The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-08
LAWMAKERS IN A FURRY.
The House Votes Sl7,5OO for a State
Exhibit Next Year.

Insurance Bill, the Pet Measure Of the
Senate.
Atlanta. Ca, Dec To-day was one Of
sensational occurrences in the legislature.
First the House was thrown into furry
by the submission of a plan by Speaker
Fleming whereby the question of constitu-
tionality could not be raised on the expo
sition appropriation. The proposition was
hardly made before 1t was accepted and
si7.5OO was given to the agricultural ae-
partment for a state exhibit at the big ex-
position.
This action had scarcely been taken
when the news came into the House that
the judiciary committee Of the Senate
had tabled the general registration bill
for the session.
Then when the House met in the after
noon it found itself in the midst Of
bitter fight with the Senate on account
Of the action of the Senate committee in
throwing out the registration bill In
spirit Of retaliation the House judiciary
committee had refused to read the Vena-
bic insurance bill. the pet measure of the
upper house, a second time, but openly de-
clared that the measure would be held
back until the Senate committee took up
the registration bill. This feature Of the
day involves the legislature in a sensa-
tion that may develop into chapter of
political history to be handled with
gloves by future generations. To fully
understand the situation II is necessary
to refer to the fact that Speaker Fleming
has been the leading champion of the reg
istration bill. In view of the great gem
eral Importance OF the question, and the
special Importance of having "A registra-
tion law to guide the special congressional
election to be held in the Tenth district,
he has devoted himself with untiring en-
ergy to the perfection and passage Of the
bill. 1t is the one piece of legislation of
pre-eminent prominence in the House, and
yesterday, when the bill was passed, the
House considered that IL had done a good
days work for the people of the state.
The members all felt that they had done
their duty well In passing a bill than would
make unclean elections a thing of the past
in this state. Thus, as the registration
bill has been the chief work OF the
House, so has the Venable insurance bill
been regarded in the Senate. 1t was the
one thing to which President Venable de-
voted his energies. and when the sena-
tors passed the bill they felt that they de-
served the thanks of the people for whose
sake they had bearded the Southeastern
Tariff Association lion in his dem
At this point the populists of the two
Houses appear to take a hand. in the
House the populists have fought the reg
istration bill increasingly. Especially has
the opposition from the members from the
Tenth district been strong. They did not
want registration bill passed. and yes
terday were sorely disappointed when Il
went through, but the exposition appro-
priation gave the popullsts an opportunity.
and 1t is openly charged by members Of
the House this afternoon that through
the populist senators trade was made,
il not consumated, last night by which the
populists OF the House were to vote solidly
for the $4,000 exposition appropriation IN
consideration of the throttling of the reg
istration bill in the Senate committee, With
the populist vote the $4,000 appropriation
TO the exposition could have been carried
easily AS II happened, however, it is
claimed this plan miscarried but the
charges that such deal was
on foot yesterday are made bv
members of the House to-day. They
are given simply for what they are worth
on the exposition appropriation as II
passed the populists voted in the negative.
while the action of the judiciary commit
tee IN postponing the registration bill until
next year also contradicts the charge of
trading with the populists.
This afternoon when Mr.. Venable heard
Of the action Of the House judiciary COM
mittee in retaliating on the Senate by re-
fusing to put his bill before the House. he
called upon Speaker Fleming, who was
presiding over the House. The two held
a lively conversation in which Mr.. Flem-
ing told the president of the Senate
pointedly that the House intendeCSto have
It's rights at the hands of the Senate. If
that body attempted to crush the reeistra-
ton bill the House would retaliate on the
insurance bill. President VenabIe then
got friendly member to request the
House to take up his bill, but the House
overwhelmingly voted the motion down.
and 1t remains in the committees hands.
Speaker Fleming argues that If the SEN
ate has not time to consider the registra-
ton bill, which was the excuse given bv
the committee in tabling 1t, neither has
the House time to pass upon such an i'm
portant measure as the VenabIe insur-
ance bill, which has been under discus
sion by the Senate ever since the session
began. 1t is said that the influence of
Senator Osborne Of Savannah was largely
responsible for the tabling of the registra-
ton bill. The Savannah delegation has all
along opposed the general registration bill
because of its interference with the local
law OF Cnutnam county. This law suits
the Citizens club, Of which Senator Os-
borne is a shining light, to IT" and 1t is
understood that his fine Italian hand had
a good deal to do with the throttling of the
bill in the committee this after
noon. While the excuse of the Senate COM
mittee was that the Senate did not
have time to consider the registration bill
that august body is taking things very
easy. They hold one session daily, to
three sessions of the House. Speaker
Fleming also makes the point on the SEN
ate. He thinks they could easily get
through with the bill if they would just
go to work. Another argument In favor
of the passage Of the bill through the
Senate is that there are no elections he
tween now and the next session except
the special election in the Tenth district
If the law, after being tried then, is rot
found to be good it can be amended or re-
pealed at the next session. Thus the
state would have the advantage of seeing
the law tried before 1t is to be applied
generally. II there is a crucial test any
where in particular that place is the
Tenth district
The plan under which the appropriation
of s17, 500 is to be made for state exhibit
at the Atlanta exposition was conceived
by Speaker Fleming and presented by him