Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-13
OUR ATLANTA LETTER.
The weather-CIty improvements
Manufacturer of Fertilizers and
Tax Payers Exeited-Legtslatfve
Notes-ConvIct Lease BilI-RIght
and Proper-FInal Paragraphs.

ana RroPeE-E1naI paragraphs
ATLANTA, August 1O.-we are having fine
showers and cool breezes, but not very heavy
rains to damage crops. The nights are quite
cool and the days comfortable.
Up to this time we have had no long spell OF
very hot weather, nor any fears of an epidemic
of any kind during the present season. Unless
we have a marked and prolonged change in
the weather. such fears viii not arise in the
immediate future.
The city authorities are waking up to the ne
ceSsity for improvement in the streets of At
lanta before the Cotton Exposition opens in
October. Already operations have been com
menced and some Of our streets are assuming
a more passable and attractive appearance
Our sewers are also being extended and en-
larged, and the water works are TO be given in
creased capacity.
No summer Of late has brought so many visi-
tors to the Gate City" There mas been
large and constantly changing attendance upon
the Legislature. The Cotton Exposition has
brought many strangers here from all parts of
the country, and as its time of opening draws
nearer, the number OF such visitors is rapidly
increasing. The cool weather has also drawn
here many pleasure seekers. who have helped
TO oil our hotels and boarding houses.
The bill, by Senator McWhorter, to stop the
manufacture, sale or Introduction Of CONNER
cial fertilizers in Georgia, has created quite a
tiutter among the dealers and manufacturers
In this city, of whom there are many, Atlanta
being sort OF headquarters for fertilizer
agents. There are also several factories here.
have no idea, however, that the bill viii pass
although the author of it tells me he means to
press it with all his powers to final passage.
Senator Westbrook's bill which you so elabo
rately considered in your editorial columns a
few days ago, is also creating quite a sensa-
tlon here. As you suggest, more perfect
system is needed by which to secure a full and
impartial return of property for taxation.
There are thousands Of dollars worth of prop
erty in Atlanta, as in other cities. that escape
taxatlon under our present plan, and Senator
Westbrook's bill, if it becomes law, viii
reach that class most effectually.
Atlanta is happy this morning over the re
port that the Finance Committee of the House
has reported in favor of a new capital to cost
one million dollars, to be located on the City
Hall lot and to be completed within five years,
the sum of two hundred thousand dollars to
be expended on it annually. The committee
learn, is not Unanimous in this recommends
ton, and some of its members will make a
strong fight against the bill in the House. They
contend that Atlanta should perfect her water
works and sewers and put the city in better
condition, before she asks the State to com
mence such costly edihce.
LEGISLATIVE NOTES
There were nine hundred and sixty-fve bills
on the calendar OF the House this morning
some eight hundred of which are still to be
acted upon, not having been lost" or with
drawn, or passed"
New bills continue TO come in to change the
time for holding the Superior Courts in various
counties of the state The entire calendar of
the Brunswick Circuit having been revised by
the Senate and the Northeastern Circuit Great
ed since my last letter, it is now certain that
changes viii be made all over the state.
The temperance committee has reported its
general bill, but the House IS land has BEEN
flooded with local bills some Of which have
passed, and others were reported back favora-
bly, by the committee this morning. The fact
is, the temperance question has been badly
handled. A member rises and introduces a
temperance bill and then gets drunk within five
hours after This puts the temperance ques-
ton in Questionable attitude.
single clerical error occurred few DAYS
ago, and one that has a great deal of signif-
canoe in it. The bill TO allow all persons who
from disease are incapacitated for manual
labor" to peddle without license, was sent up
TO the Clerks desk with the word desire" in
place Of disease" IL is needless to state that
the passage of the bill with such an error in it
would flood Georgia with unlicensed peddlers,
as the number of persons incapaciIated by
desire for manual labor" is almost countless.
good joke is told on rather iovia1 young
member from Southwest Georgia, who has his
wife here. How is it my dear, she said to
him one morning. that the other members
who are also on committees, get home so much
earlier at night than you doy" He promptly
replied, 20, you see ali the heavy work has to
be done by felC prominent members, and
am one OF them" The wife was both satisfied
and proud, but a wicked member at the break
fast table smiled and remarked in an under
tone, Yes, he is one Of them" They had been
out together several nights, and he knew
whereof he spoke.
