Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-12
THE LEGISLATURE.
Special to the, Commercial Herald.
HOUSE.


JACKSON, MISS, March 10.-The
house passed resolution that the cleo
tion Of railroad commissioners take
place Thursday evening Immediately
after the election Of State penitentiary
superintendent; adopted.
Act to prevent sheep and hogs run
ming at large in Benton county;
passed.
Report Of committee on ways and
means taken up and bill pending passed
with amendments.
Act to secure the collection of de-
linquent poll taxes, substitute offered
by Mr.. Magruder, was adopted and
passed.
To amend act to incorporate the
board of levee commissioners, re-
ferred.
10 amend act to Incorporate the city
railroad Of Columbus, referred.
Act to incorporate the town Of Her
msnVille, passed.
Act repeating Office Of State revenue
agent, passed.
The house has been engaged all
evening discussing the bill for a con-
stitutional convention. 1t lies over
for third reading.
The senate has been engaged the
greater portion Of the day discussing
the school bill and arrived at no con-
clusion.
MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS.
The house refused to pass the sec
tion Of the ways and means commit
tee, recommending that physicians pay
privilege tax. 1t also refused to levy
privilege on steamboats,.
The senate last night passed the
house bill giving relief to certain per-
sons, who have been paying an insult
6cent privilege. The bill provides that
where any merchant, bank, banker, CO.
operative or person required to pay
privilege tax under the provisions Of
chapter 10 Of the code Of 1880, upon
any store, trade, bank, profession. bus
mess or calling, has, from any cause,
failed, neglected or refused, In whole
or in part, to make the payment SO re-
quired, upon payment to the sheriff Of
heproper county within ninety days
from the passage of this act Of the
true amount that should have been
paid according to said chapter by such
merchant, bank, banker, corporation or
person, for three full years next pre-
ceeding the passage Of this act, with
out interest, cost Ordamages, the party
making such payment shall be and is
hereby redeemed from all the penalties
imposed by section 589 Of said code,
and all contracts Of such party mem
toned or referred to in said section
made at any time prior to the passage
of this act, shall become enforcible as
other contracts.
Under a recent decision Of the su
preme court, unless this bill had been
passed, a very large majority Of mer.
chants could not have enforced any
contracts, inasmuch as they had vio-
lated section $50 Of the code Of 1880
by passing an insufficient privilege.
The report of the senate special COM
mittee on the penitentiary, charged
with the duty Of reconsiderlng the ma
iority and minority reports recently
made, reported to-day, and substantial
ly agreed with the minority report
touching all existing laws governing
contracts for improvements and re-
pairs. The majority report criticised
the action of the superintendent in
making and the governor in approving
contracts, and held that their action
was unwarranted by law.
The special committees report in
terpret the statutes, and say that the
law was complied with, and cite, in de.
tail, the reasons for their conclusion.
Taken as a whole, the minority report
is sustained as to every difference Of
right touching and the statutes gov
eTniDg the same The remaining diff
ference is the value Of improvements;
one set of architects holding that the
prices allowed were just and reasona-
ble, and another that it was too much
The Strike in the Reaper Works
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