Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-04
FLASHES FROM ATLANTA,
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.
The Railway Tax Bill In she House
Passed by sections A fter a Warm
DIseussiOn-An Effort TO be Made
10 Reconsider the VOte-A Quiet
Day in the Senate.

ATLANTA, August 3.-The House took up
the special order, the bill requiring rail-
roads to return their property for taxation
by all the counties in the State.
Mr. Twiggs, of Richmond, opposed the
bill as unconstitutional and unjust to the
railroads, and was followed by Messrs. Bull,
Of Troup, Strother, OF Lincoln, and DnBig-
non, of Baldwin, the latter making a mas
terly argument. He cited the case of the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railway as
showing the injustice of such taxation.
The bill was advocated by Messrs. Miller
OF Houston, Bronson Of Barlow, and Estes
of Hall.
After nearly two hours of debate Mr..
Hunt, Of Spalding, moved to send the bill
back to the Committee on Railroads, with
instruction to amend It so as not to include
the rolling stock.
Mr.. Jemison, of Bibb, favored this action,
but the House refused by large mAjori ty
to recommit.
Mr.. Rankin, of Gordon, Chairman Of the
Railroad Committee, ,made.the closing speech
for the bill, when it was voted upon by
sections. The first section was adopted by
vote OF yeas lO2 to nays 30; section two
was adopted by S4 yeas to So nays; the
third section by SO yeas to so nays; the
fourth section by 80 yeas to 42 nays, and
the fifth section with little opposition.
Messrs. Barrow, of Clark, and Hunt, of
Spalding, called for the final passage of the
bill by sections, and on the call of the yeas
and nays the first section was passed, yeas
105, nays 49; the second section by SO yeas
to 62 nays; the third section by S8 yeas to
30 nays; the fourth section by SO yeas to "a
nays, and the fifth section by 100 yeas to 70
nays.
An attempt may be made to reconsider
the vote to morrow. Still, doubt II the
bill can be defeated. 1t will work great
hardship on the Savannah, Florida and
Western Railway, the Central and Georgia
Roads being exempt.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
In the Senate several House bills were
read q second time.
The following House bills were passed on
third reading: To alter and amend section
326 of the Code; to repeal section $50 of
the Code; two local Athens bills; to allow
day scholars to attend the Deaf and Dumb
Asylum; to authorize the Governor to pur-
chase Harris Digest of Supreme Court Re
ports for the State officers; to appropriate
$500 to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum for
COlored Mutes; to prevent Superior Court
Judges from presiding on the Supreme
Bench In cases presided over by them in
lower tribunals.
The following is the full text of the Rail
road tax bin as it passed the House to-day,
without alteration or amendment:
A bill to be entitled an act to require rail-
road companies of this State TO return
their property for taxation by the coun-
ties of this State, to prescribe the mode
OF making such returns, and for other
purposes connected Herewith.
SECTION 1. The General assembly of
Georgia do enact, That, commencing with
the year 1882, the several railroad cOmpa-
nies OF this State shall make returns to the
receivers of tax returns of the counties of
all the property owned by them in the re-
spective counties in which said property is
situated, just as individuals are now re-
qutred by law to do; such return to include
all the property, real and personal, owned
by them, either absolutely or held by them
under lease or otherwise, except their roll
ing stock, which shall be returned as here
matter provided; and said companies shall
pay the tax assessed by the county authori-
ties on the property so returned to the re-
spective Tax Collectors of said counties,
and all the laws now in force in this State
as to the valuation of property and the en-
forcement OF the collection of the county
tax due thereon, in the case of individual
taxpayers, are hereby made applicable to
said companies.
SEC. 2 Be IL further enacted, That said
railroad companies shall annually return to
the Comptroller General a sworn list or
schedule, which shall contain a correct de-
tailed inventory of all the rolling stock be-
longing to such company, and which shall
distinctly set forth the number of locomo-
tlves Of all classes, passenger cars of all
classes, express, baggage, freight and all
kinds OF cars, owned or operated by them
on such roads, with valuation of same; and
at same time shall return sworn statements
or schedules, setting forth the length of
the main track in each county through
which such road runs, the total length In
this State, and the entire length of the
road.
SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That the Or
dinaries or Board of County Commissioners
of the various counties Of this State through
which any railroad may run, be and they
are hereby required to give notice to the
Comptroller General, annually, of the rate
OF taxation for county purposes in their re-
spective counties.
SEC. 4. Be ii further enacted, That the
Comptroller General shall compute and ex-
tend all taxes for which said rolling stock is
liable, and collect the same and pay to the
County Treasurers respectively, of the coun-
ties through which such roads may run, the
per centuna OF the county tax assessed by the
authorities Of said county or counties, rata
bly,, or 10 the proportion that the main track
used or operated In such county bears to the
whole length Of the road used OF operated
in this State.
SEC. s. Be 1t further enacted, That the re-
turns RI quired to be made under the pro-
visions OF this act, shall be made by such
officer or agent of said companies as they
may severallY designate, and shall be made
under the oath now required by law of in
dividuals.
SEC. 8. Be ii further enacted, That all laws
in conflict with this act, be, and the same
are hereby repealed, and that nothing
herein contained shall be held to affect the
rights Of such companies as are by theiI