The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-06-02

jackson, May NJ ne senate and mouse met
his morning at 9o'clock. and both houses soon
Hereafter. Without transaciing any BUSINESS,
adjourned unul , O'clock This afternoon. The
house received the following MESSAGE from the
ITO the Senate and House OF Representatives
IL will be ready TO act on hOuse bill No. ~
tcapitol bilD by o'clock this afternoon. and re-
quest that when you adjourn this morning you
bill. ShouF this be conVenieat to soiL win
with your Permission file my message and the
bill with the clerk Of your body some time dur
ins The afternoon. Most respeet,mniiy'
A resolution by Mr. stincfs q Pearl River,
complimenting sp 'aker McCoo! for his faithful,
able and Impartial manner OF presiding, was
adopted by rising vote.
The hall OF the house Of representatives was
packed and jammed with an eager inTon2 long
before O'Clock this afternoon. The governors
message OF this morning. stating that he would
have a Communication TO make to the legis'd-
ture az that time, meant that his message would
be received on the capitol bill. II was pcner
ally believed that the message would be a veto,
but there was great interest TO know just what
grounds the governor would base his objections
upon.
It's generally conceded that the document is
a fine paper. and that the governor has given
the question careful and thoughtful eonsdera-
ton. His principal objections refer TO defect
iyeneSs in Specifications. lie started out by
giving history OF the capitol question from the
time the last legislature ordered its examina-
ton up to the present. lie said he had given
the bill the best consideration he could Within
the time aowed-fys days. He believed the
capitol commissioners were officers, and that
the legislature could not elect them. lie cited
numerous authorities to sustain this contention,
and showed the difference between the capitol
commissioners and the Tenitentlary commits
sloners, and that while the latter, under an Opin
ion OF the supreme court Judges, were not
officers. he believed the former were. He also
objected that the bill lad not been cOnstitu-
tionally passed in that IL had not been read on
three separate days in each house and had not
been read in full before its final passage.
la found that the specifications were very de-
fectiyc. and that they clearly showed they were
not designed for capitol, but for courthouse,
presumably erected at some point III Texas lie
showed where the Specifications in several sec
tiuns read courthouse. and afterward had been
emasculated by eraSureS Neither OF the capitol
commissioners, he said, believed these speciiica-
tons were before them whea the plans we're con-
Sdcred
lie referred to the fact that he had sent Hon.
Theodore Mcknight of NicksDurg to san Az
tonic, Texas, TO investigate cOurl mouse erected
by j. Riley Gordon, whose plan the legislature
had adopted. lie had understood this building
was only to cost 100000 when the actual cost
was more then double this amount. He re-
terred members to Mr.. Mcknight whom lie
said was in the city.
He believed that all constitutional objections
10 the bill could be cured. and said he would APP
point any commissioners the legislature might
select, and cOmplimented those already selected.
lie said he was welded to no plan, and II would
be better, rather than to MAKE Il mistake, to
leave the selection of the plans and Specifca-
tons to the capitol commissioners.
lie closed by saving there should be no per-
S0nal feeling injected into a case of so much
Importance, but that all branches Of the state
government should work together for the best
interests OF the State. He had done his full
duty as he saw II, and regretted that he was
compelled to return the bill without his approval.
The message was frequently appiauded, and
1t was easy to see 1t had made a deep impression.
Ii took Clerk Smith one hour to read the
message.
AT the meeting of the capitol committee this
afternoon new capitol bill was agreed on,
which will be presented tomorrow. 1t Is the
same bill as the original one, except that II
specifies no plan, leaving the same to be selected
by the capitol commissioners.
In his message this afternoon the governor
virtually agreed, in case the legislature agrees
for him to appoint The commissioners, to name
those already nominated by the legislature.
Win these amendments the governors Objec-
tiOns TO the bill Will be removed.
1t is possible that an agreement by both
houses may be reached tomorrow. But II de-
cided opposition is shown the session may con-
tinue for several days more. While the pros
p cts for a new capitol now seem good there are
many who think it Impossible to pass another
bill during the session, looking TO the erection
of one.
Both houses passed the appropriation bill, in
creasing the appropriation Tor the pay of MEM
bers $4,000. This will be sufficient to keep the
legislature III session till Saturday. The pres
ent appropriation was exhausted today. The
cost Of the session will be about 10000 ii all of
the appropriation of today is consumed.