The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-28
SENSATION IN SENATE.
SENATOR'S VOTE NOT TO PRINT
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

WV A-AA-fOAh = -hA@r's'-ANAA
hut on Recon sideratiOn Agree to Or
der Reduced Number Printed
1t Looked Like Snub to GOV. At
lSinSOn, But Later said to Have
Been for EcOnomy's Sake-MessaGe
Not Read at Yesterdays Session
First Bill introduced.
Atlanta. Ga. Oct. 27.-TO-day was spent
by the legislature in reviewing the last
annual message of Gov. w. y. Atkinson.
and in canvassing the vote for Governor
and state house officers cast in the re-
cent election. These were the main is
sues of the session.
While they were being carried monoto-
uously along there was lively side issue
enacted by the candidates for judge and
solicitor, who thronged the lobbics, sur
rounded by their friends working Ike
beavers. According to the programme
outlined the Democratic caucus for the
naming of the new judges and solicitors
the last that the legislature of Georgia
will be permitted to select until the con-
stitution shall be changed again-was set
for tonight. and the rival candidates
fairly ran over one another ia their Gag
erness to make the most of the closing
hours of opportunity.
In the Senate there was an incident that
was magnifed into quite little sensa.
ton for a while. 1t occurred when the
Governors message was presented to that
body After it had been read motion
was made that 500 copies be printed. It is
the custom to print the Governors an
nual message, so that it may be read over
carefully and digested by the salons and
there has never been any opposition to
this custom heretofore. Strange enough,
however. when the motion was put 70
vote this morning only thirteen of the for
ty-four senators voted in favor of it, Thus
the proposition to print the message Of
the retiring Governor was ANONYMOUSLY
killed. 1t looked like a deliberately plan
ned snub to Gov. Atkinson, and when the
action became known in the capital there
was some warm comment by the Gov
errors friends
Senator West took in the situation quick
~ and by a few well-timed words secured
a reconsideration of the lost motion, at
the same time substituting one providing
for the printing of 200 copies which was
somewhat. but did not entirely remove
the impression that the Senate had been
guilty of snubbing the Governor.
1t cannot be said, of course, with Ger
tainty that there was any preconcerted de-
sign to affront Gov Atkinson, but in view
of the other things that have happened
recently it looked very much if the
Senate did not care whether il pleased
the Governor or not. 1t is also true that
some OF the politicians who are conspicu-
ously arrayed against anything that Gov
Atkinson favors, chuckled nightly over
the incident. The explanation offered by
some of the senators is that the motion
was voted down for ecOnomy's sake. 1t
would probably have cost 50 more to print
500 copies than 200. So for the sake of
this paltry sum the Senate put itself in
the light of snubbing the chief executive
OF the state.
The Governors message was not read
in the House to-day, as the time from
the opening of the session until the con-
vening of the joint session for the can
wasting of the returns of the election was
taken up in drawing for seats.
The committee appointed yesterday by
Speaker Little to look into the returns
from Macon county reported that j. j.
Easterln was the duly elected representa-
tive. The returns from that county sent
up by the committee failed to name the
representative by clerical oversight. Mr.
Easterln, as a matter of fact, had re-
ceived practically the unanimous vote of
his county. and was given his seat upon
Veport of the committee.
Speaker Little to-day named his com
,littee on rules, Mr.. Calvin, the veteran
legislator from Richmond county, being
chairman. The other members of the COM
mittee are Mr.. Freeman OF Coweta, Mr.
Bell of Forsyth, Mr.. Chappell of Mus
cogee, Mr.. Denny of Floyd, Mr. Blalock
of Fayette, Mr.. Brandon of Fulton, Mr.
Ellis Of Bib and Mr.. Allen of Baldwin.
The first bill of the session made its
appearance in the Senate this morning
It was introduced by Senator McI4ester
of the Twenty-fourth district. It was one
to revise the old law for a board to equal
ize the value of taxable property In
brief, the bill provides for the appoint
ment of three citizens from each county
TO constitute a board of equalizers These
gentlemen shall receive 80 a day while
they are in the discharge of their duties.
1t shall be the duty of the board to as
sess any property at its real value. when
it has been returned at too small a figure
by the owner 1t also provides that no
tax returns shall be accepted until they
have been passed on by the board of
equaliZers. II was referred to the finance
committee.