The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-03-12
STATE CAPITAL.
THE PEOPLE WIN IN A GREAT
FIGHT OVER THE PETERS
BURG CHARTER.
Several Important Bills Fail on
Account OF the Want of a Quo
rum.
A TERRIBLE RUSH OF BUSINESS.
SENATE CHAMBER, n. G.,
RALEIGH, March 8, '91.
Editorial Correspondencc.l

I lEulIOGEl! NOTIeslDOuutHCc.I
AT II O'Clock noon to-day the
Legislature Of 1891 will pass into
history. It's work is before the pub-
lie for approval or censure-fOr good
or for evil. What has been done is
the question that will be asked on
all hands. An attempt to answer it
here would be futile. No more can
be done than to make brief and has
ty mention of the work that has
been crowded into the last Week-it
was enough for three weeks,
AS was stated in our last commu-
nicatiOn, the question of per cent.
as the highest legal rate of interest
came up in the House Monday night.
Press of time admitted of little de-
bate, and the bill was tabled after
very brief discussion. So, not
Withstanding the Alliance demand
ed it, the Alliance Legislature, as
this body is called, failed to give it.
Now what is to be done about it
We shall see. The way to pass a
measure is to pledge the members.
Let the people take notice.
The public school tax has been
fixed at 10 cts on the 500 valuation
and 40 cents on on the poll. The
House made hard fight for cents
and AZ cents, but majority of the
Senate insisted Oh 16S cents and 80
cents, and the final arrangement was
a &C Cmpromise.
The House cut the appropriation
tor the A. d NJ. College down from
$4,000 a year, as the Senate had
agreed TO, to $4,000. This money
is to be used in erecting dormitories
and equipping workshops. The sal
aries of the teachers will be paid out
OF the money appropriated by Con-
gress.
The House has granted the Peters
burg railroad a charter for two
years only and passed a bill repeal
ing the provisions in the Code al
lowing the Secretary of State to
grant railroad charters as applicable
to northern outlet for the w. & w.
Railroad. The Senate will pass upon
this important question this morn
ing, and our readers will get the re-
suit in this issue. If the w. & w.
Railroad cannot be forced to paw
taxes, the people must know the
reason why, and every honorable
means 10 bring about that result
must be exhausted before the effort
is abandoned.
The new Deaf and Dumb Asylum
will be located at Morganton. The,
House decided in favor of Raleigh,
but the Senate substituted Morgan
ton and the House cOncurred.
The University gets 50, 500 for re-
pairs upon the buildings. The Gov
ernor's Mansion gets $3.50 for steps,
&C., and 81 800 for furniture.
The House agreed to the appropri-
alton of $4,000 for the Geological
Survey, after amending the bill to
make it apply to timbers as we'll as
minerals.
One of the hardest contests of the
session in the House was over the
appropriation of $4,000 to make a
State exhibit at the Chicago Exposi-
tiOn in 1898. The debate was long
and earnest, but the appropria-
tion was made by vote of 81 to "A.
The money is to come out of the
S377, 1000 direct tax recently refunded
to the State by Congress. A North
Carolinian can now go to the Expo
sition without being ashamed to tell
where he lives.
Saturday was the Goth day of the
session. The pay did not expire till
that night; yet the House was with.
out a quorum at the afternoon ses-
sion. No member should leave here
till the gavel falls and this body adj
journs sine die. The last two days
are the most important of the ses.
sicn. This is the time when jobs
and mean legislation is slipped
through.
Two important bills were on the
calendar, regulating the liabilities OF
railroads for killing stock, both hav-
ing passed the Senate. One provi.
ded that the railroads must pay fol
all stock killed or fence in theil
roads. The other, introduced by
the Senator from Sampson, made
the railroads pay the attorneys fee
of parties whom they forced to sell
them for the value of stock killed
A large majority of the members
present voted for the bills, but Mr.
Sutton, Of Cumberland, demanded
a quorum on the first, and Mr.. Nor.
ton, OF New Hanover, on the latter
and so both were lost. The people
ought to enquire why members lef1
and broke quorum.
| Later All 10.20 this n,crn;no