824 



VIRGINIA. 



first time indictments have been found in the State 

 against lynchers. The grand jury of Patrick County 

 indicted six men for the murder of a half-witted 

 white man, who on Sept. 13 was said to have at- 

 tempted to assault a young woman. He was arrested, 

 and while the case was in progress he was taken 

 from the officers by a mob and shot to death. His 

 lynchers were men of bad reputation, at least two 

 of them having been in State Prison. The victim 

 of the lynching had escaped from a lunatic asylum. 

 He once had been acquitted of a charge of house- 

 breaking on the ground of insanity. 



Richmond. It is reported that business has 

 been more prosperous in Richmond this year than 

 for many years past. The record of manufacturing 

 establishments shows an increase in the sales over 

 1897 of $2,531,350, with greater activity in the iron 

 trade than in any other, and particularly in the 

 building of locomotives for export. There are now 

 1,142 manufacturing establishments, employing 17,- 

 317 hands, with $16,276,500 capital invested, and 

 the year's sales aggregate $34,865,725. 



The jobbing interests have more capital invested 

 than in 1897 by $154,500, and their sales exceed by 

 $1,352,738. The boot and shoe trade increased 34 

 per cent. 



The earnings of the railroads also show an in- 

 crease, and the bank clearings exceed those of 1897 

 by $17,279,645.09. The total resources of the banks 

 amount to $19,007,987, and including the three 

 trust companies, one of which was formed during 

 the year, aggregate $20,447,000. This is an in- 

 crease for the year of $2,000,000. There was an in- 

 crease of over $1,000,000 in deposits. There were 

 51 failures reported in the year 1897, with total 

 liabilities of $940,300. In 1898 there were only 35 

 failures, with total liabilities of only $148,500. 

 Richmond people paid in taxes to the city $1,059.- 

 421.55 ; to the State, $435,331.23 ; and for licenses, 

 $16,642.13. 



Norfolk. The shipments of wheat from Norfolk 

 and Portsmouth in 1898 amounted to 1,118,482 

 bushels, and of corn to 11,847,956 bushels. 



Legislative Session. The session of the General 

 Assembly which began Dec. 1, 1897, ended March 4, 

 1898. John P. Ryan was Speaker of the House. 



Many bills were introduced proposing changes in 

 the election laws and four were passed. They make 

 changes in regard to electoral boards and election 

 judges and other minor matters. A proposed con- 

 stitutional amendment providing for changing the 

 time of electing local officers from May to Novem- 

 ber and beginning their term of office in January 

 instead of July, was referred to the next session ; 

 and also one repealing the provision that restricts 

 taxation of the oyster industry. 



An act passed for the purpose of facilitating the 

 collection of delinquent taxes resulted during the 

 year in some gain to the treasury, but was very un- 

 popular and went by the name of " the landgrabbers' 

 act." It came before the Supreme Court, where it 

 was attacked as unconstitutional, the contention 

 being that the act of Feb. 11, providing the manner 

 of selling unredeemed lands held for the State in 

 the name of the Auditor was repealed by an act of 

 Feb. 24, providing a method of redemption. It was 

 also contended that the act came under the class of 

 those required by the Constitution to be passed by 

 a recorded vote, and since the act was not so passed 

 it was invalid. The court upheld the constitution- 

 ality of the law by a decision in December. 



The commission appointed to confer with com- 

 missioners from other States in regard to uniformity 

 of legislation was continued, and the Legislature 

 adopted the act recommended by the national con- 

 ference, entitled "a general act relating to negoti- 

 able instruments." 



The laws in regard to liens, mortgages, and deeds 

 of trust and assignments, and transfers of such 

 claims, and their discharge and form of record, etc., 

 were amended, and the limit of time for outlawry 

 may be extended with some exceptions. Amend- 

 ments were passed also to the laws governing con- 

 tracts, negotiable instruments, and power of 

 trustees and executors. An agent conducting mer- 

 cantile business is to be presumed to have full power 

 to act for his principal unless a written instrument 

 restricting his power is recorded with the county 

 clerk and posted in the place of business. 



The codes of civil and criminal procedure were 

 amended by various provisions governing method 

 and details. A married woman may sue in her own 

 name, where she was formerly required to sue in 

 the name of her next friend. Husband and wife 

 may not testify for or against each other as to a 

 contract where one of the parties is incapable of 

 testifying. Failure to make a motion for a new 

 trial where an appeal, writ of error, or supersedeas 

 lies to a higher court is not a waiver of any objec- 

 tion-made during trial. Wages of minors are not 

 liable for the debts of their parents. The maxi- 

 mum penalty for attempt to poison was changed 

 from five to eighteen years. 



Some amendments were made to the laws on 

 militia. Provision was made for the preparation 

 and preservation of lists and muster rolls of Con- 

 federate soldiers. 



An amendment changed the standard bushel for 

 oats from 32 to 30 pounds, and that of Irish pota- 

 toes from 60 to 56 ; and fixed that of cotton seed 

 at 32. 



Trade-marks and labels must be registered and 

 are protected by law. The use of trading stamps 

 is prohibited. 



Provision was made for conditional pardons to 

 Penitentiary convicts. If a minor under sixteen is 

 convicted of a misdemeanor the judge or justice 

 may substitute stripes for fine or imprisonment, in 

 case the parent or guardian consents. The Prison 

 Association can receive only minors under seventeen 

 instead of twenty-one as heretofore, and the court 

 may require payment for support from parent or 

 guardian. 



No city, town, or county may impose a privilege 

 tax for the publication of a newspaper. 



Railroad and canal companies are required to 

 make reports for purposes of taxation of the amount 

 of property in each county, corporation, and school 

 district. 



A general law was passed defining and regulating 

 fraternal beneficiary societies, etc., making them 

 exempt from provisions of insurance laws : they are 

 to file reports with the auditor of public accounts ; 

 the law does not apply to orders that do not have 

 as their principal object the issuance of benefit cer- 

 tificates. Fire insurance companies and associa- 

 tions are not to enter into combinations for control- 

 ling rates, nor to allow their agents to do so ; they 

 must make affidavit annually that they have not 

 done so ; an agreement to permit any person to make 

 rates or the buying of rate books made by any per- 

 son are to be deemed violations of the law. Such 

 companies are required to refund a proportionate 

 amount of premiums in certain cases where the pol- 

 icy contains provision that in case of loss an nun unit 

 less than the face of the policy or only a certain 

 proportion of value of property at time of loss shall 

 be paid. An alien casualty insurance company, 

 besides complying with provisions relative to ad- 

 mission of companies of other States, shall have a 

 deposit of $200,000 in the United States dedicated 

 to its business and liabilities in the United States. 



The office of Commissioner of Labor Statistics 

 was created ; the Governor to appoint. 



