The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-02-09
FROM THE STATE CAPITAL.
Doin2s in the Legislature During the
Past Week.
tFron Our Special Corre>pondentD
RALEIGH. n. C.. Feb. !. so

RALEIGH, \. c.. Feb. I. go.
| 1t has been decided that the State
! textile school shall be made a branch
of the Agricultural and Mechanical
College. instead of a separate ins,itu-
ton, as was intended. $4,000 is APP
| propriated to erect the necessary
buildings and it will be conducted
without any expense to the State fur
Their than the regular appropriation
10 the College. 1t is thought the bill!
as amended will pass easily.
Senator .Glenn's bill providing
that local option election or prohi
bition shall be held at any time one
third of the voters may petition for it,
has been one Of the most discussed
bills in the Senate. To-day it was
withdrawn because it had been loaded
down with so many amendments that
MIR. Glenn thought, even if passed,
it could hardly accomplish its object.
There has been several bills in both
Houses to reduce the fees of county
officers and these have created some
opposition, especially from the small
er counties, where it is claimed that
the officers are not any too we'll paid
anyway. When one of these bills
came up in the House it was apparent
that almost every other man wanted
his county excepted from the proyis-
ions of the act. There will doubtless
be some reduction arranged for. An
excellent bill providing for a shorter
form of chattel mortgage and crop
h,I
been overloaded by Legislators who
were afraid some of their county
officers would lose some fees.
The bill to codify the laws of the
State relating to insanity and the in
stitutions for the keeping and treat
ment of the insane, has been passed
by the Senate. 1t is a great improve
ment on the present laws.
The bill making it misdemeanor
to adulterate food products has
passed the House and will soon pass
the Senate. Heavy penalties are pro-
yided.
To give an idea of the enormous
mass of bills and resolutions now be-
fore Legislature, 1000 bills, eXclu
sive of petitions or resolutions, have
been presented in the House alone,
besides the large number introduced
in the Senate. The Legislature has
resolved to adjourn on the 25th Of
February and that gives them only
fifteen working days in which to dis
pose of this immense amount of bust
ness. 1t will take hard, steady work
to accomplish it.
The new Democratic directors of
the penitentiary are: At large. M.
l.. Bryan, of Madison, ". {. Newland,
of Caldwell, and Thomas B. Crowder,
of Wake; 1st district, B. F. Thomp
son; 2nd, E. L. Travis; 3rd, r. II.
Kicks; 4th, J. w. Perry, 5th, w. H.
Osborn; 9th, j. G. Davis; 9TH, Jas. L.
Legrand; Sth, Alfred Young; 9th, J.
l.. Gwaltney; 10th, DR.. M. +. Nor
phew; 18th, j. H. Wellington; 18th,
Samuel L. Rogers.
There is a general disposition on
the part of this Legislature to make
all the principal State officers elective
so that the people may choose them
at the ballot box. This is one of the
features of the scheme to reorganize
the Department of Agriculture. Ad
ditional directors are to be appointed
and they will elect successor to
Smith, but two years from now the
people will elect the Commissioner of
Agriculture. 1t is also designed that
in the creation of the new railroad
commission, the commissioners shall
be elected by the people.
Mr.. Starns' antitrust bill which
provides that those who purchase
from trust are not compelled to pay
for the good, bought has aroused a
great deal of opposition on the part
of corporations and combinations.
The jim Crow car bill has not yet
been reported from its committee,
but is under discussion.
Quite a large number of railroads,
trusts, insurance, banking and man
ufacturing companies have been
formed during the past week. Most
of the bills on the calendar relate to
changes in stock laws, relief Of GER
tain persons from taxes, putting old
soldiers on the pension list, making
certain streams legal fences, and
such minor bills.
The amendment to the constitu-
ton agreed upon by the Democratic
caucus will undoubtedly be the suf-
frage act that will be submitted to
the people.