Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-12-19
NASHVILLE.
Synopsis of the Proceedings of the
Legislature.
The Election of Delegates to the
Constitutional Convention.
SPECIAL TO THE APPEAL.

NASHVILLE, December lS, 1859.
Seaate.-The House bill directing
the payment of $132, 600 to Ward d
Briggs, penitentiary lessees, passeda a
third reading without Oppositicn.
a resolution was adopted auth0riZ-
ing the directors to take possession Of
the material and prisoners in the pen
itentiary and put the same to work
for the best interests of the State.
The House bill fixing the license of
retail liquor dealers, passed third
reading.
The House bill incorporating
the Memphis Fire Relief As
sociation; amending the act char
teriug the city schools of Mem
phis; and act fixing license on places
of amusement, passed third reading.
The Merchants tax bill, imposing
an advalorem tax on capital, passed
second reading, and was made the
special order for the second Tuesday
in January.
HOuse.-A resolution directing the
Comptroller to pay the Memphis and
Ohio Railroad Company for the trans
portation OF militia, was concurred in.
The House, after much discussion of
the PenitentiaIy bill from the Senate,
passed it on first reading.
The House also adopted the resolu-
luton authorizing the directors TO
take charge of the prison material,
labor, etc, and run it in the best in
terests OF the State.
Senate amendments to House bills
regulating the license of retail liquor
dealers were concurred in; also the
amendments fixing the license of
places Of amusement.
EThe House resolution requiring
officers to pay over any money in their
possession, was concurred in.
THE ELECTION.
The election for convention dele
gates passed offquietly. 4 very small
vote was polled, there being no oppO-
sition to the convention nominees:
Neil S. Brown, John C. Thompson
and John f. House. Scarcely any
votes were cast against the conven-
ton. The Radicals staid away from
the polls.
ASSOCIATED PRESS DESPATCH.
NASHVILLE, December 1S.-The
Senate TO day passed on its third
reading Tie House bill to pay Ward
q Brigs, the lessees. Of the Peniten-
tiary, Sl32, 600 of their claim against
the State, and adopted a resolution
providing for taking immediate pos
session OF the Penitentiary.
The senate also passed on It's third
reading the House bill to reduce the
tax on liquor dealers. The bill is a
great reduction on the old tax, and is
satisfactory to the House.
The House bill to reduce the
tax on merchants, and adopting an
od sdl0rem system passed its second
reading and was made the special or
der for the second Tuesday in jan
uary.
The Senate then adjourned until
Wednesday next, thus cutting off ac-
tion on the Cincinnati Southern Rail-
road until after the 5th of January.
The panitentiary was the subject of
discussion in the House, which finally
passed the Senate bill providing for
the management of the institution on
its first reading, and adopted the reso-
luton authorizing the directors to take
immediate charge of the labor and
materials of the Penitentiary.
The Louisville and Chattanooga
Railroad bill was taken up and
amended so as to provide additional
corporators and commissioners on the
part of the State, giving. 200 feet for
the use of a double track, and author
izing the company to run their road
from Gallatin, Lebanon OF MurfreeS-
boro to Decatur, Ala. The bill was
then put upon its passage, but no quo
rum being present, the House ad-
jOurned to Monday.
ELECTION FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL.
CONVENTION.
The election to-day for members of
the Constitutional Convention passed
Off quietly. The utmost Indifference
was manifested by the voters. Polls
were opened only in five of the ten
wards. In these las votes were cast
for the Convention, and l against it.
Edgfield gave 46 for the Convention.
The weather was raw and inclement,
but the voters absented themselves
from the polls because they were not
certain that the action of the COnven-
ton would be conservative. The Op-
ponents of the Convention did not
vote, as under the law authorizing the
Convention a majority of the votes
cast prevails, and the Convention will
be held, though the vote will be
light. The apathy of Nashville, how
ever, does not prevail in the State.