H. B. No. 21. A bill to amend and re-enact sub-sections four and seven of section thirty-nine of the charter of the city of Norfolk, as amended by an act approved March 20, 1916.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments: H. B. No. 23. A bill to amend the sixth sub-section of section twenty of the charter of the city of Norfolk, as amended by an act approved March 17, 1916.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments: H. B. No. 24. A bill to declare the termination of the powers granted under an act entitled an act to annex additional territory to the city of Norfolk, and to provide for the government of said annexed territory, approved March 14, 1902, and all acts amendatory thereof, or any part thereof; and to ratify all acts heretofore done under said acts or acts amendatory thereof.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments:

H. B. No. 25. A bill authorizing the councils of cities in this Commonwealth having, by the last United States census, a population in excess of 65,000 inhabitants and less than 100,000, to increase, during their respective terms, the salaries of captains and sergeants of the police force and assistant chief or chiefs of the fire department, and other city officials, whose original term of office has been extended by law, and to ratify and confirm ordinances heretofore passed by any said city, providing for any said increase.

He, from the same committee, reported with amendments: H. B. No. 61. A bill to authorize and empower the board of supervisors of Fauquier county to give rewards for hawk scalps.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments: H. B. No. 62. A bill to amend and re-enact section 26 of an act entitled "an act to amend sections 16, 21, 23, 26 and 28 of the charter of Suffolk," approved February 3, 1888.

And he, from the same committee, reported without amendments: H. B. No. 63. A bill to incorporate the town of Newbern, in the county of Pulaski, and to amend and re-enact an act approved March 20, 1916, entitled "an act to incorporate the town of Newbern, in the county of Pulaski, and to repeal an act entitled an act to incorporate the town of Newbern, in the county of Pulaski," approved March 4, 1872.

MR. GRAVATT, from the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation, reported with amendments:

H. Jt. Res. Proposing amendment to section 184 of the Constitution of Virginia.

He, from the same committee, reported with amendments:

S. B. No. 141. A bill to amend and re-enact sections one and nine of an act providing for the issuing of county bonds for permanent road or bridge improvement in the magisterial districts of the

counties of the State, approved March 13, 1912, as amended March 17, 1915, p. 141; as amended March 17, 1916, p. 461.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments:

S. B. No. 147. A bill to amend and re-enact section 3 of an act entitled an act to provide for a road law for Spotsylvania county, approved February 21, 1898, as amended by an act approved March 14, 1908, as amended by an act approved March 13, 1914.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments:

H. B. No. 37. A bill to amend and re-enact section 6 of an act entitled "An act to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to provide for the working and keeping in repair of public roads in the counties of Alleghany, Bath and Highland, approved February 12th, 1884, as amended by an act approved February 1st, 1898, as further amended by an act approved May 5th, 1900, in so far as applicable to the counties of Bath and Highland," approved March 12, 1912. He, from the same committee, reported without amendments: H. B. No. 38. A bill to allow the board of supervisors of Culpeper county, to create a special sinking fund, sufficient for the purpose of re-surfacing the macadamized roads in Catalpa magisterial district in Culpeper county, Virginia.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments:

H. B. No. 39. A bill to authorize and empower the board of supervisors of Culpeper county, Virginia, to issue bond to raise money for the purpose of providing for the building and completion. of certain roads in Catalpa magisterial district in said county.

And he, from the same committee, reported without amend

ments:

H. B. No. 47. A bill to authorize and empower the board of supervisors of Culpeper county, Virginia, to establish and maintain toll gates upon the several macadamized roads in the several magisterial districts of said county, fix the rate of toll thereof, collect the same, and ise it for the purpose of the repair and upkeep of said roads.

MR. BUCHANAN, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 169. A bill to amend and re-enact section 13, of an act entitled an act to raise revenue for the support of the government and public free schools and to pay the interest on the public debt, and to provide a special tax for pensions, as authorized by section 189 of the Constitution, approved April 16, 1903, as amended and re-enacted by an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 13, of an act entitled an act to raise revenue for the support of the government and public free schools and to pay interest on the public. debt, and to provide a special tax for pensions, as authorized by section 189 of the Constitution, approved April 16, 1903, approved March 17, 1910; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Finance.

MR. RINEHART, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 170. A bill to refund money improperly collected from the Virginia Hot Springs Company paid into the treasury of the State; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Finance.

MR. LACY, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 171. A bill to amend and re-enact section 21, of an act approved January 30, 1888, entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act to incorporate the town of South Boston, in the county of Halifax; and to add two sections to said act, to be known as section 26 and section 27, providing for the collection of town levies and assessments and prescribing penalties for the violation of the license ordinances of the town; which was taken up and referred to the Joint Committee on Special, Private and Local Legislation.

