Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-19
THE STATE CAPITAL.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLA-
TURE.
A Day Of Debate In the HOuse-The
Dead COnVIct-The hallway Conn
mission Bill Passed-A Number of
Measures Disposed of by the Sem
ate-HTr. Gaskins' Condition.

ONRNOAANN%
before proceeding to business, Assistant
Clerk Harrison announced the following as
the amount of work on hand:
House bills for third reading, A second
reading, II; on table, SO; Senate bills for
first reading, 8; second reading, 81; third
reading, %; resolutions, IA.
Rev. A. Clarke, the member from Wayne,
officiated as Chaplain In the absence of
Rev. DR.. Jones, and prayed most fervently
for Representative VIM. Gaskins, of Coffee,
who is now lying at the point of death in
this city. 1t will be gratifying to the fami-
ly aud friends of this gentleman to know
that he has had the best Of medical attention
and nursing, and that members of the House
and the Messenger, the Hon. G.. r. Smith,
Of Coffee, have been constant in their at
tendance at the beside of the sufferer
Nothing has been left updone for his relief
and recovery, but feG- all In vain.
After the reading OF the minutes Of yes
terdaY, Mr. DuPree, of Macon, moved to
reconsider the action Of yesterday on the
bill to better enforce the road laws of the
State, which was lost. This bill was intro
duced by Mr.. Glover, of TWiggs, now de-
Mr.. Wilson, of Camden, but granted by the
House.
Mr.. Milner, of Barlow, offered a resolu-
| tion calling upon the Governor to furnish
| the House with the result of the investiga-
tion made at his request by Frank L. Har-
rison, Esq as to the whipping to death Of
the convict, Mathis, at the convict camp Of
the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad.
Mr.. Hammond, of Thomas, opposed the
adoption of the resolution, as the matter is
now before the courts of the county in
which the convict was so cruelty whipped
Mr.. Lester, of Jones, took the same view
of the matter.
Mr. Miller, of Houston, moved to amend
so as to include all the information in the
possession of the Governor in regard to the
| matter, and Mr. Hammond renewed his op-
position to the resolution as proposed to be
| amended. The whole question was beyond
the province of the House, and should not
be interfered with.
Mr.. Barrow, of Clarke, and Mr. Jemison,
OF Bibb, replied to Mr.. Hammond in an
earnest manner in support Of the resolution,
making the debate the liveliest and most
pungent of the session. The convict ques-
tion was pretty fully discussed on both
sides.
Mr.. Estes, of Hall, from which county
the murdered convict came, closed the de.
bate In a most eloquent appeal to the House
to put itself in possession of the facts which
the Governor had secured. There WAS
nothing in the resolution that could be
preludicial to the case of the Convict Boss,
who whipped the convict to death, and who
ia to be tried for that crime in Cherokee
county.
The resolution was passed almost unani-
mously and amidst general applause. Some
twenty Senators were present during the
discussion, and appeared deeply interested
in the question.
The special order was then taken up,
being the bill to amend the act creating the
Railroad Commission and comforting power
upon the same to regulate the passenger
and freight tariffs OF the railroads of Geor-
gis.
Mr. Wheeler, OF Walker, moved to strike
out the first section, which provides for an
increase of the Secretary's salary from
| 81, 200 to 81, 600 per year. The motion was
carried by II yeas to 80 nays.
Mr.. Spence, OF Mitchell, moved to strike
out section 2. and supported his motion in
a brief argument, which was replied to by
Messrs. Reese, of Wilkes, and Rankin, OF
| Gordon, and the ,tion was lost.
Mr.. Rankin, as chairman of the Railroad
| Committee, offered various amendments to
the other sections, all of which were adopt
ed by the House without discussion, as they
were not of a character TO change the bill in
any Important I6dbuIe.
MIR. Turner, of Monroe, moved to strike
out of the fifth section the clause compell-
ing railroad companies to pay certain ex-
penses in case their appeal to the Supreme
Court is sustained. This motion was adopt
ed without any opposition.
Mr.. Spence, of Mitchell, moved to add a
proviso to the fifth section, that nothing in
| this section should be so construed as to
change or repeal the act of 1879, which pro-
g.. a.
! guilty of violating the rules and regulations
established by the Commission. The pro-
viso was adopted without debate.
The bill being put on its passage, Mr..
| Garrard, of Muscogee, although friend of
the Railroad Commission, opposed the bill
as unwise and uncalled for. Mr. Spence, of
Mitchell, followed on the same line in oppo-
sition to the measure.
Mr.. Estes, of Hall, replied, and proceed
ed to show that this bill provides for joint
rates over any two or more railroads in the
State, and also regulates the place and man
ner In which the legal questions arising
under the operations of the Commission
shall be properly adjudicated.
On motion of Mr.. Spencer, of Mitchell,
the vote was taken by yeas and nays, and
the call of the House resulted in 80 yeas to 50
nays. Applause followed the announcement
of the vote, in which the Hon. M. 2. Reese,
of Wilkes, the author of the bill, joined
| with considerable Zest.
The next special order, a bill to appro-
| pirate the sum of 81, 900 to the State Univer-
sitY Of Athens, the same being necessary to
allow the Trustees to open the doors Of that
| institution to all students free of tuition for
the collegiate year of 1872. There was
no discussion on the bill, which passed by
100 yeas to 81 nays. Applause greeted this
announcement.
All motions to adjourn having been voted
down, at O'Clock the Speaker announced
| that the House stood adjourned till $3.50
O'Clock this afternoon. This came from a
refusal of the members to extend the
morning session till O'Clock and then ad-
| iourn to o'clock Monday morning.
The following is the text of the bill to
add to the powers of the Railroad Commits
sion as passed, after amendment, by the
! House to-day:
| A BILL to be entitled an act to amend an
act entitled an act to provide for the re
gulation of railroad freight and passenger
tariffs In this State; to prevent unjust dis
elimination and extortion in the rates
charged for transportation of passengers
and freight, and to prohibit railroad COM
panies, corporations and lessees in this
State from charging other than just and
reasonable rates, and to punish the same,
and prescribe a mode of procedure and
rules Of evidence In relation thereto, and
to appoint Commissioners, aud to pre-
| scribe their powers and duties in relation
to the same, approved October il, 1879.
SECTION l. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of the State Of Georgia, That
said act referred to In the title of this act,
and approved October 14th. 1879, be, and
the same is hereby, amended by striking
from said act the whole of section 5, which
provides for the Commissioners making rea-
sonable and just rules and regulations and
reasonable and just rates, and preventing
unjust discrimination, as appears therein,
and inserting in lieu thereof the following,
to wit That the Commissioners, appointed
as hereinbefore provided, shall make reason
able and Just rules and regulations to be
observed by all the railroad companies doing
business In this State, as to charges at any
and all points, for the necessary handling
and delivering of freights, and shall make
such Just and reasonable rules as may be
necessary for preventing unjust discrimina-
tion 10 the transportation OF freights and
passengers on the railroads Of this State
and shall make Just and reasonable rules
and regulations, to be observed by said rail-
road companies on eaid roads, to prevent
the giving er paying Of any rebate or bonus,
directly or indirectly, and from misleading
or deceiving the public in anv manner as to
the real rates charged for freights and pas
sengers.
Sec. 2. Be It further enacted by the au-
thority aforesaid, That said act referred to
in the title to this act, and approved I4th