Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-16

NEW BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS.
By Mr.. Williams Bill to enforce tn
collection Of taxes on stock of incorpora
ted bodies. The bill provides that sec
ton 563 of the Code be so amended, 81
that ''share Of stock and other moneyeC
capital shall be assessed as the property
of the owner whether resident or non.
resident, and shall be held and deemed
to be locally situated at the place where
the principal officer of the corporation is
located" and making the taxes levied on
such stock lien on it for payment.
By Mr.. Inman, of Cooke Bill proyi-
ding for the election of Circuit and
County Court Clerk for the County OF
Cooke.
By Mr. Mason: Bill empowering towns
and cities, incorporated, to levy an I'M
limited tax on the sale of Intoxicating
liquors.
By Mr.. Moore: Joint resolution to ap-
point a committee TO look after the CLERK
of the Supreme Court of West Tennessee.
Laid over.
By Mr.. Ryder: Bill to amend the ex-
emptiOn laws Of the State exempling law
books owned by practicing attorneys,
physicians books owned by doctors, and
theological works owned by preachers to
the amount OF $1,000.
By Mr.. Bowles Bill to change the
line between the counties of Overton and
Putnam.
THE MARTIAL LAW BILL
Mr.. Singletary called up Senate bill
amending the militia laws, giving tho
Governor the power 10 call out the militia
and to proclaim martial law. The amend
ment proposes to strike out all that
portion of section 4, requiring the AttOr>
ney General, the Senators and Represen-
tatiVes aud ten Union men to make
representations to the Governor that the
laws cannot be enforced, leaving it dis
cretionary TO proclaim martial law
whenever he chooses. The amendment
proposes to erase the entire section 5,
thereby giving into the hands Of Gov.
Brownlow supreme power.
Section 5 is as follows
Be it further enacted, That upon the
or more known unconditional U Mon men
Of good moral character, or three Justices
Of the Peace of any county in this State
setting forth that the civil laws can not
be enforced in such county, and that the
law-abiding citizens can not be protected
in their rights and liberties without the
aid of the military authorities, it shall be
the duty of the Governor to furnish such
number Of troops as may be necessary to
enforce the laws and protect the citizens
from violence.
Mr.. Hacker favored the proposed
amendment in speech Of some twenty
minutes, during which he asserted, be-
ing heartily sick of the indiscriminate
butchery of loyalists, and that he for one,
would willingly accept commission to
raise and march regiment of militia to
the protection of Union men.
Mr.. Roach was opposed to the amend
ment. 1t gives too much power to the
Governor. He commended that it gives
him the power to do what he wishes with
every dollar of property in the State. 1t
places the lives and property of every
citizen in the State at his disposal. He
could not see that good could come from
the establishment of so much one man
power. To give the Governor power
over the property, lives, and interests Of
every man, woman and child in the
State, is one which could not safely be
placed in the hands Of any man until the
curse which fell upon our common hu-
mainly by the fall of Adam should be re-
moved. He, himself would tremble to
hold such power in his hands lie then
dwelt at large upon the testimony which
the Governor bears to the efficiency Of the
United States troops in saying that lie
found them fully equal to his expec a
ton" and this, too, at time of great
political excitement, at time when two
parties were arrayed against each other
on most important political question.
He commended that as the law now stands,
the Governor has ample power to protect
the citizens of the State if he chooses to
do so. Any county that is in trouble, in
social anarchy, in danger of having its
government disrupted, the people nay any
ten loyal respectable citizens Of any coun-
ty, have the means to secure themselves
from their internal enemies by merely
stating to the Governor that they wanted
militia to protect them. This was very
plain, very obvious and very simple, and
no such sweeping measure as that contem-
plated in the proposed amendment to the
militia bill, was at all necessary to pre-
serve the reign of law and order in the
State. Ii this measure passes, the Legis-
lature will have placed in the hands Of
one man power to suspend every judge,
every court, every sheriff in the State,
and supply their place with drum>head
courts-martial. 1t will have given him the
power to set aside all law and to perpet-
uate himself dictator over the people
Can place an armed solder at every door
and compel the owner of every house to
pay for the support Of its jailor. He can
keep you from re-assembling in the
House from all time. He can say to this
man, you shall go; and to that, you shall
stay and to another, you shall dire and
no man in the whole State can call his
soul his own.
Mr.. Murray took a different view O
the question from that of his colleague
from Carroll county. He would say
nothing on the nature of the government
under which we live, as throwing light
upon the question at issue. He said thai
on the action of the House on this bill
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