Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-02-22

= A0uANoa "A A y NAl AAN AaA &a@Nl
g~eant.At Arms wal sent for a~bsentees,
and pablo business was suspended. ln
justice to Messrs. 0verton and Haynes,
/ must say they arc prompt aud atten'
tive. | mention no names, but in the
. utmost kindness respectfully urge apon
about Eve grave Senators to put them
selves in their little beds" about an
hour earlier, in order to be at roll call.
That too much legislation is not good
for the commonwealth is granted by
everybody, but for the last ten days the
Senate has been with just barely a
quorum, which maks it almost impossible
for any good or bad legislation to get
through
To-day, however. when that august
body got to work, important bills were
introduced-by Mr.. Blizzard, to perfect
the laws relative to mortgages; by Mr.,
0verton to amend the laws in regard to
the assessment and collection of reye-
nue., which provides one assessor of real
estate and one of personal property. a
Board Of Equalization consisting Of ten
freeholders appointed by the County
Court to whom shall be referred ell over
Valuations and enormous assessments,
to be made every FIVE years; BY Mr., Tur-
ley. to distribute the funds Of
the Mineral Home railroad bonds,
and By Mr.. Alden, to repeal
the law which allows any railroad com
pany, Indebted to the State, to pay such
Indebtedness in State bonds at par.
On the second reading the bills abel.
fishing the Second Chsncery and Second
Circuit Courts, and to more effectuslly
punish and detect incsndiaries, were
passed; and on third reading the bill
providing for appointment by the Gov.
ernor OF an inspector of Illuminating
oils and fluids in cities of 5000 inhabi.
taais,
At the hour Of closing the Senate is
considering the Senate bill to establish
county work.houses and a system for
convict labor" which will probably pass.
do not wish to be understood as one
Of those who are ever ready to find fault
with public servants. Sseh is not, BY
any means, the case. In this Senate |
hni several men Of marked ability, and
particularly one from the ~vs.v,~ d.;
tnct OF the State, Mr.. Alden, who has
impressed me as one Of the most useful,
capable and qualified Representatives /
have ever seen in the capitol of this
State. He is at all roll calls, is always
attentive, and seems always TO compre-
bend the bearing Of proposed enact
ments.
In the House this morning a resolu-
ton was offered s~uspending the salary
Of Mr.. Watson, Trustee Of the wind.up
Bank Of Tennessee, and appointing a
joint committee to endeayor to make a
settlement with him, and report if posi-.
bic this session; II not, to the next Gen.
eral Assembly. 1t vas adopted.
A bill was passed on its third reading
TO secure the public revenue collected By
county court clerks.
A BRANCH OF THE TEXAS AND PACIFIC
RAILROAD TO MEMPHIS.
The resolution requesting our Senators
and Representatives to withhold their
support from the bill before Congress to
subsidize that enterprise, unless a braEch
was extended to Memphis, is now before
the House, a motion having been entered
by Judge East for its reconsideration.
The bill in Congress has been reported
for passage, and this action Of our State,
a sort Of quasi endorsement, does not
suit as our twelve voters would in all
probability turn the scale in Congress
for or against; hence the motion to re-
consider. Of course if any enterprise
Of a public nature iustifes Southern sup.
port, it is this enc; and while it would
be exceedingly TO our interest not only
in Memphis, but in Tennessee, to have a
branch terminating at that city, yet
does not the building of the road, as is
proposed, vastly benefit us anyway At
any rate. let us hope our Senators and
representatives will take care Of our
interests without instructions and re.
quests"
wAsHIYGToS's BIRTHDAY.
The City Council Of Nashville propose
in a spirit Of patriotism to celebrate APP.
p%ropriately the birthday Of the Father
Of his Country. Senator Overton, how.
ever, has been a stumbling block in the
way of the General Assembly partioipat.
ing, as most Of the members desired.
he is, as your readers already know, de-
voted to attending to the public welfare,
and wa only willing to adjourn half Of
the day. His idea was that We had
already lost considerable time, and we
could have half the day for work and
half for celebrate He was absent
but a moment to-day attending in the
House to the Memphis branch Pacific
railroad, and as his brother Senators
we'll know a motion to adjourn always
enables him to make two or three
speeches in opposition to it, the Speak
er's gavel and parliamentary althoritie,