The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-17
Messenger Bureau


Raleigh, n. c., January Il.
Representative Locke Craige has in
troduced in the house bill which re-
quires corporations desiring TO do bus
mess in this state to pay license tax
of $500. At first it was $1,000. but to-
day he decided to make the figure $500.
The bill is intended to apply to railway
and insurance companies and appears
in way to be a result of caucus action.
Your correspondent today had talk
with Mr. Craig about this bill and ask
ed him its purpose. He said: Its
purpose is to prevent the removal to
federal courts of cases by or against
foreign corporations. The fees fixed by
the bill is $500, to be paid as license
fee by such corporations and is requir-
ed by the bill to be paid only once, not
annually"
Your correspondent then asked:
How do you propose to prevent such
| removal of causes?'
Craig replied: "This bill 'domesti-
Gates the foreign corporations and thus
| prevents the removal of causes to fed
eral courts when the amount involved
| is $4,000 or more, as now provided by
| United States statutes"
The object of this bill is to force the
| taking out of North Carolina charters.
| The fact is it is aimed more particular
| ly at railways. Craig was asked if he
did not think it would immensely in
| crease overhead insurance and said
he supposed it would. He added that
| of course there would be no way of
;al, 1,o
| sets in North Carolina but which did
| business here.
Representative Ray, of Macon, assur-
ed the negroes in the house that no bill
mould be passed giving all the white
school taxes to white schools. Mr..
Craig, who is from the Asheville dis
| trict, gives the same assurance. Mr..
Julian, who introduced the bill
| to do this, says if the proposition was
submitted to the people in the shape of
| a constitutional amendment it would
be ratified by majority of at least
$4,000. Another member tells me that
! many thousands of people in the coun-
try are tired of the negro schools and do
not care whether the negroes have any
education or not
| Representative Ransom, of Mecklen-
burg, says that the sentiment among
country people in the state is over
whelmingly that this legislature ought
to reduce salaries and fees. He says
he believes this course will be taken.
The legislature is being flooded with
/ petitions for the creation of the coun-
Scotland, out of the lower end,
Ga little less than half of Richmond
J county. 1t is the fourth time legis-
1ature has been urged to take this step.
There appears to be quite a strong
sentiment against the creation of any
new counties.
| It is said that at the expiration of his
term of office Governor Russell will not
| return to his home at Wilmington, but
i mill go to New York and engage in the
practice of law. He is persona non
grata to the Wilmington democrats.
{. There is clamor for the discharge
at once of all the fusion employees of
the penitentiary. Superintendent Day
says this hard thing to do as three
months pay is due them and they have
no money with which to pay their ex-
penses home. He wants the legislature
to pass at once the bill paying those
past due salaries and says all the fus-
ionists will then be discharged and
their places filled by democrats.
The white state convict Willard
Moore, who in this county murdered
Shaw, a guard, will be put on trial for
his life next Thursday