2036 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Apr. 2

opinion that the decisions were honestly made. It has
been an extremely laborious session, this House having
considered several hundred more bills than any of its
predecessors, and while we may not have enacted many
laws of supreme importance and interest to the State, a
careful examination of our legislative record will convince
any fair minded critic that it will bear comparison with
any of i s predecessors. A portion of the public press
has deemed it necessary to comment adversely upon the
record here made. In the closing hours of this Legisla-
tive Session, I believe it my duty to call attention to the
position taken by this body on all questions of public
moment.

There were two bills before this body, during the con-
sideration of which charges were made that there was a
strong lobby operating against their passage. One was
known as the "Telephone Bill" and the other the "Gas
Bill. " The Telephone bill, with all the lobby influences
said to be opposing it, passed this House with only four
votes against it. The Gas bill passed with only seven
votes against it. I challenge any one to point to any
single measure before this House in the consideration of
which a majority of the members of this body were not
found voting in the interest of the people. For me to
attempt to enumerate the important measures that suc-
cessfully passed this body, would consume entirely too
much time. Economy has been practiced all along the
line. Your legislative expenses have been over ten
thousand dollars less than the last session, when the ten-
dency of all legislative bodies is to increase rather than
diminish expenses. Your course has been conservative
and safe, and we can well afford to leave the result of
our labors to be judged by the people of this State after
a careful review of all that has been done.

Thanking you again for your unvarying courtesy; I now
declare this House of Delegates adjourned without day.

Attest: —B. L. SMITH,

Chief Clerk.
FREDERICK. SASSCER,

Journal Clerk.