Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-12-03
TENNESSEE LEGISLATURES.
SENATE.

TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE.
SENATE.
THURSDAY, December l, 1859.
The Senate was called to order at nine o'clock by
the Speaker.
TIE CURRENCY.
Mr.. STANTON offered the following resolution:
Whereas we believe that the most important du-
y of this Legislature is to perfect some proposition
relative the subject Of banking to restore pub
lie confidence and hopes in the perpetuty and con-
tpuotion of such facilities, and thereby revive the
energies Of commerce, trade and industry, there
fore,
tqtiUes That the rules of each house be and they
are hereby so suspended thai sitter the reading Of
| the i9rrnaI Of each house. snd after the mornings
business shall have been dispatched the first thing
next IN order shall be all bills and propositions IN
any manner relating to the subject of banking as
aforesaid, until the final perfection or passage Of
seme act upon tina: subject.
The resolution lies over under the rnle.
| BILL INTRODUCED.
Bv Mr.. ALLEN, No. I51-To regulate the sale Of
! snirItuors LIQUORS by the quart, not to be drunk
where sold PASSED first reading and referred to
the Commi:te on Tipping and Tippling Houses
HOUSE BILLS ON THIRD READING.
No. lOI-To amend the law relative to special
Criminal Courts, and also to amend the laws res-
tive to bills of costs in criminal Passed, ayes
20, noes 0.
SENATE BILLS ON SECOND READING.
No I5O-To change the times of holding the
Chaneery Court at SevierVille Passed.
SENATE BILLS ON THIRD READING.
No $50 prevent the marriage of cousins Of
the first degree.
On motion of Mr. PETERS, the bill was made the
special order for Wednesday, the 9Th inst
| No $50 provide for the liquidation and In
vestment of the sinking fund on bonds Issued and
endorsed for railroads in this State, Passed, ayes
90 noes O. as follows:
Hofn, johnson, Lane, Mickey, Mcclellan, Mcneil
". Nash, Payne, Peters, Richardson, Stanton,
Stokely, Slovall, Thompson, Wood and Speaker
Newman.-2O
Noes-None.
No. 1l8-To place the sale of liquors in incor-
porated towns and civil districts under the control
of the people.
would leave our liquor laws in a condition than
at present aud for this reason, he was unwilling TO
vote for it He was clearly Of opinion that the
Quart or jug law, ss it called, was infinitely
worse than The present license law, IN fostering in
! temperance. he could see no good TO result from
the passage Of the BILL and shonld vote against It,
| Mr.. BRADFORD was afraid the bill would be
killed by the kindness of its Friends Who had offer
/ ed so many amendments 10 it DE feared that Ess
! to be the result. He thought 1t covered what vas
desired by its friends, aud hoped that they would
now show their faith by their works, and pass the
bill. He contended that the legislature had the
power to delegate to the people the power TO rid
themselves Of the evils growing out oil the trsthc In
intoxicating liquors in the manner this bill propos-
ed 1t was the duty Of the Legislature to ass laws
for the suppression of evil In whatever shape He
referred TO the fact that laws had been enacted for
the suprresson Of various kinds Of vice. which had
resulted 10 goou TO the community, aud he hoped
Senators would come p now and act for the good
OF the people.
Mr. ALLEN had offered an amendment to the bill
10 authorize the people to suppress the sale OF IL
ouor nv the Quart, but il was rejected. He desired
&c strike the evil at the root, and drive the raihc
from the land. He went further than the Senator
from Jefferson (Mr. Bradford,) and be called up
on ham to come up and aid in making clean sweep
of the traffic, and then he could str'k" hands Win
him.
