The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-02
LAWMAKERS OF THE STATE.
The General Registration Bill Taken Up
in The House.

It Is TO GO Into Eject at Once II Passed
An Effort TO Have the Operation Of
the Bill Deferred Until 1895 Defeated
in the Interest OF Congressman Black.
No Probability Of the Passage Of the
Mercer Dispensary Bill.
Atlanta, Ca, Dec. The only work
done in the House to-day was
upon the general registration bill
submitted by the special joint committee.
which was taken up as the special order.
Very little interest was attached to the
discussion Of the bill A lot Of amend
ments were offered, but most Of them were
rejected. The bill was considered by sec
tons. Six sections were agreed 10. leav-
ing more than half Of the bill 70 be acted
upon when 1t is taken up again. It is
set for Monday. but tie funeral Of Sen
ator Brown viii put it out OF its order.
The interesting part q the discussion
was over an amenCnent by Mr.. Giles
Of Houston to defer the operation Of the
bill until 1896.
Speaker Fleming took the floor and
made a stirring appeal against this effort
70 put the matter off until after the special
congressional election in the Tenth dis
trict. which is TO be held during 1885. Alr.
Fleming said one Of the reasons why this
election was agreed upon was the as
sumption that the legislature would pass
a good registration bill, which would gov
ern II.
When the vote was taken the amend
ment was killed. so that whatever the
new registration law may be it will go
into effect at once.
Mr.. Rockwell of Chatham precipitated
another discussion by proposing that the
governor appoint the registrars in the
several counties instead Of making the
tax collector the registrar. as the bill
provides. The House. however, couldn't
see that this would be an Improvement,
and so refused to accept the proposition.
In the Senate Mr. Sanford introduced
a bill requiring railroad companies TO
keep their right of way clear Of grass and
weeds so as to remove temptation from
the pathway of innocent cattle. which
might be lured upon the tracks and killed.
Senator Sanford also introduced a bill
10 require railroads to provide their en-
gines with spark arrestors.
The dspensary bill which Is now pend
ing in the Senate is attracting more than
ordinary attention. Reports have been
sent out showing that its passage is prac-
tically a foregone conclusion. Some Of
these reports reached the capitol to-day
and were laughed at a good deal by the
knowing ones. To test the strength of the
dispensary bill prominent member made
a practical poll of the Senate in a quiet
way. The result as he found it shows that
the bill has not the ghost of a chance Of
becoming a law. 1t will be killed in the
Senate, as more than enough senators
have announced their opposition to it to
accomplish that purpose.
Taking out Monday. which will be lost
on account of the Brown funeral there
are only eight working days of the session
left. The appropriations must be finished
up in their turn, and several other meas
ures that take precedence Of the dispen-
sary bill in Importance and this also pre-
cludes the probability of the enactment
of the dispensary law.
Gov. Atkinson to-day approved the sub
stitute for the Rockwell bill regulating
elections by the mayor and aldermen of
Savannah, 1t is now law. The governor
also approved Senator Osbornes amend
ment to the registration law of Chatham
county