The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-02-19
THE SOLONS' GRIND
Some of the Laws Made Thus
Far by the General As
sembly.
MANY IMPORTANT MEASURES
The Law Makers Have Consumed
One-Half of Their SessiOn-Things
That VIII Engage Their
Thoughts.
MANY IMPORTANT MEASURES


aalI OF tne tllne allotted FOR the sitting
of the Legislature has passed, and the
solons will now take a rest until March
8, when they will grid themselves for
the second half. Ever since the first
Monday in January the wheels of legis-
latiOn have been whirliOg at an unus-
uall Y rapid rate. 1t may be safely said
that our present body of lawmakers out
shine many of their predecessors in
point of ability and aggressiveness.
They have entered upon their duties
with tireless energy and have enacted
into laws the majority of the reform
measures demanded by the people. AS
a great many people never pause long
enough in the rush of every day duties
to wade through the proceedings of the
Assembly day by day, it may be we'll to
take retrospective glance at the new
laws which have recently been spread
upon the statute books. The majority
of the bills passed thus far are, of
course, local in their nature and do not
merit prominent mention.
The first bill of importance which was
enacted into a law was what is gener-
ally known as the eubernatoral con-
test bond bill. This law is too well
known to be explained here. 1t simply
provides that the contestant in a con-
test over a gubernatorial election shall
make bond payable to the State of
$4,000, conditioned upon the good faith
of the contest. This law had depress-
ing effect upon the Republican nominee
for Governor, Hon. G. n. Tillman, and
caused him to abandon his proposed
gubernatorial contest in its incipiency.
The Jarvis criminal costs law has at
tracted a great deal of attention
throughout the State. 1t cuts a wide
swath in the matter of costs and fees
in criminal prosecutions. 1t provides
that neither the State nor any county
shall be liable in any criminal prOsecu-
cution for any costs or fees accruing,
except in cases of homicide, rape, rob
berry, burglary, arson, incest or bigamy,
where the prosecution has proceeded to
a verdict in the Circuit or Criminal
Court. Costs and fees are also to be
| paid in cases where the defendant has
! submitted before Justice of the Peace
and been sent to the work house and in
cases where the defendant has been
convicted in court of record and exc
cution issued returned nulla bona. In
no case shall a witness before any court,
| grand jury or magistrate receive any
fees for attendance unless such witness
resides over five miles from the place
| where he attends as a witness.
! 1t is said that the constitutiOnality of
! this law will be tested. Those who
framed the bill maintain that it will
stand the test, and that it is free from
all flaws in point of its constitutions
ality.
Probably the most important changes
made in our existing laws will be
brought about by the new acts relative
to elections. Two of the election bills
are now laws, namely: Mr. Johnson's
bill providing more stringent punish
ment for the abuse of the elective fran
chise, and Mr.. Green's bill, which pro-
vides for the appointment of election
com missioners. The latter completely
revolutiOniZes our present system of
holding elections. 1t provides that the
! Governor shall appoint three election
commissioners for every county in the
State having population of less than
$4,000. The commissioners are to serve
for two years from April |, 1897, ana not
more than two of the three commission
ers shall be of the same political party.
These commissioners are required to
appoint in like manner three judges
anG two clerks for every precinct in
their respective counties. In towns of
2,5OO and over OF counties of less than
$4,000 the election commissioners are to
perform the duties of commissioners of
registration so far as they relate to
! holding elections.
Two other election bills have passed
the Senate, but have not been acted
upon by the House. They will, how
ever, pass the House with no difficulty.
| Mr.. Hammer is the author of one of
these bills, which provides for the eX-
tentiOn of the Dortch law to counties
of $4,000 and over, and to towns Of $500
and over. Mr.. Canada introduced the
other bill, which extends the registra-
tion law to counties of $4,000 and over,
and makes it the duty of the commits
sioners of registration to appoint one of
the three judges at each precinct.
The Brandon penitentiary law is
among the important matters Of legisla-
tiOn accomplished by the Fiftieth Gen
eral Assembly. Its provisions are now
! quite familiar to the public. Under the
law the prison commissioners are
authorized to contract for the hire of
cOnvicts to do work within the prison
walls. The law provides that ali con-
tracts must be countersigned by the
/ Governor, Attorney-G General and Secre-
tary of State, and that not more than
ninety-nine convicts shall engage in
the manufacture of one spt cial line of
articles at one time. The first contracts
made under this new law were closed
/ Saturday, when the commissioners con-
/ tracted with three firms to use ~ con-
victs for six years. This will net the
State at least $4,000, and probably
\ more,