The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-01-19

To pay judges of elections In certain

10 pay Judges OF elections In certain
counties.
To amend Article 10 OF the State
Constitution.
To pay officers and State witnesses
when no true bill is found.
To fix the maximum number o
employees tor the General Assembly.
To request Congress to establish two
light-beacons in Pamllco Sound.
| The amendment proposed to the
Constitution (Article 10, Homesteads
and Exemptlons) is to reduce the per
sonal property exemption from $500 to
$500, and make the value of the home
stead $500 instead of $1,000.
Mr.. Boushal!'s Code Commission
bill provides for a comm ission to col
late, digest and reyise the public
statute laws OF the State, upon the
same plan as that adopted by the
last Code Commission. Their work Is
to be submitted to the next General
Assembly for It's approval. No com
missioners are named in the act, Meth.
er is the salary fixed. They are EN-.
powered to appoint a clerk, and the
Secretary of State is directed to sup
ply them with such books as they may
require.
Among the bills passed the only one
of importance was that providing io1
increasing the number of commits
sioners in Edgecombe county from
three to five. The Board of County
Commissioners is authorized to ap-
point the two additional commissioners
at their next meeting and they will
hold Office until the next election.
After that, five commissioners shall be
regularly elected every two years.
There was strong discussion over
toe bill which provides that fire insur-
ance companies in North Carolina
shall not charge higher rate of IN
surance than is charged in Virginia.
After the discussion the bill was re-
committed to the com mittee on Corpo-
ration by vote of 49 to SO.
The next matter to claim any con-
siderable portion of the time of the
House was bill to regulate the num-
ber of employees for the General Assem-
bly,.
This bill presc, ibes the number OF
employees as follows:
Principal clerk in the House, four
assistants; in the Senate, three as
sistants.
The reading clerk of each body may
also be called on to assist.
Engrossing clerk in the House, one
assistant in Senate, one assistant.
II other assistants are found to be
necessary the Legislature may order
their employment, but all such shall
recelye only $3.50 day.
No more than nine laborers in the
House shall be employed and six in
the Sanate, not including mail carriers
and stationery keepers.
Number of pages in the House ten
in the Senate, six.
Mr.. Brown, 1ntroducer of the bill,
that its object was simply to
carry out the pledges of the Democratic
ployes. He thought it would not be
a bad idea to have the number of en-
ployes limited oy statute so that sue
ceeding Legislatures may at least have
to go to the trouble of repeating a law
before 1t can swell the number of en-
pIoyes.
Mr.. Williams, of Iredell, said the
cancus had fixed the number of pages
at nine-one from each Congressional
district, and he should oppose the prop
osltion to make 1t ten.
Mr.. Council said it had been found
necessary to appoint one boy from Raj
elgh in order that messages might be
sent to places in the city, the other
pages from the various Congressional
not being familiar with the
city.
On motion OF Mr.. Williams the bill
was referred to the Committee on
and Grievances.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18TH.
SENATE.-Among the first bills
to receive attention from the Senate
are the bills intended to put the negro
ridden counties of the East IN the
hands of the whites. Craven, Hert-
ford, Jones, Edgecombe and Washing
ton are all being looked after and 9TH
ers will be in due time as their men,
bers decide on what is needed.
BILLS PASSED.
Fl. B. II, S. B. 78, authorizing
to call on the Governor and
ask tor the evidence on which the Will
sons were dismissed, passed, and Sena-
tors Osborne and Newsome appointed
on the part OF the Senate.
The Committee on Claims considered
the claim of contestant for expenses
incurred in the contest OF Cannon VS..
Franks, and recommend that $500 go
be paid him. This includes the fees
Of counsel.
FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION.
S. B. No. "a: To amend chapter 1OS,
Laws 1897 Chairman authorized to
amend and limit so as not to interfere
with the general school law to he
passed later. Acted on fayorably. The
bill repeais sections 25 and 124 of the
school law, and empowers the county
to remove any member
of the board of education Or of the dis
trict committee tor crime Or lncompe
tence. The latter can appeal to the
courts, but the courts are forbidden by
the bill to issue an Injunction restrain
ing the commissioners from the exer-
else of their duties.
HOUSE.-Perhaps the bill of most
and general interest among