The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-07

The road law bill drawn by State
Geologist Holmes) passed. 1t had
passed the house.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Bills passed as follows: To allow
judges to appoint ste~norgraphers in
special cases. To repeal the public
school tax, chapter APT, acts 1897. To
appoint additional justices of the peace
for Johnston. To amend the law as
to geological urvey To protect oys-
ters in New Hanover. Regarding the
February term Of Craven court. To in
corporate the Kinston II Jacksonville
railway. To allow twenty-five state
convicts to build the Plunge road in
requiring the governor to appoint the
directors of the Albermarle and Ches-
apeake canal. To amend the Code as
to drainage Of lowlands. To encourage
the use of wide tired vehicles on roads
in a number of counties, by renting
to their owners half the road tax or
half the required labor on roads. ct
applies to Mecklenburg, Alamance,
Orange-Chapel Hill township only
Buncombe, Edgecombe, Castor, For
syth, Lincoln, Moore, New Hanover,
Rowan, Wilson and Durham.)
Mr.. Overman introduced a bill to al
low the states prison to hire to the
COuIlll6S OIL bullCOlllUS, JdChSOI dIlu
Rowan, upon application, such able
bodied convicts as may be disposable,
the counties named to pay all expenses.
Alamance, Catawba, Graham, Forsyth,
Haywood, Fender, Davidson, Lincoln
and Granville were added.
Mr.. Holman asked if it was good
policy to take only able bodied con-
convicts.
Mr.. Overman said hat during the
MAST two UoarS tho npnitontiarV had
cost the state $110,O 900 and he wished all
counties would thus take convicts and
employ them, so as to take all from the
penitentiary and save the state from
great charge. He accepted the various
amendments and the bill passed. +
The bill to give HEREFORD county a
criminal court caused debate.
Mr.. Snipes, of HEREFORD, said it had
split the democrats there and that the
court had proved expensive.
Mr.. Carroll opposed the bill saying
the people of the county did not want
it; that there was no necessity for it,
and that the object was to put in as
solicitor a man who had promoted the
bill.
Mr.. Gillian ridiculed MI. Snipes n
said the democrats Of HEREFORD a in
massmeeting endorsed the court and
also Senator Cowper for solicitor and
B.. B. Winborne for judge. He said the
split of the democrats was because
this legislature had not don fair
enough in ousting fusionists.
Mr.. Winston said that since the aboli-
ton Of the old criminal court in Hert-
ford it was difficult to get to the civil
calendar.
Mr.. Justice took ground against the
bill.
Mr.. Gattis said he understood that
the bill was to provide a place for
a man as clerk.
Mr.. Curtis wanted no bill passed
which gave office to a member who
helped pass the bill.
The bill then failed to pass.
8 The bill repeating the railway COM
mission act and establishing the corpo-
ration commission came over from the
senate, with amendments making the
railway commission expire April 4th and
the corporation commission take office
Apri 9Th. These amendments We're
concurred in.
The bill to codify and make uniform
laws regarding negotiable instruments
came up.
Mr.. Boushall said it was a c%odifcation
Of the laws, revised by S. F.. Mordecai
ined by Representative Rountree, and
that it makes the commercial law plain
and uniform.
Mr.. Rountree said he had not read
the bill carefully, but it made only
minor changes, that Sheppard and Nor
decai had carefully examined it.; that
the bill was drawn by a committee of
three eminent lawyers of the American
bar association and was a codification
of the laws regarding negotiable in
struments. The bill does not do away
with three days grace that the pro-
vision having been stricken out.
MI. Justice favored the bill, saying
it was we'll considered.
MI. Boushall said there was no con-
fict between the bill and the North
Carolina law as it now exists. He said
eighteen states had this c~odification.
Mr.. Overman said that after these
statements he authorized the bill to be
reported favorably.
Mr.. Allen, of Wayne, opposed the
Mr.. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, said
the farmers did not understand the
bill, and moved to table it. This was
lost-27 to %.
Mr.. Thompson, of Onslow, moved a
postponement until Monday. This was
lost. The bill passed it's second read
ing. 1t then went over until Monday,
MI. Ray Directing to the third reading
The congressional bill came up. Il
repealed chapter 307, acts of 1897, and
transfers Catawba, Cleveland, CASTOR
and Mitchell to the Eighth district, and
DAVE and Yadkln to n Seventh dis
trict.
Mr.. Overman sent up an amend
ment to strike out Catawba. This was
adopted.
Mr.. Hampton, republican, said he op.
posed h bill because it made his dis
trict the Eighth republican. laugh
teri
Mr.. Pritchard, republican. said that
no matter what district Mitchell was
put in that district would be republi-
can. Oaughter.)
The bill as amended passed its read
ings.
AS a special order the house took uI
the bill making a special appropriation
to the soldiers home of $40, 900.
The omnibus pension bill carries q
like appropriation. A motion was made
to table the bill, the pension bill having
passed.
Mr.. Mclean. of Harnett, made a
speech in which he spoke in terms OF
eulogy of the veterans and said Their
appeal for relief ought to be heard. He
said he had been informed that SIS, 00G
would be given to the home for main