Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-02-22
THE LEGISLATURE.
Proposed New Laws and Other
Matters of General Interest
From Annapolis.

From Annapolis.
This has been busy week at the State
Capitol. The solons there have gotten
down To hard work. and many laws of
more or less general interest, to say
nothing OF innumerable LEGAL laws, are
receiving attention. Among those of
more or less interest to everyone that
have been under consideration this week
are the following:
THE MORTGAGE TAN
Delegate Jas. H. Brashears, of Anne
Arundel county, presented in the House
Tuesday bill to reenact, with amend
ments. the law relating TO the tax on
mortgages. This is the third bill on
this subject now before the Legislature
Mr. Brashears, i'll explaining his bill,
said:
The law now provides that the mort
gagee shall pay Il tax of S per centum
on the interest of the mortgage debt;
that one-fourth thereof be paid to the
State and the residue To the counties
and the city of Baltimore. The pro
posed bill provides that all the tax col
lected i'll the counties shall be paid to
the several boards of County School
Commissioners and that collected in
Baltimore city to the Board of School
Commissioners in Baltimore city for
the use of the public schools.
The school tax III several of the
counties is not sufficient to maintain the
schools and there must be something
done, and, if possible. without an add.
tional direct tax on the real property
and personal chatteis, so il seems to me
that this is the opportune time to give
the schools the benefit of this tax, be-
cause the State will not feel the loss
and at the same time il will be- Il great
help at present To the several county
schools, and i'll the course of few years
the tax derived from this source will
put the schools on Il sound and firm
footing"
ASSESSMENTS OF BANKS.
In the House Tuesday Delegate Rob
inette, of Allegany county, introduced
a bill making an important change i'll
the method of assessing for taxation the
stock of banks. The bill provides that
i'll no case shall the stock of any cor
poration III the aggregate be valued at
less than the full value of the real es-
tate and chattels. real or personal, held
by or belonging To such corporations in
the several counties and city of Balti
more, whether the shares of said stock
are quoted on the market or not.
\ failure or refusal TO comply with all
the provisions of che bill is punishable
by fine of not less than $500 nor more
than 5000. i'll the discretion of the
court.
RAILROAD CONSULTATIONS
Senators Moore's bill authorizing the
consolidation of railroads is not. as he
| explains, a measure to hamper competi-
| ton. Senator Moore says: 1.-The existing
law Ill this State. dealing with the con
solidation of railroad companies, is held
to apply only to companies whose lines
connect directly. This bill is to permit
the consolidation of lines that are sep
arated by Il short interval covered by
tracks of another corporation. There
fore the bill only permits railroad COM
panies whose lines connect directly or
by means of an intervening road or roads
| to form continuous line
THE GIN CROW LAW.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
is manifestlng considerable interest in
Mr.. Giles Jim Grow" law. The pas
sage of the bill would entail some ex-
pense taht railroad companies seem I'M
willing To bear. Ii has been argued III
behalf of the bill that when a railroad
car Is divided with two compartments
equally comfortable it is no hardship to
the coiored race to ask passengers be-
longing TO that race to occupy one of
those compartments exclusively. There
is little doubt that the railroads have the
right to do ii If they choose, and in point
of fact one or more railroad i'll the State
do it now. One of the objects of the bill
il is said, is to advoid the conflicts and
disputes between white and black pas
sengers which sometimes occur i'll the
cars
Mr.. Charles II. Carter was in Annap.
oils Tuesday. He asked Senator Brew
ington whether he would be satisfied if
the law was made to apply To his part of
State, namely, the lower part of the
Eastern Shore. The same question has
been put to Mr. Giles. of Somerset, who
introduced the bill. by the counsel of
the Pennsylvania Road. Senator Brew
ington says that he is only concerned
about his own part of the State. and if
the people of other sections do not want
the law he does not want to force il on
them
COUNTY FREE LIBRARIES.
Senator Belts bill To create "A Library