TIE CONVICT LEASE BILL.
have telegraphed you the main points in
the discussion on this bill. and there is but
little TO add in a letter, because the MORNING
News readers are not interested in the mere
details.
That the present law governing the convict
system Is ample to meet all demands for a re-
form in the convict camps, need not be ques-
toned On this point the Hon. VIM. NJ Ham
mond was right in his speech against the bill
But there Is a demand for some plan by
which this law can be better enforced in all the
camps, and made To work impartiauy in its
dealings with convicts, guards, bosses. lessees,
the Principal Keeper Of the Penitentiary and
the Governor himself, he being at the head of
the system.
The political aspect of the question has hurt
the measure in many ways. IL has kept many
good men out of the movement and brought to
it others who have only political ambition to
crafty While good men deplore the evils and
abuses in the system, they hesitate to Join
hands with reformers IN whose motives they
haze no confidence.
II is hoped tlat the substitute by Hon. NJ P
Reese, Of Wilkes, will be passed, and l under
stand there will be some strong speeches made
in its favor tomorrow, when the discussion
will no doubt be renewed. Some plan should
be adopted for a better enforcement of the law
cTsslinS the convict system, as this seems the
best yet usgested.
RIGHT AND PROPER.
Bishop Young, of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in Florida, passed through Atlanta re-
Gently, and while here registered at the hotel
as THE Bishop OF Florida" which has caused
some comment. a few persons claiming that he
is not the Bishop of Florida, but a Bishop of
that State, there being other Bishops within
that territory.
This same point was raised several years ago
by the Rev Benjamin Johnson, Of Macon, who
Joined the Reformed Episcopal Church move
ment. He denied the right of Bishop Beckwith
to sign himself THE Bishop of Georgia" /
replied to his criticism at that time and en-
deavored to show that Bishop Beckwith was
right and that his opponent was entirely in
| the wrong
There is but one Bishop Of Georgia aud but
one Bishop of Florida. The Methodist Church,
Northern and Southern, white and colored has
no State lines for the jurisdiction Of its
Bishops. or from which they may take local
| titles The Roman Catholic Church, while its
Bishops are governed in jurisdiction by State
| lines, does not designate its Bishops in that
way. We have In Georgia THE Bishop of Sa-
vannah, " and in Florida there is THE Bi~hop
of St. Augustine" The state titles of Bishops
Beckwith and Young do not, therefore, con-
| fict with those of any other Bishops, and are
both legal and proper.
FINAL PARAGRAPHS
H. l. Kimban is after civil engineers to To-
cate his Atlanta Canal and Water Company"
and says he means business. Walter r. Brown
is also pressing his canal bill in the House, and
between the two rival corporations, Atlanta may
get her much-needed and long delayed canal.
Capt Grant wilkins the General Manager
OF the old Atlanta Rolling Mill NOV Georgia
Iron Works.. remarked to me the other day,
with smiliag face: "Well. my negroes are
working all right, and l am satisfied" When
the white employees refused TO work
unless Mr. W. granted their demands, he put
negroes in their places, and by slow and care
full training, now has them fitted to run the
mill. If the white men come back they must
join the coloFed laborers. who will not now be
discharged. A conflict of races may yet arise
out Of this new departure in rolling mill labor
The Cotton Exposition building is rapidly
taking shape, and makes quite imposing
| will IA N q " nj
but long. Now that Mr.. Klmball has turned it |
into a worlds fair, and opened its doors to all
kinds Of exhibits, the prospect is that this |
building, as well as the other buildings in the |
PARK will he crowded with eYkihits of Kind