Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-01


of the voters of county could prevent
county subscription to great enterprise
but he would ask the Convention whethel
nine times in ten that one-fourth would
not comprise the taxpayers whose prop
erty was to pay for the enterprise.
constitution is made to protect the minor
ity. The majority can protect themselves
MIR. Stephens spoke strongly in favol
of the amendment proposed by the Com
mittee, and gave some examples illustra
ting how measures to the prejudice Of
the people had been pushed through.
MIR. Turner proposed to amend by sub.
shutting in the section the words ''three
ffths" for ''three-fourths.
Mr.. Brown, of Davidson, submitted tc
any gentleman IL it was fair for a county
or corporation to be saddled with enor.
nous debts by men who did nathina
whatever to pay them. He believed that
any enterprise wsrth prosecuting could be
carried with three-fourths majority.
| Mr.. Turner'S amendment to insert three
ffths instead Of three-fourths was re-
| jected.
Mr.. Brown, of Madison, proposed to
so amend that no county, city or town
could take stock in any corporation what
ever. He was opposed to citizens, not
taxpayers, being allowed to vote away
the peoples money.
| Mr.. Fielder was also opposed to the
amendment of the committee.
Mr.. Fentress was opposed to giving a
county, city or town power to loan its
credit. The State had been prohibited
| from becoming q stakeholder, and why
extend to county, city or town thispriv-
ilege prohibited to the State9
Mr.. Ivie favored the amendment of the
committee, and he thought theinterests of
the people would be sufficiently protected
by requiring a three-feurths vote to make
a loan or appropriation.
| Mr.. Burton was opposed to the voting
of the credit of county or town for pri-
vate purposes. He believed the proper
| way was for all commercial enterprises to
stand on private subscriptions.
Mr.. Jones, of Lincoln, was opposed to
the amendment of the committee, on the
| ground that most of public improvements
for which the public credit was loaned,
such as railroads, were essentially private
enterprises.
Mr.. Bate was strongly in favor of the
amendment of the committee.
The Convention took a recess till 2:30
P. NJ.
Afternoon Session.
Mr.. Mabry moved to lay the amend
ment of Mr.. Brown, of Henry, pending
when the Convention took recess, on the
table. Carried, by ayes Al, noes 81.
The motion to strike out of the section
the amendment by the committee was lost,
and the section, as reported by the COM
mittee, was then adopted.
Section 80 was read, as follows:
Sec, 80. No article manufactured of the
produce of this State shall be taxed other
wise than to pay inspection fees.
Mr.. Burton proposed TO add the words,
''either in the hands Of the manufacturer
or other person.
Mr.. Baxter said when he came here he
had thought that this section ought to be
stricken out altogether. They had gone
on tieing up the hands of the Legislature
until they were leaving that body very
little to do.
Mr.. Burton's amendment was laid on
the table.
Mr.. Gardner said this section was a dis
elimination in favor of home products,
and was calculated to foster home manu-
features.
The section was adopted.
Sec. 31-entirely new, was fNad, as fol
lows:
SEC. 3I-THe credit Of this State shall
MT be hereafter loaned or giCeB to rim aid
Of any person, association, c01Rpd1g, COR
D0rGti0n or muHicipaIity;. nor shall tie
State become a stOcblbOlder nth others IN
any association, company, coTp0ratjon or
municipality.
Mr.. Kennedy offered the following
amendment: 'sNor shall the bonds of the
State be issued for any purpose whatever,
except to provide for the payment of OK
listing debts and the interest thereon, and
in this case only by the authority of the
Legislature, reciting for what liability
they are issued"
Mr.. Baxter thought this was going en-
tirely too far. He was willing that ap-
preparations should not be made unless
sanctioned by the people, but he was not
willing to tie up the hands of the Legis-
lature so that they shall have no discre-
ton whatever.
Mr.. Brown, of Davidson, offered the
following as an amendment to the amend
ment of Mr.. Kennedy: except by
! vote of three-fourths of all the members
| of both Houses to which they are entitled
under this Constitution; Provided, that
nothing herein shall be construed to i'm
pair vested rights"
Mr.. Brown said he conCurred heartily
in the effort to restrict the flow of public
credit, but he did not wish to so to eX-
tremes. lie supposed the case of the
United States being plunged into war and
| Tennessee involved in trouble. 1t would
| be very hard if the State could not draw
on her credit for funds which might be
almost imperatively demanded. lie
wanted the State armed for any onslaught
by foreign power. If the Legislature
were restricted to three-fourth majority,
no measure could be got through which
was not almost absolutely necessary.
Mr.. Stephens said with a debt of forty
| millions of dollars, nearly thirty-nine mil
lions of which were incurred in building
| railroads, the committee felt like inhib-
iting the Legislature from ever hereafter
| becoming a stakeholder with others.
Mr.. House, Of Williamson, proposed to
add to the amendment of MIR. Kennedy
the following: Except in case of rebel
| lion, Instruction or invasion" The
amendment was adopted, and Mr.. Brown,
of Davidson, Withdrew his amendment.
Mr. House was in favor of putting the
brakes down upon the Legislature, and
prohibit them from issuing bonds for any
enterprise whatever.
Mr.. Kennedy said that the adoption of
this amendment involved the question
whether Tennessee should pay her debts
or repudiate them. Mr.. Kennedy did not
propose to do injustice to anybody. Ii
there were any corporations entitled TO
bonds of the State he did not propose to
wrong them. Let them claim their rights.
He expected that the people of the State
from Carter to johnson would take high
grounds for the payment of all the liabil-
tiles of the State, but he wanted this big
leak to the public treasury, by which
bonds were issued for railroads, stopped.
He wanted, il possible, TO stop the issu-
ance of the ten and twenty millions OF
bonds which appeared already to be pro
vided for. He did not want it to go forth
to the world that this Convention, fresf
from the people, had said that this ex,
penditure should go on Indefinitely ant
without check.
Mr.. Ivie thought there was danger Of
going too far in this question. He feltsurt
that under the amendment offered by thu
committee, the State could work out o.