The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-04-02

/ III TIE CONSTITUTION against
clergymen serving in the Legislature;
authorizing manufacturing Establishments
to be exempt from taxation for a period
| not exceeding six years; authorizing fu-
ture Legislatures 20 submit constitutional
amendments directly to the people; au-
thOrizing future Legislatures to submit
constitutional amendments directly to the
| people; anth"rizing the Legislature. in
reconsidering bills vetoed by the Govern
| or, to so amend the bill as to obviate his
| objections. 1t may be stated that TIL :
measure has to be passed by two-thirds'
majority of the next Legislature, and
4 then be submitted TO q popular vote
| The law to more chesply collect the
revenue, by abOlishing the Office of Reve-
! nue. Collector it is estimated by the au-
thor of the measure, Mr.. Gibson, will save
State the 100000 annually. The law
reducing the members of Quarterly
| Courts one half will make difference in
| he States favor of about $50 GOO year.
| while the law providing Tor county work
houses will make saving of SI6O, 900. The
law to ehectually secure the revenue re-
ceived by Clerks and Justices will, it is
supposed, make a saving of about $65,
600. This law requires that the Clerks
efall courts of the State and every JUS
tjce Of the Peace shall make a report in
writing under oath to the Judge or chair
ran of their respective County Courts.
giving the names Of each person IN alpha
bette order from whom such Clerks or JUS
tlce has received State, county or munich
pal revenue during the quarter next pre-
ceding the day on which the report shall
be made, and also giving the amount of
State, county and municipal revenue re-
celved from each person, when paid and
on what account paid; stating particular
" the nature OF the privilege, if a privi
lege, and separating III his report the
State revenue, The county revenue and
the municipal revenue by him received.
Then there is the "dog law" about
which there are large expectations of
bringing in considerable yearly revenue
to the State. As it provides for an
annual tax of one dollar on each male
dog, and five dollars on each canine of
the female persuasion, the revenues,
| therefrOm, ought certainly to amount to
something handsome. 1t ought to be
stated, however, that the tax on speyed
| female dogs is one dollar. The vagrant
| law Is an important measure, and must
| result IN a saving to the State 1t makes
| 1t a mistemeanor for any person, who,
| without any visible means of support and
having the ability, fails to apply him or
| herself to some EOnest calling, makes
| it a misdemeanor for persons to be found
| lettering about saloons, gambling houses,
| or houses of i'll fame, and prOwling
through the country. A fine of not less
| than five nor more than twenty-five dol
lars is to be imposed, or imprisonment
not less than ten days or more than a
year; and all peace officers are required
to arrest such persons and bring them
before Justice of the Peace. The law
abOlshlng quorum courts will effect
something in the way Of economy, but
not a great deal compared to some other
measures. The law repeating the law
providing for the erection of an Insane
Asylum each in East and West Tennesl
see, stops a very large leak in the Treasu.
ry and will make a difference in the
| States favor to the extent of about hall
a million dollars.
Among the benefcent acts passed is
that establishing a Bureau of Agriculture,
Statistics and Mines; also that providing
for the appointment of an Immigration
Commissioner. 1t is very reasonably an
ticipated that the passage of these laws
| will be the means of setting in the tide
of immigration toward Tennessee. The
| act reducing Jailers' fees provides that
| Jailers shall receive for eacn prisoner
| forty cents per day, and one dollar for
| each turnkey, and there shall be but two
turkeys for each prisoner, instead of
sixty cents, as now provided by law.
| The act regulating the compensation of
Justices of the Peace and jurors provides
that all Justice of the Peace attending
| Quarterly Courts of their respective
1 .nT1ntTag che II roooI,ro L.
| ty cents per diem, for their attendance;
and all jurors attending any of the courts
| shall receive one dollar and fifty cents
| per day for their attendance
An act authorizing County Courts to
borrow money to purchase supplies for
| persons in destitute circumstances is for
| the benefit of those individuals who may
| have suffered severely from the drouth
| aud other csuses, leaving them without
the necessary means of subsistence. The
law to prohibit the buying and selling of
| Offices, makes it felony, punishable with
fines and Imprisonment.
An act to regulate practice in civil
| cases, provides that on the trial of all
| cases in the courts of the State, it shall
| be the duty Of the Judge before whom the
| same is tried, at the request of either par
ty, plaintiff or defendant, to reduce every
word of his charge to writing before it is
| delivered to the jury. and all SUBSEQUENT
| instructions may be asked for by the .Ju-
ry, or which may be given by the Judge,
| shall, IN like manner, be reduced to
writing, before being delivered to the iu-
ry. \ law to prohibit the bringing of
| stolen property into the State, makes it a
| felony for violation of the same, when
the sum involved is over $50, and a mis-
| demeanor when less than that sum. A
! law to punish executors, administrators,
| guardians or trustees for converting in
to their use and benefit and failing to pay
over trust funds, provides that the ex-
| ccutOr administrator, guardian or trustee
holding trust funds who shall wilIfully
! and malciously convert to his own use
and benefit any moneys or other evil
| dences of value of whatever nature and
| description, the assets of the estate for
which he is executor, administrator, guar
dian or trustee and shall fail to pay to
| those entitled to the funds, shall be ad-
judged guilty OF a felony before any com
petent court, and On conviction, shall be
punished by Imprisonment in the Peniten-
tiary not less than one year and not more
than ten years.
The actincreasing the jurisdiction of
Justices Of the Peace provides, in the
main, that the jurisdiction of such in civ.
il cases shall extend to one thousand dol
lars upon all notes of hand, indiscrfmi
nately, whether calling for dollars and
cents simply, or for an amount TO be dis
charged in other means than money. or
for an amount of any article, or multiple
ity of articles, whatever and upon in
d)rsement of negotiable paper where de
mand and notice are expressly waived in
the Endorsement. y rev assessment law
was enacted which differs not little from
the old law, and which will bring in more
revenue to the State Golfers. A law to |
provide for cases in the Supreme Court |
where the Judges are equally divided, |
prescribes that the judgment shall be de- |
tarmined as follows: If the case depend |
upon the constitutionality of any act of
the General Assembly then such iudg-
ment or decree shall be in favor Of the
validity of such act. In all other cases
the Judgment or decree of the court be-
low shall be affirmed.
Other laws, not of primary importance,
provide For an additional Justice of the
Peace in towns Of six thousand inhabi-
tants, and not to exceed eight thousand:
for the regulation Of the sale of illumina-
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