The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-03
BILL FOR ROTATION SYSTEM.
REPRESENTATIVE HARDWICK'S
MEASURE HAS GOOD BACKING.

the Supreme Court to Govern the
Itinerary for Judges of Circuits.
MIR. Lane Introduces "A Bill to AbOl-
ish Fee Systems of Solicitors. Des-
ignating a salary of $4,000 Per
Year-other Bills Introduced.
Atlanta. Ga, Nov. 2.-Election reforms
occupied good deal of the time of the
legislature to-day. and the election for
congressmen next week was responsible
for the passage of a joint resolution by
the provisions of which when the assem-
bly, adjourns Saturday it viii be not TO
meet again until next Wednesday, so that
the members may have an opportunity
to take part in these elections. The state
will not have to pay the per diem of he
members to the eight days vacation, how
ever. as it was decided that they should
not be counted as among the fifty lays
allotted for the regular session.
Two of the most important bills of the
day had a direct bearing upon the recently
adopted constitutional amendment pro
yiding for the election of stale judiciary
by vote of the people after January next.
In the Senate Mr.. Mann of the Forty
fourth, offered one which provides that
the nominations of the judiciary shall be
made by primary in each county of sew
eral judicial circuits, and that there shall
be a committee known as the judiciary
committee appointed in each county TO
superintend the nominations. After the
circuits have made their nominations the
names of the nominees shall be put upon
the regular state ticket and voted for by
the people at large.
In the House. Mr.. Hardwlck of Wash
ington presented a bill, which is designed
to further perfect the judicial system of
the state, under the law for election by
the people, by providing for the rotation
of judges in the several circuits. 1t was
one of the strongest arguments against
the election of judges and solicitors by the
people that they would be subject to po-
litbcal and fractional influences and that
these would drag the judicial ermine IN
the mire Of bad politics. If Mr.. Hard
rick's bill becomes law and 1t has strong
backing, the Supreme Court of the state
will make out an itinerary for the judges
of all the circuits, and they will preside
according to this schedule. 1t would be
entirely probable that no judge would
preside In the circuit which elected MN,
or. If he did, il would be at time when
there could be no certainty as to the con-
dition of the calendar. The state would,
of course, pay the expenses of the judges
while out on the circuit. This plan has
been tried in other states, ana Is under
stood 10 have worked admirably.
In line with the judiciary reforms, Mr..
Lane of Sumter handed in a Dill putting
solicitors general for the Superior Courts
on salary. instead of allowing them fees
as now The salary named is $1,000, the
same as the judges receive. The fees are
to be turned into the county treasures.
There is a very marked sentiment Tor the
abolition of the fee system throughout
rhe whole fabric of public justice, and
while the legislation looking TO that end
will undoubtedly attract the hottest fight
chat ever happened within the capitol
walls il would not be a surprise If this
legislature should make the reform. There
is hardly a solicitor general in the state
who does not make in fees twice as much
as the salary proposed. and some of them
make three times that amount. From
that il may be imagined that the soft
things will not be abolished without rivers
OF trouble for the solicitors. There were
no less than three bills proposing amend
trents TO and repeal of the general regis
tration law offered in the House to-day.
Monday there was one in the Senate, all
OF which goes to show that there is trou-
bic for this statute.
The House bills yesterday were offered
by Messrs. Sloan of Han, Bell of Forsyth
and Woodall of Talbot The latter pro-
posed new law which would make the
justices OF the peace in each county the
registrars and give the Board of County
Commissioners power 70 supervise the
work. In counties where there are no COM
missioners this duty would be vested ia
those who have charge of the counties
n he nj 1.af If aerf
tation of the ballot laws will possibly be
that special committee will be created
TO take under consideration all the vari-
Gus bills offered that line, and report
a measure designed to satisfy the general
demand for this legislation.
A year ago the legislature passed what
is known as the Slaton law, regulating
the examination of applicants for admis-
sion to the bar. This law does away with
examination orally by the committee OF
local bar where the applicant resides and
puts all examinations. which must be IN
writing, in the hands of the Supreme
Court. The law went into effect last Au-
gust and the first examinations We're set
by the Supreme Court for December next
The law has aroused considerable oppo-
sition among the youthful disciples Of
Blackstone and Storey in the rural dis
tricts, and to-day Mr.. Bell of Forsyth in
troduced a bill to wipe il off the face
of the statute books. If it should
pass the new law viii be knocked out
without trial Mr.. Slaton, the author of
the law. is a member of the present House
and will make a determined stand for il
The law is intended 10 throw restrictions
around the making of new lawyers so as
10 elevate the standard of the profession
1t is possible that the famous McCook
'possum law, which created no end of
amusement when il was passed by the last
legislature, VIII be killed after but a short
life. bin inhicting this dire fate was
introduced in the House by Mr.. McCranie
of Berrien this morning. He does not
agree with Mr.. McCook, the father of pro
lection to Br'er Possum, that such pro
lection is necessary to the life of the sue
culent animal any longer Since the pass
ing of the administration that made pos
sum suppers famous in Georgia he thinks
the danger is over, and now proposes to
wipe out the law. The 'possum stil has
many friends left among the statesmen OF
Georgia, however, and they viii not permit
the law that elevated him to the degree of
protected product of our soil to be blot