The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-18
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE.
CLAY ELECTED UNITED STATES
SENATOR IN JOINT SESSION.

Their Victory-A Large Number OF
BILLS of General Interest Intro
duced in the Lower HOuse-The
Convict Question Comes In Again.
Atlanta. GA. Nov. 17.-Hon. Steve Clay,
As now United States senator-elect to sue
coed Senator John B. Gordon, and will
take his seat on March next.
The Joint session of the general assembly
was convened at y o'clock to-day for the
formal election of a senator and Mr.. Clay
was placed in nomination as the demo-
cratic candidate by Mr.. Awtrey of Cobb
county He made no speech, simply nam
ing the candidate from his county.
The popuists put up Gen. William Phil
lips of Cobb county, who was nominated
by Mr. Branch of Columbia.
Mai J. f. Hanson of Macon, was put in
nomination for the republican members
by Senator Allen, and upon the roll call,
he received the first vote cast, that of Mr..
Allen.
Mr. CIay's vote was 161, Gen. Phillips
"a, and Mai. Hansons 3.
After the formal election Senator Clay
held a reception in his room at the KIM
ball receiving his friends for a couple Of
felt thanks for the honor bestowed upon
him.
MI duBlgnon shared in the honors OF
the occasion. He was congratulated upon
all sides as the man whose fine Italian
hand had shaped the Clay victory. Sew
eral cold bottles were uncorked, and the
friends of the new senator and Mr.. du-
Bignon had royal good time of it for
a while, recounting the incidents of the
campaign. and jollying themselves over
the wonderful victory.
The house committee on privileges and
elections met to-day, and took up the res
olution introduced by Mr.. Mansfield OF
Mcintosh, providing that a special COM
mttee be appointed to 90 to Clay county
and recount the votes cast there for mem
bers of the legislature. The committee
decided to adopt the resolution and APP
pointed under it Representatives Bussey,
Mansfield and Boyd to go to Fort Gaines
and conduct the recount. The latter mem
Der is populist. and the former two dem
ocrats. The contestee in Clay county is
Mr.. Foster, populist and the contest
ant Mr.. Killingsworth 1t is alleged that
the populist perpetrated all kinds of
fraud in the election, and it is to ferret
this out that the House will send the spe-
cial committee out to recount the vote.
Mr.. Rawles of Effingham, intro
duced a bill to-day to prevent cruel AMI
unjust punishment being inflicted upon
ishment to be by the consent and in the
presence of an elected county officer There
has been great complaint of cruelty to
cOnvicts, and in the last campaign the
democrats received large support from the
negroes on promise of a correction of this
evil.
Mr. Henderson of DeKalb will make a
reputation in the House as the friend of
the newspaper men. He introduced a bill
this morning to exempt from jury duty
all stereotypers working for press associa-
tons serving daily papers, and will amend
it so as to include reporters.
Among the other bills introduced were
the following:
By Mr. Felker of Walton-to amend the
general registration act.
By Mr.. Burwell of Hancock-To amend
section 1854 of the code as to pleas when
jurisdiction is filed separately.
By Mr.. Branch of Columbia-To pay
county school commissioners a salary of
not less than $500 nor more than 1000 a
year.
By Mr.. Slaton of Fulton-To pay NJ. ].
Walker 1878 for making a stenographic
report of the convict investigation.
BY Mr.. Cole of Carroll-To amend the
code in reference to keep a record of taxes
received
By Mr.. Morrison of DeKalb-To appoint
new committee of five to which shall be
referred all bills to amend the code of 1882
so that the new acts shall comply with
the sections of the new code.
By Mr.. Baggett of Laurens-To abolish
the city court of Laurens county.
By Mr.. Mckee of Dawson-To repeal the
act requiring the traverse jury lists to in
clude the names of grand jurors.
By Mr.. Berry of Whitfield-To amend the
law against retailing liquor without a IL
cense so that it halljnclude the words ''in-
toxicating and malt" and making viola
ton a misdemeanor.
by Mr.. Henderson OF Irwin-To amend
the law against stopping up the streams
of the state with fish traps and nets so as
TO compel parties to leave a ten-foot
channel at low water.
BY Mr.. Cook of Decatur-To alter and
amend the laws granting corporate pow
ers to the town of Whigham.
In the Senate the resolution to provide
for the appointment of joint committee
of three from the Senate and five from
the House to consider the convict ques-
ton during the recess of the legislature,
and to report a bill at the next session,
took up the whole time to-day. Under
the resolution the committee was to
draw the regular per diem and was to
visit any part of this or other states to
investigate the handling of convictS. The
expenses were to be paid by the state
The matter was referred to the peniten-
tiary committee, which sent it back with
a favorable report but suggested several
amendemtns, the chief of which was one
providing that the principal keeper of the
penitentiary should accompany the com
mittee.
Considerable discussion was created by
an amendment offered by Senator
EopkinS to strike out the clause
in the resolution authorizing the
members of the committee to visi
other states and inspect the manner o.
working convicts. The amendment wa!
finally adopted and this killed the reso
luton, Senator fitzpatrick, the author
stating that its purpose was destroyed by
the elimination of this feature. A mo
ton to reconsider will be made tomorrow
BLEW OUT HIS BRAINS.