Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-21
TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE.



SENATE.
THURSDAY, Jan. 20.-The Senate m ct at |
IL A. M, Speaker Thomas in the Chair
THE PENTTENTIARY.
Mr.. Hart, from the Committee on Peni- !
tertiary, submitted report recommend |
ing the passage of Senate bill No. 2l0, and |
suggesting that the sum of $73, $3.50 be |
inserted in section l, of said bill, that |
being the total indebtedness of the Peni- |
Tertiary from March l, 1869, to Jan. 1,
1870
THE STATE DEBT.
The Committee on Internal Improve
ments submitted an elaborate report on
House bill providing for the payment of
the public debt, recommending its rejec-
ton.
NEW BUSINESS.
By Mr.. Luttrell-A bill to incorporate
the Niagara Fire Company No 3, OF Knox
vile. Passed first reading and referred to
the Committee on Internal Improvements.
RAILROADS TO PAY IN BONDS.
House bill providing for the payment of 1
the State debt by allowing railroad compa
MES to pay into the State any of the legally
issued SIX per cent bonds Of State out
standing IN payment of their Indebtedness
without regard to series or number, was
taken up on its third reading.
Mr.. Nelson moved to non-concur IN the
report of the Committee recommending
the rejection of the bill The motion was
afterwards withdrawn.
Mr.. Faulkner offered the following
amendment; Provided, said Railroad Com
panies shall pay into the Comptroller's of
fee in four equal instruments, in six,
twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four months
from the date of passage of this act, the
amounts respectively loaned to them, such
to be in any of the Understanding bonds
of the State without respect to the series of
their issue.
Mr. Etheridge said that this was the
gravest question that has been submitted
to the consideration of the General Assem-
| bly, since the war. And in order to give
| Senators further time to look into the mat
| ter, examine and scrutinize it carefully,
and owing to the absence Of one of the
members, he would move to postpone the
| further consideration of the bill until to-
| day one week.
Mr.. Nelson-The Senator from Weakley,
| Mr.. Etheridge, seems to favor postpone
ment upon the grounds that it is the most
| important measure that has been introduced
| in the Legislature since the war. The bill
| before the Senate now, has been considered
| for six or seven weeks; it has undergone
severe scrutiny by the Judiciary Committee
| and the Committee on Internal Improve
ments, and there have been elaborate re-
ports written out by these respective COM
mittees. And yet the Senator from Weakley
insists there can be great good derived from
1 postponement because there is q Senator
absent. 1 have scarcely experienced time
when we had full Senate two days in sue
cession. With all due difference to the
Senator from Weakley, move to lay the
motion on the table Carried-ayes, II +;
noes, 9.
Mr.. Hall then moved to lay Mr. Faulk-
ners amendment on the table. Carried,
ayes ID, noes 8.
Mr.. Cooper, of Davidson, offered the
following amendment
Section - Be it further enacted by the
authority aforesaid, That the Legislature
hereby reserves to itself the right and
power to repeal or amend this act when
ever in their opinion the interest Of the
State may require it to be done.
| On motion of Mr.. Nelson, the amend
ment was laid on the table, ayes ID,
noes 10.
! Mr.. Cooper, of Bedford, offered the fol
lowing amendment:
Section - Be 1t further enacted, Tina
all bonds received by the State under this
act, shall have attached to them the cOu
pons, due July, 1869, and January, 1870
and all falling due thereafter, until tht
State shall resume the payment of the in
terest, and said bonds shall only be re
ceived at their full value, not including tn,
matured coupons.
Here long discussion followed, partici
pated in by Messrs. Cooper of Bedford
Cooper of Davidson and McFall, in oppo
sition to the bill Cthe latter, however, jus
gave an explanation, and Messrs. Clement
son, Hall, Nelson and Speaker Thomas il
favor of the passage of the bill. The oppo
nents of the bill argued that the bondhold
| ers had prior lien on the roads to whicI
} State bonds had been issued, and tn
friends of the measure argued that it woul
J reduce the State debt 81, 600, 900, thereb
reducing the heavy burdens imposed upol
} the tax-paying communities. After pre-
longed discussion of several hours, Mr.
Clementson moved to lay the amendment
} offered by Mr.. Cooper, of Bedford, on tn
, table, which motion prevailed.
Mr.. Cooper, of Bedford, offered the fol
lowing amendment: Provided further
that the road thus paying its interest il
past due coupons, shall also retire so muc
of her debt by returning to the ComptrOlle
of the Treasury in discharge of their liza
! bility,, the bonds from which said coupon
are cut and on which they are due.
On motion of Mr.. Nelson, the amend
, ment was laid on the table-ayes l;
noes 8.
/ Mr.. Cooper, of Bedford then offered tn
| following amendment:
Sec. -. Be it further enacted, This
nothing contained in this act shall be s.
construed as to diminish or destroy an
specific lien which any holder of any pan
ticular bond of the State may have upol
any particular railroad for the security an
final payment of said bond and the interes
which may accrue thereon.
After some further discussion, Nj
Clementson demanded the previous ques
ton, which was on the passage of the bill
| The call was sustained.
Mr. Etheridge raised the point of orde
that the sustaining of the call for the pre-
vious question brought the Senate to d
rect vote on the pending amendment.
| Inc Speaker Iuled adversely 10 MI
| Etheridges point of order.
The question then required on the pass
age of the bill, which was passed on it
third reading by the following vote
Ayes-Messrs. Bryant, Clementson, Cub
bins, Eason, Greene, Hall, Halves, Lut
trell, Martin, Millsaps Nelson, Palmer
Pearson, Self and Speaker Thomas-15.
Noes-Messrs. Cason, Cooper of Bed
ford Cooper Of Davidson, Etheridge
Faulkner, Hart, Morris, and 9IcFall.-8
Mr. Nelson moved to reconsider the vot
Just taken, and then moved to lay that me
ton on the table. The latter motion wa
agreed to.
The Senate then adjourned until to
morrow morning at 10 o'clock.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
THURSDAY, Jan. 2O.-The House wa
called to order at % o'clock, Mr.. Speake
| Perkins in the chair.
TO BORROW MONEY.
Mr. Steele, from the Committee on Fl
nance and Ways and Means, submitted
report on the resolution directing til
Comptroller to pay Ward & Briggs, and re