The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-04-21
TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS
NASHVILLE AprII II

NASHVILLE, April II.
The general assembly returned To lis labOrS
today the members going TO work with a will
There is still talk OF an extra session, but il is
safe 10 say tn. the demand will have to be a
most urgent one to induce GOV McMillin to call
it. The members show a disposition o crowd
matters. and much important legislation will
| be acted upon during the remaining ten days.
About the only thing that could demand an ex-
ira session would be some complication growing
out OF the removal of the judicial officers. Any
thing is likely tn happen in this matter, as many
| members are undecided about voting for re-
mOyal resolutions. The plea is being made that
to remove these officers in this way would be a
| reflection on them.
The house today killed a bill placing Criminal
| Court clerks and clerks of courts having crimi-
nal jurisdiction on salary, and the senate after
| lengthy discussion, tabled bill so amending
| the Estes law as to grade salaries of clerks ac-
| cording TO population of counties.
| The house passed the senate bill providing for
the election of school directors the fourth Sat-
| urday in May, where school and civil districts
| are not co-extensive. and tabled the bill making
| railroads liable for damages in accidents where
| the engineer failed to sound the bell or whistle.
Bills were introduced in the house to authorize
county chairmen or judges to appoint certain
| committees; to prevent insurance companies
not incOrpOra ted dnder the laws of the State
from writing policies otherwise than through
resident local agents.
| The assessment bill was taken up as the
| special order, and first amendment adopted
| raises the bond of county assessors from five to
| twenty-five thousand dollars. There was a
| long argument the section providing that
| when notes and other Indebtedness are sued on
| plaintiff must first show that all taxes have
| been paid. The house refused to table the
| amendment striking out the section.
Among new bills were these: To make it a
| misdemeanOT for any person, firm or corpora
| tiOn engaged in any mechanical manufacturing
| or mining business to allow persons under l6
| years of age to labor more than ten hours per
| day; to provide for compensation of w. II. Car
roll and Casselbery and Martin for services
| rendered the State; to amend the act for benefit
| of INDECENT and disabled soldiers of the war be-
| tween the States.
The following bills were disposed of in the
| senate: To prevent Determinations in selling
news, passed; to compile all laws in reference to
| inspection of Illuminating oils into one act,
| passed; to appropriate $500 to Stone River Bat
| tlefeld Association passed; to authorize county
| courts to place homeless children under IA in
| custody of societies chartered in the State for
| purpose of procuring homes for them, passed ;
| 10 abolish the Twelfth chancery division
| (kyle's), postponed till Friday; to make it a
privilege for foreign corporations to do business
| dollars upon them and S25 upon benevolent So
cictieS passed.
APRIL 70.
The house reversed itself today by passing
| the senate substitute bill Ousting Chancellor
| Lindsay and retaining Chancellor Kyle. The
pill now goes to the governor. When the bill
came up the lobby was so numerous that the
rules had to be enforced and the lobby forced
outside. The senate also ordered the floor
cleared of lobbyists. 1t is likely they will be
kept out of both houses from this on, but what
they Will do to the members the outside will
be astonishing.
The senate in committee OF the whole, COM
pleted the revenue bill. No vote was taken on
the section placing privilege tax on railroads,
so the fight Will come when the bill comes up in
open senate tomorrow. 1t promises to be the
struggle of the session, with the chances against
the tax.
In the senate bills were introduced providing
penalties for engineers, firemn or conductors of
trains who become intoxicated while on duty,
and preventing the employment of children un-
der II years as acrObats, gymnasts, cOntortion-
isis, circus riders rope walkers, beggars street
singers, etc.
The senate concuTred IN the house resolution
to make the State board of medical examiners
turn over to the State treasury fees in their
hands.
In the committee of the whole on the revenue
bill the sleeping car tax was fixed at So OOO
large number of amendments were adopted or
rejected, and the house will hardly know the
bill when it is returned
After warm debate, a privilege tax of one
tenth OF per cent upon corporations applying
for charters or amendments thereto was stricken
out.
The section placing a privilege tax on rail-
roads was then taken up, all other sections hav-
ing been completed, and Mr.. Jarvis offered an
MOI fCfr inn ants r.
Mr.. Thompson of Marshall sought to have
the committee rise and let the contested Sec
tiOns OF the bill be considered by the senate.
Mr.. WhitsOn had the floor, however, and re-
fused to yield. He spoke against the bill and
Tor the amendment, and at the conclusion of his
remarks the committee rose and reported the
bill as amended for passage.
The senate reasSembed at once and made the
revenue bill the special order for tomorrow
morning, right after the reading OF the journal.
Other bills disposed of were: To give attor-
neys lien upon plaintiffs right of action passed;
10 provide that all insurance policies on prop
eTty in the State shall be written by local
agents, passed; to authorize. Jackson to elect
eight additional justices Of the peace passed.
In the house the assessment bill was taken up
and after long debate the section intended to
bring personal property, such notes. ETC., out
Of their hiding places was stricken out When
this was done. Mr.. White, of the special COM
mittee which drew up the bill, said that the
striking out of this section had DESTROYED the
very substance of the bill. He therefore moved
that the bill 60 to the table. The motion failed
yeas 10, nays 81. A number of amendments
were then offered to the bill. but none OF mo-
ment was adopted.
The senate bill dividing the counties in Chan
celIor Lindsay's division between ChanceIors
Smith and Kyle passed.
APRIL 13.
The revenue bill was emasculated in commit |
fee of the whole in the senate this afternoon |
The fight came OFF over the section placing !
privilege tax on railroads. Mr.. Jarvis led the
tiOn was met by a counter amendment offered |
by Mr.. Seay placing privilege tax of ~ cents |
per 500 on the assessed ad valorem rate in the |
State. Mr.. Thompson Of Marshall and Mr.. Pad
gett urged this amendment, but after quite a |
wrangle it was ruled out on a point of order. |
Then the Jarvis motion was adopted, 10 to IL, /
and Mr. Seay offered his amendment a new |
section. Mr.. Seay's amendment was finally /
tabled. Then Mr.. Thompson of Marshall Of |
fered amendments striking out the tax on street |
car companies, electric lighting plants, tele- |
phones, telegraphs, merchants and nearly every /
thing else in the bill. Each amendment was /
promptly adopted. Then he offered an amend |
ment. Then he offered an amendment increas- /
ing the ad valOrem rate from so to 60 cents on |
the dollar Pending action on this amendment |
the committee arose and reported progress. /
What the up-shot will be is doubtful, but the |
vote in committee today shows that the tax on /
railroads cannot win I'm open senate.
In the course of his remarks in opposition to