The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-02-05
THE LEGISLATURES.
Passage Of the Negrcpoii Tax.


The Legislature continues to drag its
lazy length along, and Is not likely TO
adjourn before complaining time. I'm
the Senate on the 2Stb, the Rev. w. II.
Pcarne--said to be brother of Bishop
Pcsrne, Of Knoxvillc--was confirmed
as Chief of the Memphis Police. Mr..
Wisencr introduced the following:
A bill authorizing the Attorncy-Gen.
eral to fiIc bill against all railroad
companies that have failed to pay their
interest on the State bonds loaned them,
the suit to be conducted as other suits
in Court of Chancery.
In the House, the Revenue bill pass
ed a third reading and goes to the Sem
ate, where it will probably, pass with
some immaterial amendments. We omit
its publication until such time as it may
become q law.
The bill proposing an amendment to
the Constitution that call colored men
shall be subject to military duty and to
pay the same taxes as are now required
of white men," came up in the House,
rs the special order, on the Both. Mr..
Pickett offered an amendment modify
ing the franchise restrictions, which eli
cited wild, stormy and protracted de-
bate, during which East Tennessee loil-
ty, true to its nature and instincts, exhi-
bited itself butt end foremost, rs is
usual with it on all such occasions.
Among the most prominent of these
mad zealots who have not the sense to
see to what their unwise and short
sighted policy must ultimately lead, was
White, of Greene, who declared " the
loyal people of East Tennessee would
prefer to have the disfranchisement OF
rebels perpetual than to change it now.
They would rather disfranchise few
more rebels than now admit them to the
ballot.box." A member named Meyers,
and Hacker, took the same view, while
Messrs. Wines, Agee, Cason and Roach
made able and earnest appeals in favor
of modification. The amendment was
finally laid on the table by vote of Al
to Is. 1t being discovered that there
was no quorum present, the House ad-
journed without q vote on the original
proposition-to tax the negroes.
On the following day. after further
debate and another attempt to amend,
the bill passed its third reading and was
ordered to be transmitted to the Senate.
This ncgro-tax proposition is clever
dodge to defer any efficient action for
several years in regard to disfranchise.
ment. We think, however, it will fail
The principle of taxation without rep
rcsentation cannot endure very long
even in Tennessee. The subject will
enter largely into the canvass next sum.
mer, and the ensuing Legislature will
find it necessary no doubt to take step.
for State Convention to, settle the bu.
siness in accordance witlithe prihciplcs
of right, justice, common sense and
good government.
The following is the final vote on the
negro tax proposition:
Ayes-Agee, Allen, Anderson, Bowles,
Bosom, Cary, eagle, Cordell, Dame,
Doughty, Dowdy, Dyer, Faulkner, Gil
mer, Grayson, Hale, Hodges, Hammer,
Inman of Cooke, Inman of Knox
and Sewer, Jordan, Kercheval, Lillard
Medlin, Meyers, Mckinley, Morris
Murray, McNair, Mynatt, Mason, Pos.
ton, Pickett, Porter. Prosswood, Prest-
wood, Pitts, Reed, Ryder, Roddy, Sim
gletary, Shepherd, Smith, Taylor Of
Carter and johnson. Tayler of Perry
and Decatur, Thornburg of Granger
White of Greene, Woodcock, Woodard
Welsh, Walker, Wines-54.
Noes-Cason, j ohnson, Reeves, Roach
Waters-5. "
1t will be seen that the names of Rep
resentativc Bloom and Joint Represen.
tative Griffith don't appear among the
yeas and nays. Blackman, of Monroe
and Matthews, of Blount, also seem to
have been absent.
The bill for the sale of delinquent
railroads has passed third reading in
House; also, the bill cancelling the con-
tract with Ward s. Briggs, lessees of the
Penitentiary.
In the Senate on the Cd, House bill to
incorporate the Raleigh Springs Hotel
Company, and an amendment to repeal
the law establishing the metropolitan
Police in Chattanooga, was up on it:
third reading. Mr.. Henderson offered
an amendment incorporating the White
Cliff Mineral Company. The amend
mcnt was adopted, and the bill then
passed its third reading.
House bill imposing poll tax on the
colored population, passed its first read.
ing ard was referred to the Judiciary
Committee.
General Grant on the Suffrage
Amendment.