The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-08
SALARIES WON'T BE SLAsHED
BILL TO CUT PAY OF RAILROAD
COMMISSIONERS DEFEATED.

Measure to Put Chatham County i'm
judicial Circuit by Itself Also
Observation-Disclosures Turner's Bill to
Exempt College Property From
Taxation TabIed-Mr. BIaIOck
Makes "A Charge of Lobbying in the
Case of the Railroad Commission
ers' BiII-Abseutees Called Hack.
Atlanta, Ga. Dec THE situation in
the House, in respect to absentees, was
squaliy at the opening this morning. There
was barely a quorum present. and Speaker
jenkins, realizing the need Of some rem
edy took a firm stand in a short speech,
showing the members present that it was
the duty of the House 60 have a better at
tendance
eve find ourselves in a position where it
is almost impossible to legislate" said the
speaker He called attention in particular
10 the convict bill saying: 1--WE cannot af-
ford to go home without legislation on this
important measure. hope, therefore" he
said, that the House will rise TO the dig
nifty, to the importance, to the necessity
for this legislation, in order that the mat
ter may receive the consideration on the
part of the House which its dignity 6e-
mands."
Mr.. Swift of Ebert then offered the fol-
lowing resolution. which was adopted:
Resolved, that all leaves of absence now
in force, except those for providential
cause, be cancelled and the members be
directed to return to the House at once
and the clerk telegraph each absent mem
Der
Resolved, further. that no leave of alb
sence shall be granted this session except
for providential reasons"
Mr.. Felders Australian ballot bill came
up as the special order, but was indeh-
nitely postponed. Mr., Fielder was not will
ing to allow this important
measure TO go to final
vote before so small a House, and he
asked that the special order be displaced
and the measure called up at some fu-
ture time, when a fun House might vote
upon it. He stated that with very little
opposition in the House to-day the meas
ure would stand no show of passage
Mr.. McLarty of Douglas moved that the
bill be indefinitely postponed, andsit took
that course despite Mr.. Felders protest
that this would kin it,
joint resolution to pay the per diem
and expenses of the penitentiary commit
tee. which met before the regular session,
was severely arraigned by Mr.. DECKER
son of Clinch. He said it was a danger
GUS precedent and that the legislature had
no right to pay a committee for services
which it had' not authorized. The COM
mittee had been called together he said,
by the chairman without authority. 1t
was a dangerous example, Mr.. Dic<erson
thought, for subsequent chairmen of COM
mittees, and he was opposed to paying
them anything for their services.
The House. however, thought il good
common sense to pay itself las the peni-
tertiary committee is a quorum of the
housed, and passed the resolution.
After the defeat Of the convict bill, the
bill 10 reduce the salaries of the railroad
commissioners from s., 800 to $1,000 was
taken up and killed by vote of 80 to 60.
This bill came up with the favorable re-
port Of the finance committee under very
remarkable circumstances, for there was
a minority report against il, signed by the
chairman, Mr.. Little. and thirty-eight
members of the committee.
Mr. Blalock said he did not care wheth-
er the bill passed, but he believed the sal
aries of the commissioners We're too large,
and that 5000 was ample compensation
for the services they We're called on to
render. He made some reference to out
side interference" which brought forth a
question from Mr. Little as to what was
the nature of the Interference. Mr.. Bla-
lock replied that he had information and
could furnish it to the gentleman from
Muscogee that letters had been sent out
and people brought to the capitol to work
against the bill.
Mr.. Little asked if he had ever heard of
this being done before.
Il know, Mr.. Speaker" replied Mr. Bla-
lock, that every measure looking towards
abridgement meets with outside interfer-
ence'
Mr.. Blalock then said some very strong
things about lobbying and lobbyists. He
said he knew men were paid to come TO
the capitol and lobby. Il know this is very
plain talk" exclaimed the gentleman from
! Fayette, but any man who doubts it can
| come to me and 1 will furnish him with
| information"
] Mr.. Meldrim of Chatham opposed the
| bill as did also Mr. Little, who showed at
/ length the Importance of the position of
! railroad commissioner, and the necessity
! for maintaining the dignity of the office.
This afternoon the House killed the
| Brannen bill, which provided for making
a judicial circuit of Chatham county and
/ the creation of new circuit by taking the
other counties of the eastern circuit and
two counties from other circuits, the new
circuit to he known as the "Ogeechee
circuit"
Messrs. Meldrim and Brannen champion
ed the bill, but the House was in bad
humor and would not listen to argument.
| Senator Turner's bill to exempt college
property from taxation was tabled, and
| the Pace bill, amending the road law by
| making action by the county binding for
three years, was passed.
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