The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-12
GEORGIA SOLoNS GENEROUS.
sHEKELs VOTED SCHOOLS AND THE
SOLDIERS.

|
Appropriate $4,000 to Repair the
state University Buildings and
Build a New One on the Campus.
The House Also Votes to Give the
Military $3O,OOO-A Bill TO Have
the University Trustees Elected by
the PeOpIe-A Breeze Over n Rail-
road BiII-The General Tax Bill.
Atlanta, Ca, Dec. 1.-THE House re-
deemed itself to-day by voting the state
university the $14,5OO recommended by the
finance committee for making repairs to
the buildings and furnishing and putting
up another building on the college cam
pus.
This recommendation was summarily
killed day before yesterday, when it was
first taken up in committee of the whole,
but to-day, after the appropriation bill
had been completed in committee of the
whole, Chairman Little of the finance
committee in the House, when the bill
was being put upon its passage. moved to
amend the university appropriation by
adding the $l4,5OO that had first been rec
commended.
The motion brought on a spirited de-
bate, which lasted most of the session,
but it finally prevailed and unless the
Senate cuts it off the university, for the
first time since the commencement of the
present century, will get money from the
legislature to put up new building on
the campus.
Among those who spoke for the appro-
priatlon was Speaker Jenkins, who left
the chair to enter his plea for the his
toric old institution.
The House to-day voted the military
$4,000, adopting the amendment to the
committee report. which named $4S,SOO Of
fered yesterday by Mr.. Boynton of Spald-
ing. The amount given is twice The
amount received by the military lastyear,
and, while it is not al much as was asked
for, the military will doubtless feel much
encouraged by the increase. 1t is the
largest appropriation the military mas
ever received from the state.
In the Senate to-day the most impoct-
ant matter was the introduction of a bill
by President Befner, providing that here
after the trustees of the state university
shall be elected by the people of the state.
he bill provides for the same number Of
trustees as are at present on the board,
thirty-two. Two are to come from each
congressional district and ten from the
state at large, and the election if the bill
passes, is to be held at the regular state
election in 1895 The terms of half of the
trustees are to expire in two years and
half in four. according to lot, to be de-
termined after the election. The pur-
pose of the bill is to bring the university
in closer touch with the people. 1t Is in
no sense a blow at the present board of
trustees or a criticism of any other board
ksrk hall hat he Ia
elected the trustees, they would take more
personal interest in the university and
thereby greatly increase it's Importance.
Many other states of the union, including
New York and Illinois, have adopted this
plan.
There was something of a breeze in the
Senate over the bill renewing the charter
of the Atlanta and West Point railroad,
which was in charge of Senator F1ewellen
in the Senate. The bill sought to amend
the old charter by striking out the pro-
vision that the list of stockholders shall
be published, that the books of the COM
pany shall be kept open to the inspection
of the public and revoking the double
liability of stockholders clause These
| provisions are not put in railroad charters
granted by the Secretary of State now,
| but at the same time the Senate wanted
! to go slow in relieving the West Point
| of these requirements and the bill was
| finally tabled.
At the afternoon session the House took
| up the general tax act and discussed it
| for two hours and a half, then taking
| recess until 1880 o'clock There are very
I few changes in the act. The most impor-
| tant one proposed by the committee was
! to increase the liquor tax from 800 to Sl5O
! This caused a determined fight Mr.. Eel
der of Fulton led the fight on the increase.
| favoring the 500 tax as it had been here
| tofore. The committee recommendation
| went through, however, and the LIQUOR
tax will be $50 unless the Senate changes
1t. Mr.. Reid of Bibb offered an amend
| ment making the beer tax $50 but this
was lost. One of the changes in the taxes
| is provision for a graduated tax on cir
| cusses, it being 800 in cities of 5000 and
| upwards, $500 In cities of 1900 and 5000 In
| towns of less than 1000. Under the bill
as it came from the committee the total
tax rate to be levied by the state will be
| 1921, as against 1856 on the $1,000 last
year. This is the same rate estimated by
ex-Treasurer Hardeman, except for the
addition of the additional mill for schools
The increase is one mill and sixty-fiye-
| one-hundredths of a mill.
AT the night session the House COM
pleted the tax act, with the exception Of
the item relative to insurance companies
and lightning rod vendors, which will
be disposed of Tomorrow
-e--9-S