The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-01
CITY COURT BILL GOES IN.
MEASURE PROVIDING FOR A sEPA-
RATE SOLICITOR.

Provisions of the Bill Introduced by
Mr. LaRoche-BnI Introduced by
MIR. McDonough To Make the Offices
of sheriff and Clerk Elective by
the PeopIe-Bin Against Insurance
Brokcrs-Many other Matters Be
fore the Legislature.
Atlanta. Oct 3l-The much discussed
bin providing for separate solicitor for
the City Court OF Savannah and making
the Office elective by vote of the people,
was received by mail from Savannah this
morning and introduced during to-day s
session by Representative LaROche.
The bill was prepared in Savannah and
had not been received up 10 the hour when
the House convened. but it came IN later
on and was Immediately introduced. At
the same time Mr.. McDonough of Chat
ham introduced another bill TO make the
Offices Of clerk and sheriff Of the City
Court of Savannah elective by the people.
Under these two bills these officers viii
he elected at the same time in the same
manner and for the same period as the
clerk and sheriff of the Superior Court.
and except for solicitor. will receive their
compensation in the same manner.
The City Court bill after creating the
Office Of solicitor. provides that on Dec
"A next the County Commissioners of Chat
ham county shall elect an attorney 10 the
position. who shall have been a practicing
attorney for at least one year, who shall
hold Office until Jan. !, 1901 His successor
Is then to be chosen at the October cleo
ton 1900, and is to hold Office for the term
Of two years Provision is also made in
the bill for the solicitors special bailiH
10 be appointed by the solicitor, whose
duties are prescribed in the act approved
oct. G. 1851
The three representatives, from Chat
ham and Senator Grovenstein are in favor
OF these bills.
Messrs Alexander Lawrence and Shell
by Myrick have been here working in the
interest of Solicitor General Osborne, and
several legislators and local atlanta N
huence have been pressed into service 10
help defeat the measures.
Attorney Lawrence said to-day that
ahey had things all rounded UP and We're
certain to come out victorious. There Is
a good deal of doubt about this, however
Representative McDonOugh to-day in
speaking of the factional contest over
this and other bills. said that upon the
assembling of the Legislature the Chat-
ham delegation notified Mayor Myers that
they would be glad to consider any meas
ures he wished to submit but they have
heard nothing from him as yet.
Against Insurance Brokers.
The House passed three measures to-
day, two of them being by Mr.. Duncan
of Houston, amending the insurance laws
of the state The mode of passage was
little foreign to usual custom, in that both
bills were passed by substitutes offered by
the introducer to his original bills, The
object of the bills is to kill out the insur-
ance brokerage business. Mr.. Duncan
thought the time was ripe for changing
il and urged their passage.
Mr. Knowles of Fulton advocated the
measures. He characterized the insur-
ance companies representatives. by brok-
ers as wildcat institutions, and told
of the burning of the Eden Cot
ton Mills at DOuglassville, where
100000 went up in smoke in irresponsible
companies that wrote the insurance
through brokers. and said that citizens of
Georgia had lost $4,000 within the past
five years through this channel
One of the measures proposed by Mr.
Duncan reduced the deposit of bonds by
Insurance companies from $4,000 TO 5000
and also enlarged the power of the In
surance Commissioner, so that wherever
the capital stock of an insurance company
doing business in this state becomes i'm
paired 20 per cent. or more, he could re-
quire them to make it good within ninety
days or forfeit their license to do busi-
ness.
The discussion brought out the fact that
not a dollar of the bonds held by the state
treasurer to secure policy holders had ever
been encroached upon because of any nom
payment of claims. Mr.. Knowles believed
in the free competition between the sub
stantial insurance companies and said that
by reducing the deposit to 5000 many of
these companies could be induced TO come
into the state
Some Of the members wanted to throw
the gates wide open. and let In all insur-
ance companies without requiring one dol
lar of deposit This could not be done, as
the constitution required reasonable de-
post" whereupon a rural member sug-
gested so, which Mr.. Knowles declared
was ridiculous
At this early stage of the session the
members becoming FESTIVE under the re-
Etraint Of painstaking law-making, the
old tale of marsballing a quorum when
bills are up for a passage. was encounter
ed to-day on the insurance bill. At the
instance of Mr.. Hall OF Bib the Speaker
directed that the clerk call the roll to
ascertain il a quorum was present The
members in the Hobbies and corridors rush
ed back into the House the roll call. show
ing 12l members present. On the passage
the ayes were 81, and the nays 16. and Mr.
Freeman, who was in the chair, voted for
The bill. giving it the requisite constitu-
tional majority.
Action on Other Measures.
The third bill passed was by Mr.. Ander-
son of Barlow to amend section 3441 Of the
Code relative to the notice to be given
heir at law Of any deceased person. The
amendment provided for notice and trial
IN receiving and making titles on bonds
for title administrators, etc
The bill by MIR. Watkins of Gilmer to
change the school age limit from is to p
was overwhelmingly defeated. Mr. Wat
kins urged the passage of his bill in a brief
speech. in which he appealed to the mem
bers to come to the rescue of a great class
Of poor country boys who were deprived
of many school advantages because they
were compelled TO work.
Messrs. Lane of Bibb. Easterlin of Ma
con and Bell of Forsyth spoke against the
- o haf