The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-05-05
LETTER FROM THE CAPITAL.
Things That Were Done, Seen
and Heard Last Week.

JACKSON, MISS, May 3.-Tbere
has been "a great deal of life and
hustle about the Capital City this
week. The presence of the legisla-
tors always livens Things up; those
who have not experienced it can.
not imagine what a difference the
addition of couple of hundred to
the population of town makes.
Every day during the Legislature
the streets of Jackson present a
scene almost equal to circus day.
And really the Legislature is very
much like circus to the close ob.
server. The small boy don't have
the pleasure of sliding under the
tent or feeding peanuts to the ele-
phant, but its easy for we old folks
to pick out the clowns, the ring
masters, the acrobats, the strong
man and other characters that are
part and parcel of every circus.
The two Houses were called to-
gether at II a. m.-the Senate by
Lieut.-Goy. Jones, the House by
Speaker McCool. And by the
way, Mr.. McCoOl made one of the
prettiest little speeches after hay.
ing dropped his gavel that has
been heard here in a long time.
He was sick and nigh untn Deaths
door, it will be remembered, when
the Legislature adjourned a year
ago, and reminding his confreres of
that fact, he told them how thankful
he was to be able to be with them.
He talked like he meant every
word of it, too. Most of the work
done so far has been in the com
mittee rooms, necessarily. That
portion of the Governors message
relating to revenues was referred
to the Finance committees but SO
far his recommendations as to pre-
termitting the June distribution of
the public school fund has met
with no favor whatever. The Sen
ate would raise 100000 by issu.
ing 20 year bonds aud increasing
the tax levy l2 millI the House
suggests Increasing the present
tax levy of 6 mills to Z 1.2. They
will have to get together, of course,
and it is likely the Senate plan
will be adopted. One thing is Ger,
tain, there is going to he no dodg.
ing-the sentiment of both Houses
is to meet the issue squarely, open
ly and above board. When June
rolls around, the school teachers
of the State, Il poorly paid class at
best, are going to get the money
the State has contracted to pay
them.
The sentiment in favor of build.
ing a new Capitol, a brand new
one, is overwhelming. There are
few members who still contend
that the present "old rookery" can
be repaired, but they are in a hope
less minority, and no patching is
going to be done. Those who have
given the matter proper thought t
and study are fully convinced that
the old building is not worth re
pairing. that we might spend three
or four hundred thousand dollars
OH the thing and then have a
capitol Oh which carpenters would
be forever hammering. 1t is con-
ceded that nothing cheaper than
$75O,OOO will be satisfactory, and
though the Senate wants a million
dollar house, they are not going to
contend for it, The Capitol Com
mission having selected plans sub.
mitted by Weathers 4 Weathers,
Memphis architects, it is most like
ly the Legislature will accept them.
The chief bone of contention is the
location. The Senate committee
has declared in favor of the site on
which the penltentiary now stands;
while the House committee would
build OH the present site. The
foundation of one, that Is the soil
in which the foundation is to be
laid, is just as good as the other,
in spite of the claims that there is
a mari bed under the present bnild-
ing. l heard the architect, Mr..
Weathers, say he would not turn
on his heel for the difference, that
there is no mari in either site.
Among the bills SO far adopted is
one authorizing the Secretary of
State to furnish the court house of
Attala county with codes, journals
departmental reports, ETC., in place
of those burned in the court house
fire last summer; another bill pass.
ed enables the Boards of Supervis.
ors OF overhowed counties to put a
full stock law III operation at once,
so that the planters Will not have
to build fences before planting;
another takes out of the treasury
S4,05T belonging to the deiunct Lii