The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-04
THE LANE BILL SIDETRACKED.
THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS
FRIENDS PROTECT THEM.

No Quorum, hut the House Kept at
WOrk-Many Local Bills Passed
without the Point Being Raised.
BILLS to Require street Railroads
to Afford Protection 10 MOtOrmcn
and Drivers in Cold Wcnthcr-Bill
20 Require the Registration of
Mortgage Transfers.
Atlanta. Ca, Dec 3-The friends of the
State Railroad Commission had their in
nings in the House to-day.
Yesterday the Lane bill, which cuts the
pay of the commissioners to 5000 year
was passed after a hot debate. This
morning a motion was made to reconsider
this action, and fix the discussion Of the
motion to reconsider for Dec. II, which
is the last day of the present session.
Strange as it seems, in the face of yes
terday's sentiment, this motion prevailed,
and now unless the consent Of the House
can be gained to change the time for the
discussion of the motion to reconsider,
the bill is surely pigeon-holed for this
session, as it would be impossible 10 pass
it on the last day.
Mr.. Lane, the author of the bill, was
called home yesterday afternoon, and
was not present to-day when the matter
came up as stated. When he returns Mon
day he Is sure to renew the fight, and
with full House may succeed in getting
the bill into the Senate in time to have
it acted upon there.
A great many vacant seats stared the
speaker in the face when he called the
House to order this morning. 1t was dan
| gerous to make a test for a quorum, but
MIR. Knowles of Fulton, who presided
! through most of the session determined
that there should be no slack up in bust
ness on account of the slim attendance.
| With nerve that could hardly have been
| used in worse case, a quorum was count
| ed time after time until no less than
| twenty-seven local bills had been passed.
IL is not amiss to say that none of these
| bills received bona hde enough votes to
| pass them, but as no point was raised
| they viii become just as good law as il
! they had received the vote of every mem
Der on the rolls, provided they get through
! the Senate and receive the signature oil
| the GoVernor-for il is impossible to &c
back of the House journal to prove that a
| bill did not get the constitutional number
of votes, when 1t is once entered as passed
None of these local bills were of any in
| terest an Savannah The chances are thai
all of them would have been passed in I
| fun house, so aside from the practice o.
grinding out new laws faster than tht
people can read them, there was probably
no harm done by to-day's unique session.
There was a batch of new bills intro
duced and among these some of consider
able general importance as follows:
By Mr.. Bryan of Floyd-To provide thai
lunatics shall be released from the asylum
upon recovery, without notice to guar
dams.
BY Mr.. Bryan of Floyd-To prevent
creditor from being the guardian of al
insane person.
By Mr. Reynolds of Richmond-To re
quire street railway companies to provid
protection for motormen or drivers, from
cold and inclement weather.
BY Mr.. Hall of Bibb-Also requirtnj
street railway companies TO enclose tn
front platforms of cars for the protection
of motormen.
BY Mr. Reynolds of Richmond-To ere
ate bureau of labor and labor statistic
in the department Of agriculture.
By Messrs. Arnold and Maxwell of Ogle
thorpe-To require all railroads in thi
state to carry bicycles as baggage withou
charge.
BY Mr.. Bryan of Floyd-To provide 70
public matrons at state and county prjs
ons,
BY Mr.. Gresham of Burke-A bill to re
quire the effects of alcoholic beverage
and of narcotics to be taught in the publ
schools.
BY Mr.. Mclaughlin Of Merriwether-T
amend the law for admission to the ba
by establishing a board of three examiner
to be appointed by the Supreme Court an
, to be composed of learned and experience
attorneys-at-law of generally recognize
ability and integrity"
By MIR. Knowles of Fulton-To requiI
!, the registration of transfers of mortgage