People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-11-26
IN THE LEGIS4 TO- =
Law Makers at Work on Mas.
Bills of Interest.
NO TEMPERANCE CROWD is THIS.
The Gray Bill in the Senate and the Boyn.
ton Bill in the House Go Down in
Defeat-StiII Talking of Con-
victs Leases.

majority.
The senate confirmed B. B. Bower
Judge city court of Decatur county; f.
R. Tarver judge bingham county
court; E. I. Shurley, solicitor Warren
county court.
The Southern Bell Telephone Com
pany got in it's work in the Senate on
duced placing telephone companies
under the railroad commission Re-
preventative Howell of Fulton, is the
Telephone Company's Attorney. He
appeared before the senate committe
and killed the bill. Mr., Howell is also
attorney for the Pullman Sleeping Car
Company. A bill placing sleeping car
coml snies under the railroad commits
sion Jared the same fate.
A bill has passed the house providing
for school census this year and every
ten years afterward to be taken by the
city and county boards of education.
is will secure for each county It's
rightful proportion of the public school
fund.
The house bill providing for the
states purchase for every public officer
and justice of the peace of the book
Georgia Form and Practice" was
passed. The state purchased 1000
copies.
More pay and unlimited sessions is
now the cry. Two bills have been pre-
scented in the house providing for sal
airy of $3.50 per year for representatives
and instead of for SO days, sessions
shall continue as long as there is any
business before the body.
Decatur has won the court house
fight for good. All efforts for Stone
Mountain have failed
Calvin of Richmond, has introduced
a bill repeating the 10 per cent tax law
on state banks, He wants the law
tested and passage of the bill would
secure test case.
Blalock of Fayette, introduced bill
repeating the tax on the capital of
banks or banking institutions and tax
ing the shares in the county where the
bank is located at their market value.
The legislature has custom that is
dangerous but is constantly followed.
Representatives Boyd of McDufie and
Branch of Columbia called public at
teQtint to the 7gane aon -SAtutdav~ II,
is thai of dispensing with the roll call
and t1ansacting public business while
there is no quorum present. This was
being done Saturday and hot discus
sion came up when Mr. Boyd called for
adjournment on account of no quorum.
Hslf of the mem bers were absent and
the busine being transacted was ille-
gal Finally the committee on cleo
tions was sent for, barely securing
thereby quorum.
The house now holds two sessions
daily from a. m. to 1 p M, and p.
m. to p. m.
The house abolished the city COM
missions of Savannah on Saturday. A
big fight will ensue in the senate
Hon. ]. L. M. Curry and U. s. Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wilson have been
invited to address the General Assem-
bly, on Nov. 20.
The special house committee has IA
vorably reported the bill creating three
new court circuits. Coweta will be
cut into two, one composed of Coweta,
Meriwether, Campbell and Fayette
counties and the other of Carroll, Heard
and Troup. The wire-grass circuit
composed of Dooly, Wilcox, Irwin and
Worth is new circuit Another makes
Bryan, B llloch, Liberty, Mcintosh,
Eh8ngham, Montgomery and Tattnall
ir--A-as separate circuit, making cir
cult of Chatham county alone. Lau-
rens will be taken from the Ocmulgee
circuit and Glascock from the Northern
and both added to the Middle circuit,
which will be called the Ogeechee cir
cult. Montgomery is from the Oconee
and Bulloch and Tattnall from the
Middle circuit. The addition of Lau-
cult will take their place. The Ogee-
chez district will be completed by the
other counties now in the Eastern cir
cult, while Chatham county alone will
form the Eastern circuit. This will
make 26 judicial circuits.
The convict question still hangs over
the house and being now in order for
the morning session will be discussed
for some time yet. Every Indication
points to continuance of the present
lease system with few changes. The
state farm plan seems to meet with oh
jections on all sides.
The bill abolishing free tuition in
the State University was killed in the
committee Monday. This gives the
University the first victory in it's fight
representative Henderson, (Pop) of
Forsyth, has stirred up the school
commissioners. In speech before the
committee Satur 4ay defending his bill
for uniform text books, he said that
the school book trusts are in the habit
of annually presenting 1925 to $50 worth
of books to the commissioners He
would not call it bribe but it was on
the same line of railroad giving a
pass TO legislator. The speech Gre
ated a sensation in the house.
A new school book bill has been in
troduced. 1t gives authority for mu
nicipal or county boards to buy direct
or contract with other parties, to rent
or lease volumes to responsible parties
for use during the school term, and
where two thirds of the qualified voters
vote for it, to place in operation the
free school book system The bill also
provides that where voters approve it,
tax shall be levied to cover purchase
cost Any system if adopted will be in
force for years subject to repeal if a
majority vote for repeal
Sheriffs and county officers of other
counties are using their influence to de-