Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-03-30

A VISIT To NASHVILLE.
Interview with Judge Lewis on
& County and Other Matters.

has lust returned from Nashville
which will no doubt be read wirh In
crest. -e- s-..tt ~
..You are just from Nashville; give
me the news" says ths Interviewer. \
eyes, I have bsen to Nashville, and
to the legislature" replies the Judge.
s'B ,th places are interesting. The
legislature was the chief object of my
visit and of my solicitude. Knox
county is deeply Interested in few
hours legislation, that would relieve
her treasury and her Taxpayers of
cum not ipconsiderable when multi
piled by the years as they go by. The
railroad bonds of the county become
due in few years and must be paid or
renewed. We wanted the authority
to renew, or refund the bonded in
debtedness,' as the phrase now is-
Knox county bridge bonds are payable
a. the pleasure Of the county, but they
are drawing eight per cent. interest.
Ibis is too high, in view of the
fact that money is plenty at per cent.
Refunding bonds, bearing 6 per cent.
iIt rest, or even lower int crest, paya.
bic semi-an nuaily. and paid promptly,
would sell in this or any other market
for full face value. By the sale of
these bonds and taking up the bridge
bonds, we would save to the treasury,
in the item of interest, the sum of
$50, 0C0 each year.
This is considerable item of saving
in county where expenses are neces-
sariiy large and the taxes high. A bill
t. give us this relief was drawn up by
Messrs. Comfort and Luckey, and
placed in the hands of our representa-,
tives at Nashville, who promptly
placed it before the legislature and
asked that it be made a law. To
help The boys roll the log, Attorney
General Anderson and myself went
to Nashville. and 10 the legislature. !"
"What are the prospects for the
bill?n
In short, l answer, good. Besides
the interest our own members take in
the matter, several other members of
both houses are as much interested.
for the reason that several other coun.
ties in the State are in like condition
with US, and the bill providing the
relief is a general and not local bill.
It suits and will be of benefit 10 all the
counties having bonds Outstanding
and maturing. No reasonable ohjec>
ton could be made to the bill, as it
only gives the county court authority
to act but compels nobody"
did you encounter any opposition
to the bill"
"None as to its merits. The trouble
that besets and retards its progress to
the governors table and approval is,
mainly, this: The bills before the legis-
lature are numerous, averaging from
four to six to each member, and each
member anxious to get his bills
through. The result il, that much
time is lost in the struggle for prefer
ment; and often bills of merit, and OF
general utility and necessity, are
showed under unless they are per.
sistently and judiciously pressed for
ward. We met on the ground oul
feliow-townsmen, Judge 0. p. Temple
Mayor Staub, Prof. McBryde and e. J
Sanford, each OF whom manifested
affairs aud put in a word, when they
could, where it would do the most
good Sanford came late, but he in.
troGuced me to several gentlemen, in
dorsed the bill land me, too in such
felicitous manner as t. make it q
genuine hearts relief for at thai
time the outlook was little gloomy
"What did you think of the legis-
lature?"
Behave me, I thought much Of The
legislature, both before and after wen
there. Before going, / thought il
ought to be no trouble to get bill
through. After Witnessing the pro
ceedings awhile, thought it doubtful
if any bill could get through. The
mass of work on hands is appallingly
large, and the time for work awiu
shori.' But after sounding the mem
bers, L thought the chances good, as nt
one was opposed to our measure excep
when it got in the way of favored bills
- L heard several gentlemen on the
State debt question-Messrs. Cole
Wiitse, Beasly, Harrison and Butler
Each made a good speech from hi
standpoint / noticed that the hous
did not seem to be fascinated will
speeches or speakers. They laugh
they talk, they tell anecdotes, the.
read newspapers, they write letters {,
wifes and sweathearts, they smok'
cigars. they eat red apples, they prom
enade the floor, they 60 in and out
they do everything but listen to
speaker. Some of the gentlemen com
manded more attention than others
no one commanded the attention hi
talents and the subject deserved
Judge Butler, however, was compli
mented above his peers by both peer
and people; for both gathered arount
him during his closing speech aDt
bore him up with many a cheer. /
was amusing to hear the member
giving explanations, or rather desirin,
60 explain why they voted as they did
The speaker ruled that they must pu
explanations in writing. Amoni
others our Mr.. McLemore asked to ex
plain, but was referred. He cent it t
the clerk ia writing, and
will go on the Journal. It wa
short, but good. When Mr.. Reeder'
name was called he spoke out loud,
vote aye, without any explanation
I believe that ended the explanation
business"
How are our members doipg?n
"All they can. Several gentleme
g tell me that they were industrious, at
tentive, working men. They are al
the time on hand, and ready and wi
ling to serve their constituents and To
g country at large"
!, "What about our senator ?"
~ include him in what I have sal
to you about our members, as he is on
7. of them. l will say, however, if yo
want to write it down, that he is on
OF the han6somest men in tn
= ser ate-but l do not mean to ga
+ that Huddleston Is as handsome
Reeder, or that Reeder is as handsom
as McLamore. or that either of thcs
+ | Iar ia I,o