The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-23

aged bodily, unless they hurt him."
Mr.. Davis, of Haywood. wanted 10
know il the bill didn't make the Rlll.
road Commission the judge of the gricv-
ance.
Mr.. Justice said that was Just the
situation.
Mr.. Curtis-''lf You cut the penalty
down to 500 how much would fellow
get after paying his lawyers fees?"
Mr.. Justce-''1f the lawyers can staal
it, ! think the rest of You can. IL
had put it $500 it would have been
charged that we were fixing high penal
ties to make fat fees.
Mr.. Craig. in the course of a strong
speech in support of his bill said:
81 think it is well to put this bower
in the hands Of the Railroad Commits
sion. 1t will not be abused. The com
mission that are going to give you
will not do that. This Legislature will
look to it carefully that three of the best
men in North Carolina are put on this
Commission. We don't want just any
body who just wants to be commission,
er. We want men that will give to the
office the dignity that it deserves, and
bring to it the ability that proper
discharge of it's duties require. We want
men that have something to do at home,
and do it, In short it will be such a
Commission as neither this body nor the
people of the State need fear to trust"
The Railroad Commission. having the
execution of all the rest of the railroad
law, Mr. Craig thought it ought to have
this also.
Mr.. Williams. of Iredell. considered
this the best bill yet laid before the
House and he hoped it would pass.
As to the steamboats,, Smith, of Cra-
ven. said they had been putting in force
a regulation of this kind for 10 or 20
years. They had not had equal ac
commoda tons, however, and in this re-
spect probably the negro would be help
ed by this bill.
Mr.. Overman, of Rowan, thought Mr.
Justices amendment ought to be adopt
ed
I'm opposed to circumlocution. Pm
opposed to red-tapeism. / want no
roundabout methods. Where there's II
wrong there ought to be a remedy.
want that remedy to BE as easy as
possible to get at
Judge Allen-"Under this bill does
lit cut the passenger off from right to
sue for damagesg'
Mr.. Justice-'It does not, but what
damages would he get? Only his fare
back"
Mr.. Council, of Watauga, favored
the bill as it came from the committee,
hoped that Mr. Justices amendment
would not be adopted. The bill, he
said, represented the best features of
all bills vet introduced. With a Railroad
Commission such as the Legislature is
going to select he thought the people
would be safe and no man would be cut
off, if he had a real grievance.
Mr.. Craig called the previous question.
and Mr.. Justice demanded the ayes and
noes on his amendment.
The amendment was lost by Il vote of
26 TO 50.
The substitute passed its third read
and. and then the bill as amended by
Mr.. Craig's substitute was passed
unanimously on its third and fn;l
reading.
The text of this bill is as follows:
The General Assembly of North Caro-
lima do enact:
Section !. That MI railway and
steamboat companies doing bust
ness as common carriers IN
the transportation Of passen-
gers for hire in the State of North Car
DINA. other than street railways, shall
provide separate but equal accommo-
dations for the white and colored races
on all passenger trains and steamboats,
carrying passengers. Such accommoda-
tiolls may be furnished by railway com
panies either by separate passenger
ears or by compartment in passenger
cars, which shall be provided by the
railways under the supervision and di
rection of the Board of Railway Com
missioners. or the officers succeeding
to their powers. Provided that this shall
not apply to relief trains in cases of
accident, to Pullman or sleeping cars
or through express trains that do not
stop at all station and are not used
ordinarily for travelling from station to
station, to negro servants in at
tendance on their employers, to officers
or guards transporting prisoners, nor
to prisoners so transported.
Sec. 2. The Railway Commissioners
of this State or the officers succeeding
to their powers are hereby authorized to
exempt from the provisions of this act
branch lines and narrow gauge railways,
if in their Judgment the enforcement
of this act be unnecessary to secure the
comfort of passengers by reason of the
light volume of passenger traffic or the
small number of colored passengers
travelling on such narrow gauge or
branch lines.
Sec. 3. That when any coach or com
partment of car for either race shall
be completely filled at a station where
no extra coach or car can be had and
the increased number of passengers
could not be foreseen, the conductor i'll
charge of such train is hereby author
lied to assign and set apart portion
of car or compartments assigned for
passengers of one race to passengers
of the other race.
Sec. 4. That all railway companies
shall furnish first and second-class pas
senger accommodations.
Sec. 5. That any railway company
failing to comply in good faith with the
provisions of this act shall be liable to
a penalty of $1,000 per day, to be recov-
cred in an action brought against such
company by the Railway Commission
or the officers succeeding to their pow
ers in the county of Wake and covered
into the State Treasury.