Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-17
CAPITOL NOTES.
NashriIle Amerioan. lsth1

has cold, and when they exchange
salutations upon the assembling Of
that body they say Good bordig,"
and address the chair as Blister
Sbeager."
The house seems TO be somewhat
demoralized. Throughout each session
members move about the hall in a
restless, disoontented sort of way, and
talk to each other incessantly Lat
terly the speaker has had hard time
keeping order, after calling upon the
sergeant-at-arms to interpose his aw-
full authority. Many are SO listless
that bills and resolutions have fire.
quently to be read over three and four
times before a vote can be taken. A
great deal of time is wasted in this
way, as we'll as on account of the habit
some have Of allowing the roll to be
called through before voting.
Whenever the house calls a night
session, the sergeant-at-arms is sure to
be found stationed as a sentinel at the
door, to prevent the exit of those
inclined TO shirk.
There will bo a desperate fight in
the house next Tuesday morning over
the local option bill. When It was
called up by Mr. Brickell, yesterday
afternoon, it had very startling
effect. After the lengthy bill had
been read to the close there was a
frantic movement to adjourn. Some
were anxious that it should be dis.
cussed before a full house, when every
man should be required to vote, and,
after various motions had been made,
a compromise was effected by making
it the special order for next Tuesday
morning. The house then adjourned.
In discussing the bill to increase
the revenue by requiring all holders
OF interest bearing nores, etc, to have
this kind of property listed for taxa
tion, or debarred from suits, Mr.. But
ler said that, in his section of the
State, an elder in a church had very
neat way of getting out of paying such
taxes Whenever he took a man s
note he invariably had it made in the
name of his wife, so that when the tax
assessor came around, he reported
-" no property" or words to that effect.
That was the kind of man the bill
proposed to provide for.
While the bill to prohibit the inter
marriage of first cousins was under
discussion in the house yesterday. its
passage was favored by Mr.. Beasley on
the ground that consanguineous mar
riages conduCed to lunacy and other
bodily infrmities, and ought therefore
to be prohibited by law. As illustra-
tive Of this position, he said there
were now four children in the State
school for the blind who were the
offspring of first cousins. He quoted
from DR.. Calenders report to show
the tendency of marriages of first
cousins TO cause lunacy. The bill
proposes to make such marriages A
misdemeanor, and fnable from one
hundred to five hundred dollars. Mr..
Gardner did not agree with Mr.. Beasly,
and remarked that it was a contro-
verted question whether the inter
marriage of first cousins had the effect
claimed, 1t was not so in the animal
kingdom, and, taken as an animal,
man was Just a little better than
a dog. This remark produced
uproarious laughter. 1t was, Mr..
Gardner contended, a well known
fact that to breed animals in-and-in
had a tondncy to improve them. Now,
the aristocracy of Europe intermarried
among themselves, and yet they were
fine specimens of men and women,
physically, and were big-framed. Mr..
Buchanan did not want to see the bill
passed, because he was opposed to a
violation Of present contracts. He
strongly intimated that some repre-
sentative on his right was in very
interesting dilemma of that sort, and
it would be cruel on the part of the
house to make such a thrust at him as
the bill proposed. Mr.. Denning re-
marked that the bible said even
second cousins ought not to marry,
and that ought to be settler on first
cousins intormarrying. The bill failed.
Tho discussion created good deal Of
amusement First cousins who are in
love with each other may now breathe
easier.
The present session Of the house
has been notable one, so far as tho
changes Of county lines are concerned.
There is probably not a member who
has not introduced bill designed to
change a county line. Mr.. Warner, of
Marshall, has been kept in hot water
ever since the legislature met on this
account, and he has successfully re-
sisted all attempts to encroach upon
his county's boundaries. Every county
by which Marshall is surrounded has
essayed to pluck from it farm after
farm, until it looked as though she
was to be divided up among her neigh
bOrs aud wiped from the map.
London World "The Parisiennes
are wild about what they call the Eng
lish fashion of wearing living iewelry.
The fashion is in fact not English