The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-11-22
THE LEGISLATURE.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL AS-
SEMBLY THEPAST WEEK.
Some New Bills that Arc Being Urged
A Dog Law-1he Widows and Thor
Pensions-The Military, Etc.

The legislature of Georgia has only about
twenty days row left out OF the fifty al
lOtted by the recent constitutional amend
ment in which to make laws.
But things are being rushed through in
a great hurry and much will be accom-
plished even in the limited time allowed.
During the past week the legislators have
been very busy with several important
measures.
The Soldiers home bill has been reported
to the house by the committee on finance
with the recommendation that it do pass.
There has been minority report, how
ever, against the bill, headed by Sears,
ever, strong the public sentiment favors it
cannot pass the house without hard
fight. 1t rs hard to comprehend the mean
ing of the opposition since the bill has been
shorn of all it's conditions, and the home is
offered to the state without any binding
stipulations and simply as q gracious gift.
The consideration of the bill has been
fixed as special order of the day for next
Wednesday.
Down Wreckers.
If the Georgia legislature does nothing
more toward calling a halt in the wreck
ing of railway companies this session than
is bargained for already in the bills now
pending for action, it will leave q record
on this plane hitherto undrtamed of by
members of previous sessions.
A few days ago Major Bacon, of BIbb,
introduced a bill to prevent the gobbllng
I'D of railroad bends and stocks by Syndi-
Gates and trust companies to the detrlment
of the minority stockholders, wrestling the
control of those companies from the MINOR
itv holders. Monday he followed up the
bill he had previously introduced with two
or three others, which are intended TO
go hand in hand with it in the purpose OF
preventing the ilelgitimate TRANSACTIONS
of the railroad investors.
In one of these bills he comes right out
and provides for severe punishment OF
those railroad magnates who accomplish
the wreck of railroad companies IN this
state He makes or seeks to make 1T q
felony for any set of men to do such a
thing as ride recklessly over the minority
stockholders in any such manner as men
toned above. He says they shall be sent
to the penitentiary just as bank roppers
are punished, or else pay fine of not less
than $4,000 and not more than 5000,
and leaves it with the discretion or the
Judge to fine them and send them to the
penitentiary too, if he thinks the conylc-
ton so warrants.
Aud Mel Rrarc!, Too.
Mel Branch, of Columbia, is also IN the
arena with his lance drawn against the rail
road magnates who seek to operate the
roads against the people rather than tor
them.
He let loose on them Monday with q
resolution which provides that since the
laws of Georgia already prohibit any cor
poratiOn from buying up the stock or an
other to an extent calculated to lessen COM
petition, therefore the governor snail be IN
structed to have the attorney general prose-
cute the violators of such laws and push
the case until a final decree is reached, pre-
venting such destruction OF competition De-
tween the corporations.
axe Dogs Property.
Hon. William Fl. Fleming introduced a
IL IN the house last Monday to make dogs
property.
According to the present laws of Georgia
dogs are not held as personal property. any
more than are the common wild animals
of the forest. If man should steal an
others dog there is no law to punish him
for it, and some of the courts have held
that dog tax law is unconstitutional be-
cause the dog is not taxable article, being
no mans personal property.
Hence it can be seen that MIR. Fleming S
bill is no inconsiderable one. 1t carries
much weight with it, everything considered.
The equalization LAWS
When the session first opened nearly q
dozen bills were offered repeating the equal
zation act of the last general assembly.
One in the senate passed the committee all
right and went through without a murmur.
The present law has its friends, however.
Senator Smith retains the feature of the
board of equalizers in his act, only he pro-
vides that there shall be three for each
militia district instead of five for q county,
as now. This board is to be appointed BY
the commissioners of roads and revenues,
or where there are no such commissioners,
then by the ordinaries. The tax receiver
is retained in MIR. Smiths bill. He is to
receive all returns, but is not to put any of
them on his books until they are approved
and accented nv the hoard for the district
in which the property returned is located.
The receiver is to meet the boards and they
examine the returns. The equaIizers do the
assessing.
In case taxpayer thinks his property
should be accepted by the receiver and the
peal can be taken to she district board
For their services the equaizers are to re-
ceive So day while at work.
The law is not to go into effect until it is
recommended by the grand jury of a county
Senator Smiths idea is that three men
from each militia district will be so we'll
acquainted with the property in their dis
triCt that they can estimate its cash market
value very correctly.
:. New Committee.
On motion of Senator Robbie, commit
tee on hygiene was added to the senate
committees, but the members were not an
nounced. This committee was deemed nee
essary, as a bill has been introduced to
establish q state board of health, and other
legislation of similar character is expected
Something will probably be done to put the
state in shape to cope with an epidemic,
should one appear as was threatened in
New York two or three months ago
President Clay 's,bil to define the elemen-
tary branches of an English education as
taught in the public schools of the state,
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