The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-06
NEW LAWS FOR The STATE.
Several Important Bills introduced in
the House.

Mr.. Hodges of Bibb Offers One to Call q
Constitutional Convention-The Dis
position of the State Convicts After
the Expiration of the Present Lease
May Cut Quite Figure During the
Session-Ths Hayes and Scott Bonds.
Consolidation OF Elections.
Atlanta, Ga, Nov. 5.-Both branches Of
the legislature adjourned over until to-
morrow afternoon at $3.50 o'clock in or
der to allow such members as desired to
go home for the congressional election,
after holding but short sessions to-day.
The Senate did nothing at all Of con-
sequence, but the House received sew
eral new bills that are destined to cut
a very prominent figure in the annals Of
the present general assembly. one OF
these bills. which was handed in by
Mr.. Hodges of Bibb county, provides for
the calling of a constitutional convention
some time next year. The fact that the
present constitution, adopted seventeen
years ago, is in many important respects
seriously behind the times is very gen
orally admitted, and it almost next TO i'm
pOSSlDAS 10 SECURE the duOBLlOu pE inc
people of needed amendments. A con-
spicuous case in point was the proposed
increase in the number of supreme court
judges. In many other respects as we'll,
the constitution is not in accord with the
progress of the state and many of the
best men agree that d constitutional con-
vention ought to be provided for with
out any further delay. Mr.. Hodges bill
authorizes the governor to call an cleo
fop 10 70
soon as, the act shall have been passed.
Each county is to have the same number
of delegates in the convention as 1t has
members of the House of Representa-
tives, and each congressional district Is
to have a representative.
Another very important question placed
in the hands of the house to-day was the
employment of the states convicts at the
expiration of the present lease. The lease
does not run out until after the present
general assembly dissolves and the solu-
ton of the problem may be left to the
next legislature, but at the same time the
present assembly will set the ball in-mo-
ton and probably furnish a complete solu
ton of the problem. The question of what
shall be done with the conVicts Is a serious
problem. Public sentiment is against a re-
newal of the lease contract, but already
opposition to working them on the public
roads has developed to a considerable eX-
tent and other grave difficulties in the
way of such a system have arisen. If
the convicts cannot be worked on the pub
lie roads with all the peculiar conditions
that exist in Georgia the man who furn-
ishes a plan that will be acceptable will
be accorded the distinction of being a
mighty statesman in the land.
Mr.. Houston of DeKalb brings forth the
first plan, which is to put the convCts on a
big farm of not less than 1000, nor more
than 10000 acres, where they shall be oc-
cupied in working sea island cotton and
such other staples as will afford least
competition to free labor. His bill pro-
vides for the appropriation of $l25,000 to
purchase this farm and makes the COVER
nor and attorney general, with five mem
bers of the legislature a board to conduct
the purchase.
Mr.. Bennett of Wayne has bill, which
he presented to-day, providing that the
conVcts be put to work on the public
roads, each senatorial district to be di-
vision with a farm somewhere in it, where
females and others not capable of road
work are to be employed, Each county in
the district is to have a representative on
the district commission, appointed at the
recommendation of the grand jury, by the
court, and this board is to employ an over
seer who shall be an engineer.
Both bills have been sent to the peniten-
tiary committee. They will doubtless be
Joined by others before the session
is over In connection with the
agitation of the convict lease question it
may be said that this question will proba-
bly, be one of the leading features of Gov.
Atkinson's administration. 1t Is under
stood that his idea is to put the peniten-
tiary department in the hands of a man
who will give such study to the question
that he viii be able to present some good
plan to supplant the lease system by the
time the governor is ready to enter upon
his second term, when the question will
have to be settled.
The Hayes & Scott bonds that have eccu-
pied every legislature for twenty years
past, were presented to the assembly on
schedule time by Mr.. Hodges of Bibh to-
day. He introduced the tme-honored bill
authorizing their payment. At the last
session the bill passed the House, but
the senate made amendments which tied
it up. The struggle over the payment of
the bonds at the last session was partic-
ularly interesting on account of the point
made by Gov. Atkinson, who was then
speaker. lie took the plan and created
something of q flutter by declaring that
the state should not and could not be made
to pay interest on any past due indebt-
edness. Should this legislature vote to
pay the interest with his views of the
case, Gov. Atkinson would be likely to
take out his vetoing instrument.
The House to-day passed the joint
resolution introduced by Mr.. Wright of
Floyd, anG Messrs. Wright, Harreu, How
el Worey and Traylor were appointed
a committee to report a bin having for
its purpose the consolidation of elections
on the same line Mr. Reading of Pike
has introduced a bill providing for a uni
form registration law throughout the
state.
Another old friend with a new face made
his appearance in the House to-day in
the shape of a bill for the appointment
of a board of medical examiners. 1t was
introduced by Mr.. Fouchee of Floyd. The
doctors have had their rows over such
bill as this in every legislature for years
past. Mr.. Fouchee proposes TO settle the
dispute by having three boards of five
members each, one board to be homeo-
pathic, the other allopathic and the other
eclectic. Graduates of the different
schools being required to pass muster at
the hands Of their respective boards.
Mr.. Mccarthy of DeKalb to-day intro
dused a bill which If 1t becomes a law
viii work a great change in the public
school system Of the state. 1t takes from
the county school comuissi oners the right
TO designate the text books used and
places in the hands of the state school
commissioner the duty Of resembling text