The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-08
CHAOS OVER THE CoNVICTS.
BILL AGREED on FAILS OF PAS
SAGE BY 10 VOTES.

decentralization of the Vote To BE
MoVed-Thc Vote rs Counted stands
= 10 52-AH the POpulists Vote
AGAINST the Measure.
Atlanta. Ga. Dec. THE House did the
mos sensational. yet strictly characters
ii. ACT. OF its career this morning. After
bammorlng away on the convict bill for
nearly two months. only completing 1t yes
terday. il crushed the life out Of the hand
made measure to-day.
When the bill was finished off at the
hands of the committee of the whole yes
terdav. it was The general opinion that its
passage to-day wouid DE merely pre-
1unctorv matter. But nights rest put
The member in chaos again and when the
measure was reported for passage this
morning it failed 10 receive the requisite IS
votes by ten.
If is needless to say that here was sur
prise and chagrin in the hall when this
result was announced. It was almost
CONSERVATION. All the work Of the SEES
sion had been undone. and with but seven
more working days left the situation was
serious. The Senate must have some time
TO consider the question and unless the
House reconsiders tomorrow morning and
passes the bill Immediately there is good
prospect OF an extra session or no con-
Wet legislation.
Gov. Atkinson declares IL will cause the
state a loss Of $4,000 if a bill is not
passed by this legislature, so it is no
wonder that the leaders are gnawing their
Ffx- 4 q n 1aU
night The loss of the bill was due 10
the large number of absentees, fOrty-four
democrats being away. All these have
been telegraphed for by order of the
House and it is hoped enough viii be on
hand tomorrow to reconsider and pass
the bill. which is a compromise measure
end apparently represents the views Of
majority Of the House.
All the populists voted against the bin.
Those democrats who voted no did so
because they could not reconcile their in
dividual views to it. Here is the vote by
which the measure was killed:
Ayes-Messrs. Awtrey, Armstrong At
kinson, Bond, Brown, Burke, Busy,
Black Bowen Brannen, Boynton of Cal
houn, Bennett of Glynn. Cole, Charters,
Chapman, Copeland, Dodson, Durham,
Duncan of Chatham Duncan of Housto
Edge. Edwards, Faust Ford, Freeman,
Han. Hill. Hitch Harreu Hightower,
win Henderson Of Was hingtOn, Jordan,
Johnson of Applng. Johnson of Taliaferro,
Knowles. Kendrick, Lance, Little, Long
ley, Moore, Motley McMlchaeL Mcdaniel,
Mcconnell, McCook, Mckee McCranle,
McIarty McGehee McDOnOugh, Nisbet,
Niles, Oliver. Cakes Ogleuee. Patton,
Palmer. Pace, Polhill, Rawles. Reece. Red
ding. Rudicil. Rutherford, Simpson, Stone,
Turner, Thomson Of Morgan, Thomas of
Pierce, Vaughn. Vincent, Webb. Wright
Whipple, Worsnam and Wilcox Of ITALIA
ferro-7S.
Nays-Messrs. Bates. Berry, Branch,
Boswell, Bartlett, Blalock, Boifeuillet,
Boynton of Spalding. Bennett of Jackson,
Cook Of Decatur, Calvin Clement, Duffy
Deaklns, Dawson, Dickerson, Edenfeld
Ennis Of Baldwin, Foster, Fogarty, Eel
der, Felker Gowen, Hogan, Halves, Ham
by, Henderson of DeKalb Henderson OF
Forsyth, johnson of Hall, Kiser Lott.
Law, Meldrim. Meadows, Montfort. Mans
field Morrison, Nicholas, Nevin Pauett
Reid, Swift, Smith of Crawford, Thomp-
son. Thomas of Ware, Underwood, West,
Walden. Wilkes, Whitaker, Wilcox of Will
cox. and Yates-52.
Absent or not vOting-Messrs. Adams
Arnold, Bush Boyd, Burwel, Baggett
Bedgood. BrinsOn of Burke, BTnson OF
Emanuel, Craig, Cook of Oconnee, Collum
Cannon. Calhoun, Galloway, Duncan OF
Lee, Ellis, Ennis of Floyd, Grice Griffin
Harrington, Johnson of Baker, Kaigler
Leard, Morgan. Maddox, Mullin, Donalds
Mclaughlin, Parker, Pearce, Phinizy
Quilian, Roberts, Rawlings. Slaton. Sta.
pleto, Sell, Smith of Hancock, Taylor
Zimmerman, Thomas of Clark Wright and
- Watkins
When the bill came up in the House
Mr.. Hall, chairman of the committee
made an argument in its behalf. Il sin
cerely hope" he said that the House
cha l.sI1 - 4. lin
will be passed this session" He thought
St the best bill that could be passed al
this time, though it differed in some points
from the views of some of the members
and of himself He was willing, however
10 allow subsequent legislatures to remedy
the faults of the measure. Mr.. Hail ex
planned that the bill was essentially a com.
promise measure.
Speaker Jenkins took the floor anc
closed the argument in defense of the
measure. I'VE are confronted today HI
said, with a condition which is no Longer
"a theory. The theories are gone. Tn,
condition is whether or not we shall have
any legislation on this question. Are yol
willing 10 go TO your homes and say t.
the people: we were not able TO do any
thing; we We're incapable of dealing witt
the Proposition We must pass this bill
or none at ALL" said the speaker in con
clusiOn when informed of the action o
Gov. Atkinson said: IF the Legislature
does not pass some bill for the disposi
zion of the convicts il will work grea
harm to the state. 1t would mean a pc
cuniary loss amounting, perhaps, to $500,
600 for which the labor of the conVicts
hired.
1T is not to the interest of the presen
Iessees to have legislation during the pres
ent session.
IF a bill is passed now, outside partie
will be able to come into competition witt
them for the hire of the tabor of the con
Victs. They would have twelve month
in which 10 start new enterprises, bulk
necessary houses and stockades and max
arrangements for the care of the con
victs before the expiration of the presen
leases.
IF this bill is not passed until the mex
session it will take until the following
February for the state to properly adver
tise for bids for the hire of the conVicts
The present lease expires within thrt
days of that time. This time would be to-
short for outside parties to enter the field