The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-03-11
OLD LEASE STANDS.
HOUSE TABLES SENATE BILL
AND AMENDMENTS.
Many Members Declined to Vote.
Many Legislators Leaving Raleigh.
Election Bill Passes-Satur-
days Session.


RALEIGH, N. C, March s.-The
House met at 10 o'clock Dilatory
tactics were resumed. Representa-
tive Lusk was in the chair. After
much parliamentary manoeyering,
motion to table the Senate bill and
amendments, prevailed, after Amend
ments had been offered by Cook to
change the rate Of interest, variously
to 8, and 10 per cent. The vote was
40 to "a. Many of the advocates Of
the bill declined to vote so that the
motion might prevail.
This leaves the lease question where
it was before the converting of the
Legislature and the SO year lease still
stands.
A supplementary bill to allow the
employment Of convict labor upon
the Winston-Salem south bound
railroad passed the House. The regu-
lar calendar work Is being dispatched
with all haste. A resolution was
passed this morning to adjourn to-
morrow at y o'clock. A motion to
reconsider has been lodged and the
time of adjournment is still in doubt.
Many memb ers are now leaving. To-
morrow'S session promises to be very
slimly attended. Speaker Hileman is
confined to his bed by sickness. Lusk
signed bills ratified, ETC., 10 his stead.
The joint committee election bill
passed third reading and was ordered
ratified. There were no changes. The
House adjourned at 2:3O p. m. until
O'Clock.
A HOT FIGHT SATURDAY.
The desperate fight over the rail-
road lease question was On in the leg
islature all day Saturday. The friends
of the lease on the first test vote
showed that they had good safe
majority, and the anti-lease men i'm
mediately began f1libustering tactics
and kept them up for ten hours. The
II O'Clock Saturday night, not having
reached a vote on the bill. Seveal
times Saturday the House was in an
uproar, and trouble seemed immient.
OPINION ON LEASE.
The House, by special resolution
Thursday, asked the opinion Of the
Supreme Court on the validity of the
lease of the North Carolina railroad
to the Southern. The following opin-
ion was given by the court Saturday
afternoon at l O'Clock:
without expressing any intima-
tion of opinion either way upon the
power to lease it's road as vested in the
North Carolina railway company by
its charter, we are Of the opinion that
the power, if it exists, is now vested
in the stockholders, and the provis-
ion in section six of the bill which
makes the validity Of the lease de-
pendent upon its acceptance by the
board OF directors would be an amend
ment of the charter transferring the
power from the stockholders; and is
therefore invalid, unless accepted by
the stockholders in general or special
meeting assembled"
The opinion is signed by Chief
Justice Faircloth for the full bench.
THE PUBLIC PRINTING
The House Saturday defeated the
bill making Guy V. Barnes, of Raleigh,
public printer to the State. A minor
ity report was adopted, allowing the
Governor and his council to let the
contract for the State printing.
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
The Governor is to appoint DR.. R.
NJ Norment president Of the Atlantic
and North Carolina railroad.
The justices Of the peace who tried
the cases against the lieutenant gov
ernor and speaker decided that the
enrolling clerk had no such possession
of his Office on which tresspass
could be committed. Senator Ash
burn, Of Surry, has had bill passed
and ratified, ostensibly for changing
township lines OF his county, but
which really is population of 800, 900
to build the G f. s. Y.
V. railroad to Mount Airy.
A bill passed both Houses Tuesday
morning authorizing the directors of
State penitentiary to hire cut con-
victs. The fight in the House was
lively but the bill passed by good |
majority.
GOV. RUSSELL ON LEASE BILL.
Governor Russell was asked Mon
day afternoon what he thought Of the |
action of the House in tabling the |
Senate bill and amendments regard !
ing the lease of the North Carolina |
road. He replied: 1T means that
the corporations could not en-
tirely run this Legislature. and that
the people will settle with them in !
1898, and that in the mean time they |
may hear something from five gentle |
men just across the street pointing |
to the Supreme Court, all Of whom,
in my opinion, are intrepid judges and |
not the chattel slaves of the money
kings"
Some of the foremost lawyers say
the Southern railway wins, in that |
the Governor attempted legislation |
and failed. Colonel Andrews declined |
to say anything, but his beaming |
smile was answer. His qualification |
is great. Governor Russell will now
try to get a resolution through auth |
orizing the Attorney-Generalt to bring
suit to test the validity of the ninety
nine-year lease. He wants the ques-
tion to go into politics.
SNEAK BILLS.
There are several s'sneak bills"
which have, in some way, worked
through the Legislature. One is to
appropriate SIS, 900 to the "Rolllng Ex-
positionANorth Carolina on Wheels"
When that bill was before the House,
an amendment was adopted, prov
ing that there be no cost to the State.
This amendment Is now gone and the
original bill is ratified.
PORTRAIT OF VANCE.
At the afternoon session of the
House the Sen ate resolution appro-
priating $500 for the portrait Of Sena-
tor Vance, was adopted. Mrs.
Query had agreed to take 81 900
for the portrait and Mrs. V. s.
Lusk had agreed to give $500 in case
the State appropriated a like SUM.
After many eulogies had been passed
upon Mr.. V ance, the resolution passed.
INCREASING EXPENSES.
At the night session of the Senate
the chief clerk to the Auditor and the
clerk to the Attorney General made
reports allowing the Auditors clerk