Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-20
FREE PASS BILL IS
KILLED BY
HOUSE
DESPITE A HARD FIGHT THE PET
MEASURE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVE HALL MEETS DE-
FEAT BY TWO VOTES.

The mo free pass bill OF Hon. Joe Hill
Hall. of Bibb, which was last Thursday
made the special order for Tuesday, was
taken up Immediately following the read
ing of the house journal
Before the bill was taken up, the report
OF the majority of the special committee
10 Investigate a more humane method OF
disposing of the convicts Of the state.
This report provides that the convicts
shall be leased for another five years and
then placed on prison farms, to be pur-
chased in the meantime.
The committee to investigate the sol
diers' home, as provided for in resolu-
ton Monday. was named by Speaker
Norris, as follows: Beall, of Paulding;
Jones, of Dougherty; Knowles. Sanford
and Harden.
The Hall bill was then placed on its
third reading and taken up for discus
sion. About twenty-five amendments
were sent to the clerks desk. One Of
these amendments, by Mr.. Ennis, of
Floyd. provided that no lawyer in a suit
or trial could Invite the judge trying the
case to lunch or to lodge with him during
the trial of a case.
Mr.. Cam, of Chatham. moved to exempt
from the actions of the bill every public
official save the author of the bill. Mr..
Franklin, of Washington, wanted to
amend the bill by adding the words, mo
person shall lend his hose and buggy TO
another" while still another amendment
provides that no person should fish or
hunt on the lands of another.
Mr.. Han at once took the floor and
begged the members of the house to kill
the bill IL they did not approve IT, but
not to revile II.
'sYou may think il funny" he said, ''but
your constituents, the people at home,
are serious about bill of this kind. The
amendment to make this bill applicable
to me Is unnecessary 1 have never laid
myself liable to such law"
Mr.. Cam. In the economy of time,
withdrew his amendment.
Mr.. Howell of Meriwether, said he was
no enemy TO railroads, but on the other
hand he thought the railroads should be
treated fairly.
But" he continued, ''you have no
right to expect and demand free passes
from these railroads. The state pays you
a mileage of 10 cents each way, and you
take this mileage while riding on free
passes. given you by people who do not
give away thousands Of dollars in free
passes for amusement.
M. d. .. rum lAC OO0AlNJ VI
Muscogee, spoke against the bill, who said
he knew of no corrL 9tion in this or any
other legislature, arising from the ac-
ceptance of free passes from the rail-
roads. He said that 1t had grown to be
a custom for the railroads in Georgia to
send free passes to the members of the
legislature .N
Mr.. Moses, of Coweta, said the house
was taking up too much of its time dis
cussing measures of convenience of MEM
bers of the house.
Mr.. Moses spoke eloquently for the de-
feat of the BILL saying that he resented
the idea that the legislators could not vote
honestly because he had accepted free
pass.
Mr.. Steed, of Taylor, said it was a sad
hour in the history of Georgia, with her
long list of famous men and noble women,
when II was necessary to pass a bill to
prevent the corruption of the governor,
the statehouse officials, judges of the
supreme court and the judges and law
makers of this state.
Mr.. Wellborn, of Union, called for the
previous question on the bill and its
amendments, and the call was sustained
by vote of "a to go.
The chairman of the general judiciary
committee, to which had been referred
the bill, Mr. Slaton. of Fulton, designated
Mr.. Hall as the last speaker Mr.. Hall
being given % minutes to conclude the
argument.
Mr.. Hall said he would not have made a
speech had it not been for the forced ar
guments of its opponents.
"Our people are losing confidence in
their courts, and they are losing conf
dence in their Legislators. Why, gentlemen
of the house, high official of one of the
greatest railroads i'm the south stated
publicly that railroads in Georgia had no
greater privilege than the privilege of
sending free passes to the members of
the house and various public officials"
Mr.. Hall read the oath of office of the
legislators and asked II the defeat of the
bill would be fulfilling the oath.
Mr.. Hall yielded eight minutes of his
time to Mr.. Tignor of Muscogee, who al
so spoke eloQuently for the passage of the
no free pass bill. He said that the time
had come in Georgia when the legislature
should give recognition to the. growing
sentiment in this state that public officers
must be placed above suspicion. Mr.. Tig-
nors speech was one of the strongest of
the entire debate.
E resolution to have all fines paid for
violation of this bill paid to the county
school commissioner, in the county in
which the case was tried was killed by
the house by a. narrow majority.
The words street railroads were add
occurred in the caption of the bill
The house agreed to the report of the
committee, as amended, and the ayes and
nays were called on the passage of the
bill.
The bill was killed, the vote being 70 to
s. The vote was as follows: $3.50
Ayes-Adams. Akin. Almond, Beau
champ, Bell of Emanuel. Boykin, Brown,
Buchannon, Gambler, Conner Cook, Davis,
Deal, Duggan. Edwards, English, Fielder.
Fields, Flanagan, Flynt, Foster of Oconee,
Gaulden, Glenn, Grice, Hall. Hardman.
Hayes, Hendry. Hixon of Carol, Hixon
of Sumter, Holder, Houston, Howell.
Hutchinson. Jones of Dougherty, Kelly,
Knight, Lawrence, Little Lowe, Martin,
Mayson. Mills, Mitcham, Mitchell McHen-
~. owen, Overstreet, OQuinn, Paulk of
Irwin, Redwine,. Rice. Richardson, Rogers
of Hall, Roper, Rountree. Shackelford,
Slaton. Stanford, Steed of Carroll. Thomp-
son, Thurman. Tigner. Underwood, Walk
er Of Monroe, Walker Of Pierce. Wise,
Womble, Wooten.
Nays-Alexander. Afford, Ayres. Baldwin,
Blackburn. Bowen, Brock, Bruce, Bur-
ton. Bush. Butts, Calvin. Cam, Carr. Car
rington, Cliatt Cromartie. .Crumbly, Dawes
Dawson, Dozier, Duckett, Dunbar, Ennis,
Evans. Franklin. Russell. George, Gre
made. Griffin, Harden, Halves, Henry,
Howard, of Baldwin; Johnson, of Clinch;
Jones, of Crawford; Jones, of Pickens;
Kilburn, Lanier, Miller of Muscogee;
III