The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-21
JUMPING ON THE FAT JOBS.
HOUSE PASSES THE BILL TO ABOL-
ISH WILLINK'S OFFICE.


Senate to Their Side-Talk of an
Extra Session TO Discuss the Con-
Wet Puzzle Now Heard-TwO Ses-
siOns Per Day 10 BE Held From
Tomorrow With the object of Ex-
peditinE Business.
Atlanta. Ca. Nov. 2o.-As usual on Sat
urdays. to-day's session of the House
was much disturbed by squabbling over
a quorum A great many members go
home every Friday afternoon, and the re-
suit is that on Saturday a quorum is about
as hard to get as harmony on the convict
question Whenever the point Is raised Vt
invariably results in skirmishing by the
doorkeepers to bring in delinquents. To-
day. as was the case last week, the
speaker had to order the doors locked in
order to corral enough members to make
a quorum when the point was raised.
Even then. although the roll showed eigh-
ty-eight members answering to their
names. an aye and nay vote showed that
two members had slipped out somehow
and things were at a standsull while the
necessary two votes We're brought in.
The bill abolishing the commissioner of
public works of Savannah was taken up
and passed this morning. 1t will so to
the Senate Monday and be referred to
the committee on corporations, where the
other anti-commission bills have been re-
posing for the past ten days. On Tues
day the committee will take them all up
and hear from both sides. A committee
of the mayor and aldermen has already
been appointed, composed of the chairmen
of the various departments, and, although
Il is not definitely known here who will
appear for the Citizens Club to
oppose the passage of the bill,
1t is accepted as a fact that
that element will be represented by its
most effective champions. In spite of the
fact that his court has been in session in
Bryan county, Solicitor Osborne has been
here for ten days fighting the commission
bills Next week there will be court in
Liberty county, and it may be that the
solicitor general will. on this account, be
unable to be here to help his faction In
the fight before the committee.
To-day the House came to the conclu-
sion that il will have to get hump on
itself if 1t intends to clear up the bust
ness now before it. Practically nothing
at all has been accomplished up to date,
though just one-half of the fifty days
session has passed. All the time has been
spent in skirmishing with local measures
and a scattering attack on a few general
issues Not a single important general
bill has been passed, though there are
more on the calendar than usually come
before any single session. With this con-
dition of things staring the House in the
face Mr.. Little of Muscogee to-day I'M
dertook TO bring the House to a realiza-
ton of the value of its time, and by a
forcible presentation of the situation sue
ceAded in having a resolution passed I'M
der which two sessions a day will be held
beginning next Tuesday. This viii help
matters some, but even with this extra
effort there is sure to be a confused con-
gesticn of legislation when the end of the
session arrives
Such small progress has been made to-
ward the solution of the penitentiary
problem that an extra session to do that
work is being talked Of Members will
not consent to the displacement of local
measures to give this and other general
issues the right of way and the extra ses-
sion talk is INDUCED in on the idea that if
it is held nothing else except the business
for which the legislature is convened can
be considered, and then the convict ques-
ton could be settled more satisfactorily
than in the midst of a mass of other mat
tiers to distract the minds of members.
A number of new bills were introduced
in the House to-day. Among them were
two by Mr.. Bartlett of Paulding, which
strike at reform which has often been
discussed, and which, 1t seems, ought to
be enacted. That is to change the COM
pensation of members of the legislature
from 81 per diem and give them a salary
of $3.50 per year, repeating the fifty-day
session law and providing for an unlimited
session. AT present the per diem amounts
to $500 per year for the fifty days work
There are many who believe that If the
members were put on a salary they would
do twice as much business in the same
length of time as now, and the general
effect Tpon all legislation would be most
salutary. 1t would take a constitutional
amendment to make the change. Many
of the leading men of the state have ad-
vocated the change from time to time
and there is little doubt that the people
would endorse it if it should be submit
ted to them
test will be made of the 10 per cent.
tax on state banks before the United
States supreme court, if the general as
fSIlDly pdSStS II measure introduced III Nile
House to-day by Mr.. Calvin of Richmond.
Mr.. Calvins bill provides for state banks
of issue. The bill provides that circulat-
ing notes shall be prepared and issued on
application, without unnecessary delay to
the banks operating under the laws of this
state. The issue shall he restricted to IS
per cent. of the capital stock of each bank.
paid in and unimpaired, and that these
notes shall be first lien on the entire as
sets of such bank. Given bank which ac-
cepts the notes and puts them in circula-
ton, the bank shah pay the federal tax of
10 per cent. under protest. Thereupon the
president of the bank shall notify the gov
ernor of all the facts, and that official shall
straightway instruct and require the at
torney general to take the legal steps ne
cessary to test the constitutionality of the
tax before the supreme court of the United
States.
Hon. Jones Wilson, secretary of agricul-
ture will be here on the Goth, and the
House passed a resolution inviting him to
address il on the morning of that day,
when DIR. ]. L. NJ. Curry will also make
an address.
The House refused TO reconsider its ac-
ton Of yesterday in defeating the removal
ha cir T1..L. ~alH