The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-04-26

publicans. Igive the republicans cred
tor their united support for this mea
= ure. Geo. Peabody held 800 of th
!: Tennessee bonds and his faith was
= great 10 the honor and credit of Tel
II nessee to provide for these bonds thi
s he directed that the bonds he held o
= other states and the United States L
first disposed of rnd that the Tennesse
s bonds be held. lie had been so liberi
!, and lavish with his money upon south
: ern institutions, having donated mi
4 lions of dollars for the purpose and hs
@ given to Tennessee alone an amount al
: most equal to the bonds he held OF thi
/. state-givihg $33, 700 year, it is reall
4 an outrage that we should now repudi
81 ate thrPe-foIrths OF the $40 bonds, De
cause agreeing TO pay 80 cents IN tn
dollar with 3 per cent interest is onl,
20 per cent. OF the amount. But | au
) sure the next legislature will be re
quired 10y the people TO provide for thes
,onds There were many important
questions before the 43rd general as
srmbly. The one that received The mos
attention and that was most thoroughly
discussed in the two houses, and upor
which there seemed to be more interes
concentrated by outsiders than upon al.
most all other questions was the rail
road commission question. Early in
the session there were three bills intro
duced in each of the two houses upon
this question. In the senate had the
privilege Of Introducing bill, Speaker
Alexander one and Senator Steel one
In the house, Mai Ivie, Col. Patterson
and Mr.. Manson each introduced ii bill.
A caucus OF democrats was called TO ee-
lect or draft bill on the subject. One
was finally agreed upon, comprising
some of the features of the three house
'bills--the caucus entirely ignoring, as
| | learned, not being all attendant, the
three senate bills. Indeed only one o.
the senators was present when the bill
was agreed upon in the caucus,
The caucus ill-denoninated by
many, because OF its very stringent
features, "thc bloody bill,-passed the
| house by vote almost two TO one and
was transmitted to the senate. When it
came up on the third reading there-a
special hour having been assigned for
it's considerations moved to substitute
my bill TOR iU, and then "came the tug
OF war;. Alter a prOtracted and able
discussion my motion carried-my bill
was substituted by p to ii votes. Alter
being substituted it WAS amended in
some ilnmaterial particulars and passed
| oy % TO z vUtes--One democrat and six
| republicans voting no and one demo-
crat and two republicans not voting.
| The bill was then sent 10 the house and
after much filibustering and ridiculous
proceedings by the entire repu blicans OF
that body and about half dozen demo-
Gratis it finally passed and received the
proper official signatures and Is now the
law. It is proper that l here give
| credit thus publicly to the active and
material aid rendered in getting this
bill through the senate to Senators
Daniel, Keith, Patterson, Wilson, DJdd,
| Galloway and Thompson, some OF
whom, in addition to- the able argu-
ments made before the senate, aided me
materially in the perfection of the bill.
Quite number Of important acts of
a general character were passed aud are
now laws of the state. Among the
number / should mention are one to
lease for number OF years the peniten-
tiary, one TO provide for the establish
ment of another hospital for the insane
there being nearly LOCO OF. these un-
| iortunates in the state that cannot be
provided for by the existing institution
| at Nashville. The one provided tor is
located on most eligible and admirable
grounds, purchased for the state about
ten years ago for this express purpose
and situated near Knoxville. For this
purpose $4,000 were appropriated -
Other large appropriations were made
for the two charitable institutions To-
| Gated at Nashville--the one for the in
sane and that for the blind--and the one
at K"xville for the deaf and dumb are
largely provided for. Another import
ant bill was passed providing Tor the
rpce eptiOn of and extinguishment of the
new issue of-the bank of Tennessee,
| which the supreme court OF the United
states has declared legal tender for
taxes OF the state. This bill provides
for 20 per cent. Of this mOnev-exceDt-
ing. however, post notes and fractional
currency-to he received for taxes and
no more. Another important law To
farmers was passed. prohibiting the sale
OF chemical fertilizers, unless they are
tirst analyz,d and found to be genuine.
This WIS dons because o. the great
frauds now practieed by manufacturers
of these articles. Another law. made is
giving the county courts at their July
tern each year the right TO elect cotton
and tobacco weighers. Another to pro-
vide for the pensioning of those un-
| tortuuates of our state, who in her
| service lost their eyes. The pension is
| only $40 per month. A law was made
providing for a referees court o aid the
supreme court In relieving the heavily
| crowded dOekets of this court. a new
fish lawawas made giving to grand juries
| inQuisitorial power TO present Offenders
and giving the right TO catch fish any
way except by seining, trapping and
basketing.
The road law is materially changed
in this: The county courts have the
old power restored to open, close and
change roads. Otherwise, however, the
law made by the legislature of 1881 Is
but little changed, With the exception
of the road tax to be collected by the
trustee and there to be hut one commits
sioner. did my utmost to defeat this
bill. While / wished the 1881 law
amended in some respects l would have
heen delighted to have it remain as il
was instead of the new one. An act
was passed requiring the clerks OF coun-
Uy courts to have evidence OF parties at
tanning certain ages before issuing H.
censes to marry. An act forbidding
the sale, under penalti IS, of liquors to
hebitu4l drGnkarls whose wives shou Id
protest. Many other important meas
ures OF general character were passed
including the revenue and assessment
, acts. These two acts were drafted
by a joint committee of the two
. houses of which had the honor oi
being chairman Acts so important al
these should have received more atten-
ton than the committee was able &c
! give them, because of the nearness tC
! the end of the session. Such impor-
tant measures should have been ma
} tured earlier in the session. When il
: is considered what little time the com.
2 mittee had on these bills and the rapid
I ity of their passage through the two
houses 1t is wonder they are not more
! defective. An act making the keeping
: of gambling houses a felony meet,
{ with great favor from our best people
and il will, I think, ,effectually break VI
these dens so alluring. and destructive
to many Innocent victims. An act wal
passed requiring husbands who whiI
their wives to be themselves publicly
: whipped. There were other laws of
general character passed and many
, | very many---ot local character, surl
: as changing county lines and abolish
ing charters OF towns and villages.
: A. aat tVas Oasaad hx- tho aauafa b,,