The news & observer., 1897-02-12
Passes the House Without a
Dissenting Vote.
BEN LAcY's HEROIC STAND
WORD FOR HELPLESS AGAINST
HIS MEAT AND BREAD.
THE HALIFAX sToCK-LAW BILL
PASSES to Let Cattle Run at Large
Three Months Each Year. Strong
Opposition Results in Ridicui-
ously Partisan Division.

Mr.. Shaw. Of Washington county offer
I'D prayer
Among the bills and resolutions intro
sluee.l were tie following;
Dy Mckenzie, to pay expensive of Cei.
Reid i'm the Mecklenbnrg contest, a
maounting to S1S9.
By Dixon, of Green, to allow the county
commissioners and magistrates IN JOINT
session called after 10 days notice, to
hv a majority vote adoption alternative
xaethod of working the public roads.
By Cnrrie, to extend the time fer the
organization of the Lumber River Rall-
road Company.
BY Carter 10 levy special tax In stock
law territory in Nash county.
By Currie, to extend the time for the
organization of the bank of Lumberton.
BY Carter, to allow Nash county to levy
o special tax to pay debt
By Dixon, of Green, to allow Green to
lsvy special tax.
BY Burgess, to increase the number OF
commissioners in Camden county to ..
BY Peace, to allow DR.. John Il. Moss
10 register in Vance as a physician.
By Arlington to provide for the work
sng of the roads in Halifax county by
taxation; 90 cents ON 500.
By Allen, to incorporate Worthwhile,
sH Randolph county.
BY MePeeters, 20 repeal section 80,
wublic laws of 1895.
BY Brewer, to provide for the redemp-
non OF land after sale under execution
or mortgage, making it lawful TO redeem
Of cuf.a ~
asemt of sum paid for purchase together
with interest; provided both shall not
exceed principal and interest of original
debt: and it states a certificate as to the
ssm paid shall be given by the officer
making the sale.
The calendar was taken up. Bill pass
"a to INCORPORATE the town of Boyette,
Wilson county.
The fellow servants" bin Gntroduced
~ Hartness) came up with formidable
report. 1t gives any employe OF a rail-
way right to sue for damages, and pre-
vents any waiver of such right to dam
ages. Sutton, of Cumberland spoke in
support of the bill; and illustrated 1T by
examples which had occurred in his own
experience. He told of boy who in
saving a train full of passengers lost his
yet GHulA AVl ICAUsN1 a NNhk ~
damages. He said that B. r. Lacy,
State commissioner of labor statistics,
advocated the bill, and said he did it
with the knowledge that he was blacklist
ed and could not, by reason of his en-
6orsement, get a place ON a railway in
the South; THAT this was due to a GER
tain railway, which he did not name;
that Lacy said a number of railway en-
Arg tho rssc
age of this excellent law, but that he
had told them to leave that if they were
concerned in it they would lose their
places Sutton said this was one of the
most remarkable statements he had ever
heard and that Lacy was a man of the
highest yeracity. He spoke of the
death of engineer Watson by another's
negligence, vet no damages could be had.
Hartness said the bill was simple act
of justice; a public necessity; worthy of
nberty-loving North Carolina; not class
legislation that Georgia was the first
to enact this law, in 1873; that other
States followed; that the United States
Supreme court says these statutes are
directed ait railway companies, but are
not unconstitutional on that account;
that though it is special legislation yet
unt LShpitArS IOuAL SdSS ilhD5L 1NSAo1SpLAp1
is special, and that railways need special
legislation, since no other class of en-
ployes are so liable to damages as those
employed on railways; that operators
took their lives In their hands for the
public benefit; that if bridge walker
was trying to get calf off bridge and
he lost his arms he could not get cent
ef damages, while the owner of the little
x.oJf To
spoke of Lacys statement that the indi-
vidual employees could not publicly come
out and ask for this legislation.
Cook said he considered the bill very
necessary: that in the light of reason
fairness and justice the legislature should
enable the courts to carry out this bill;
4hat this was the last countrS to pass
legislation on this subject; England hav-
ing adopted this very principle in the
'4Os; Germany and other countries fol-
lowing; that it was the inter'st of tine
legislation to give railway employees the
same rights as other citizens.
Dixon, of Cleveland, called she previous
question The call was sustained and
she bill passed second and third reading
without a dissenting vote.
Bills passed to incorporate the Star
y1.
BY leave McLelland introducer a bIil
DO drain Davidson's creek in IredeH and
Mecklenburg counties.
Sutton a bill to amend the charter OF
she town Of Selma.
Blackburn a bill to repeal chapter "a,
acts OF 1896, which requires makers OF
mortgages to have them entirely reg
sstered just as deeds are registered.
Parker, of Perquimans, TO protect
squirrels there, and to prohibit the sale
Of whiskey in Hertford towns.
Hauser gave notice that he would offer
a minority report in favor Of three bills,
which the committee had reported adj
versely, and asked that these be taken
up next Wednesday as a special order
Zone is the railway rate bill; one to
elect the railway commissioners by pop
ular vote, and one bill to prohibit free
passes and franks)
Bills passed prohibiting bird hunting
IN Meckienburg, Carteret, Beaufort.