Mr. PAYNE did not undersan this bill as re-
storing the Quart law for that was already IN force
Ii left both the quart and the license Law where they
now are except 10 place he mater of licensing re-
tailers under the control OF The people. Ii the peo-
ple are ia favor of having tiPpnng houses among
; ! Them they would vote for them, aud if not they
| Wonld vote against them. He desired TO place the
subject in their hands, and let the majority rule
, They were interese ed in the matter, and should
have the lower to control it. That was the true
principle The power to elect their officers, to tax
! themselves. ana 10 decide various questions, was
given to them, and certainly they were competent
10 regulate this matter
I The question wss further di. cussed by Messrs.
/ HORN. NASH LANE and STOKELY, when
The ayes and noes were taken upon the passage
of the bill and resulted, ayes 10, noes 3; as fol-
. lows
T Ayss-NIessrs Boyd, Bradford, Horn, Lane Nc
;; Cleian, Nash, Payne, Peters, Richardson, and
$ Wood-l0
5. NOcs-Nlessrs Allen, Hildretb, johnson, Mick
ley, McNeiIly, Stokely, StOvall, Thompson, anC
u ! Speaker Newman.
8 AMENDMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTION.
5, TbssPEAKER announced that sll propositions
to amend the constitution before the Senate, wer
made the special ord,r for this day, aud direct
s that they be taken up in their order
. The resolution offered by Mr.. Hildreth, an
adopted in lieu of resolution upoG the same sub
s. ect by Mr. Stokely, was taken up and read as fol
10 lows:
in .ResoIrsd By the General Assembly Of the State
Tennessee That section of article Of the constl
tuition, be amended as follows:
i, "Sec. 8. The first session of the General Assem-
,t bly shall commence the fist Monday IN Octobe
s after the election ia August aud shall not coniinu
is' the session longer than ninety days"
Is Mr. LANE offered an amendment to the resolu
" lion fixing the salary of the members OF the Legls
5y lature at 81 dollars day during the ninety days
nd Mr. PETERS offered resolution in lieu Of tn
lr' amendment which was read as follows:
~ "Resolped That the members shall receive ga
IN, ary of six hundred dollars only and shall cOntnu
els in session long the public interest requires,
' Mr.. LANE accepted the amendment OF Mr Pelel
led and Withdrew his own,
Mr. HILDRETII hoped that each proposition
40 amend the constitution would come up upon its pw
merits and he desired to each voted on separate
Iy He thought there was no necessity for III
amendment Of The Senator from Hardeman, (si'
Peters as TIE Legislature had the power to fix ID
salary Of its members.
: Mr STOKELY'S object in introducing the oIig
~ nal resolution 20 limit The sessions OF the
-. gislature as the surest means Of preventing
" much useless legislation is transacted under II
Gs present system and he desired 20 subral the que
lion to the people for their decision.
't 'n MI LANE opposed to limiting the sessions
the Legisla ure TO ninety days, because it was i1
possible now TO tell what time would be required
a transact the business that might come before tn
sss, body. He had offered his amendment because
d would place the original resolution in q cOnditiC
10 vote against it, as he was opposed TO raising Il
. salary of the members of the Legislature
o Mr. STOKELY was not a Democrat and new
% axneeted TO be, but he in favor of submiitiI
This proposition TO the people 1t was true the pc
pe al voted sgsinst the proposition of the last
10 ;sloture for call Of convention to amend the co
n stitutiou. because they did no: know what sort
ing ran would compose that convention but this was
yronositiou that they would understand and viii
yyeO he proposed 10 submit directly to them.
A Mr. HILDRETH thought tast ninety days wou
may give the lie issture ample tine TO transact the
Sislstion lie cssGry. The sessions Of the Kentuo
fegislature were limited to sixty days, except Dy
vote of two-thirds of Tie members.
,,. Mr.. PAYNE was old fogyish in regard to chsngi
{. 3. the consC tullon 1heEe lhSut pe, anu PAOoo'
for we're some things in the constitution that ought
9 he changed, but be was opposed TO the frequ'
reference Of the subject TO the people, as ne '
- satisfied they did not desire to make changes.
believed the people wanted the members OF
legislature to transact the business for which Il
y NET and not sIend their time in tinkering v
the constitution.