MR. THORNTON, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 172. A bill authorizing district or city school boards to borrow money on short time loans; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization. MR. JEFFREYS, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 173. A bill establishing a State purchasing commission and providing for the purchase of furniture, equipment, material, supplies, printing and stationery for the use of the State and State institutions, boards, commissions and officers; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on General Laws.

MESSRS. CONRAD and DOWNING, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 174. A bill to amend and re-enact section 3059-y of chapter 315 of the Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia of 1914. with reference to the time of holding the regular terms of court in the Twenty-fifth judicial circuit: which was taken up and referred to the Committee for Courts of Justice.

MR. MAPP, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 175. A bill to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 3528 of the Code of Virginia, as amended and re-enacted by an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved March 12, 1908, entitled an act to amend and reenact section 3528 of the Code of Virginia, as amended and reenacted by an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 3528 of the Code of Virginia, and to repeal section 3526 of the Code of Virginia in relation to fees of attorneys for the Commonwealth, approved on the third day of March, 1896, as amended and re-enacted by an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 3528 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal section 3526 of the Code of Virginia in relation to fees of attorneys for the Commonwealth, approved March 5, 1900, as amended and re-enacted by an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact sections 3498, 3500, 3505, 3506 and 3508

of the Code of Virginia, and to amend and re-enact section 3515 of the Code of Virginia, as amended by an act approved February 14, 1896, and section 3519 of the Code of Virginia, as amended by an act approved February 18, 1896, and section 3528, as amended by an act approved March 5, 1900, and also to repeal section 3524 of the Code of Virginia, as amended by an act approved February 20, 1900, and section 3525 of the Code of Virginia, approved on the 31st day of December, 1903, as amended and re-enacted by an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 3528, as amended and re-enacted by an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 3528, approved March 15, 1906, as amended and re-enacted by an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 3528, approved March 17, 1910, as amended and re-enacted by an act of the General Assembly, approved March 14, 1912, approved February 29, 1916; which was taken up and referred to the Committee for Courts of Justice.

MR. GUNN. by leave, presented

S. B. No. 176. A bill to amend and re-enact section two of an act entitled "An act to make it obligatory upon persons, firms or corporations employing men in foundries or moulding shops to provide for proper ventilation in such foundries or moulding shops," as approved March 27, 1914, as heretofore amended; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Mining and Manufacturing.

MR. GUNN, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 177. A bill to provide for the issuance of shares of capital stock of corporations organized under the laws of this State without nominal or par value; which was taken up and referred to the Committee for Courts of Justice.

MR. ADDISON, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 178. A bill to define capital in making assessments thereof alleged to have been omitted from assessment for years prior to 1916; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Finance.

MR. EARLY, by leave, presented

Senate Joint Resolution No. 13. In relation to the drafting of agricultural laborers; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Mining and Manufacturing.

Senate Joint Resolution No. 6. Proposing amendment to section 117 of Article VIII of the Constitution of Virginia, and providing for publishing said amendment and certifying the same to the next General Assembly.

Resolved by the Senate and the House of Delegates (a majority of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto), That the

following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the same is hereby, proposed and referred to the General Assembly to be chosen at the next general election of senators and members of the House of Delegates, for its concurrence, in conformity to the provisions of section one hundred and ninety-six of article fifteen of said Constitution, namely:

Strike out from the Constitution of Virginia section one hundred and seventeen, which is in the words and figures following, to-wit:

Sec. 117. General laws for the organization and government of cities and towns shall be enacted by the General Assembly, and no special act shall be passed in relation thereto except in the manner provided in article four of this Constitution, and then only by a recorded vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house; and except also in the case of cities having more than fifty thousand inhabitants, as hereinafter provided. But each of the cities and towns of the State having at the time of the adoption of this amendment a municipal charter, may retain the same, except so far as it shall be repealed or amended by the General Assembly; provided, that every such charter is hereby amended so as to conform to all the provisions, restrictions, limitations and powers set forth in this article, or otherwise provided in this Constitution.

Notwithstanding, however, anything in this article contained the General Assembly may, by general law or by special act (passed as prescribed in article four of this Constitution), depart in any respect (except as otherwise in this section expressly provided) from the form of organization and government prescribed by this article. for cities and towns, and may provide, from time to time, for the various cities and towns of the Commonwealth such form or forms of municipal government as the General Assembly may deem best; but no form or forms of government authorized by the second paragraph of this section shall become operative except as to such cities or towns as may thereafter adopt the same by a majority vote of its qualified electors at an election to be held as may be prescribed therefor by law. All the limitations on the powers of the councils of cities and towns imposed by this article shall apply in like manner to the principal legislative authority under any form of government which may be authorized hereunder. The term "council" as used in sections one hundred and twenty-five and one hundred and twenty-seven of this Constitution shall be construed to include the body which, under any form of municipal government, shall be vested with the principal legislative authority of such municipality.

The General Assembly, for the purpose of this article, may classify cities according to their population, but the maximum population prescribed for any class shall exceed the minimum popula