took care OF
IN objection raised earlier in the day
1y Senator Robertson by making tins
Deal measure nonapplicable to the en-.
eoccement of the game laws. which
grant authority to all peace officers t.
search without warrants for game eX.
.eeding the limit allowed.
The Deal bill, Senator Robertson
declared, means only one thing, anc'
hat is that officers Of the law vii
3e effectually blocked, under it
operation, from breaking up the prac
.ice cf bringing down from the nils
noonshine liquor to dispense ::non:
The villagers and townspeople.
"We are called en- here" he sad
TO enact gen.lepien's bill, whan
S very essential to have laws thai
reach criminals. The proponents o.
prohibition have been asleep, Fad its
opponents have been active, a de
gtruc1ivc forces always are. II !; tim
mat they take The offensive, If the;
would save what they have done i,
aard work. This measure IS ncsEirf
less than stab al prohibition
Senator Deal failed in his effort t:
have the constitutional reading CT thG
bill dispensed with, in order that i
might be placed *on its passage las.
night.
Ore of the features Of the proceed
:ags was the fact that Lieutenant
Governor Buchanan was. called up@E
twice to vote, in order that ties nigh,
be broken. In each instance he hac
20 express himself on one OF 4 sarle:
of amendments Offered BY Senate:
Mapp. He voted "aye" both times
These amendments did not chang
The bill materially.
Debate was opened or the measur:
oy Senator Lecdy shortly before tn:
chair was vacated at o'clock unit:
:he night session at 8.
"This measure" the Senator iron
Page, declared, "sin?ply says t. tn:
Judge or justice that he cannot :ssu:
:: blanket warrant to search an un
known person at an unnamed place
The principle that no person may b.
subjected to search without war
rant followed US to that evil day j.
1916 when the General Asse:nbl.
wrcte a departure. from that practic
I;nto the prohibition law. The people o
Virginia have grown tired of thes
things. I am appealing to you for
return to the principle whether yo'
are wet or dry. Your Views on tn
prohibition question do not matter t
me in this instance. What does n'2t
ter is whether you stand for consti
tuted authority or majority mob la"
Officers of the law should procee
onlv under the fixed forms of tn
Constitution. When you break dow
one of these you are in a fair wag I
oreak them all down"