The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-05
HOUSE WASTES TIME.
.,,,,p STEERING COMMITTEE CUES
rION AND SPECIAL ORDERS.
NO AMENDMENT WANTED.
ooVvICr BILL NOT TO GO TO PENI-
TERTIARY COMMITrEE.

Agreed 1t should Take This Course
INIT Opponents of Lease System
u,ocIxed the PIan-Uniform Text
pooIs Bill Leads to Discussion.
pu1 Passed Regarding Additional
Qualifications for JurOrs-ROster
en- He Made of Georgia Soldiers
o,d sailors Who Took Part in
Civil War.
Atlanta. Aug. 4.-The House wasted
,rotber hour and a half to-day debat-
ma the question of appointing steer
inc committee and fixing special or
doris with the final result that the
steering committee proposition was
oyain turned down, and the only two
snacial orders fixed were the resolution
authorizing the Governor to borrow not
exceeding 100000 to supply casual de-
6ciencies. This was passed at this aft
ernoon's session, it being a necessary
niece of legislation. The other order
was the hog" bill by Mr.. Yates of Ca
toosa, which is designed to prevent
hogs from running at large, in the event
that people of any county vote to pre-
vent it. This latter measure was fixed
as the special order for tomorrow, fol-
lowing the convict bill.
The House refused by vote of 81 to
"A to recommit the convict bill to the
Penitentiary Committee for the purpose
Of having it amended. 1t seems there
was an agreement that the matter
should take this course, but the oppon-
ents of the lease system voted against
it, This was a good test vote, showing
little change in the attitude Of the
members of the House, and indicating a
possible failure of any bill relating to
the convicts to get through. The bill
comes up as the special order to-mor-
row, the previous question to be called
at 10 o'clock.
Criticisms OF Minority Report.
Mr. Wilson of Clay, on a question
of personal privilege, denied a state
ment which he said he heard had been
made on the floor of the House a few
days ago by the gentleman from
Lowndes, Mr.. West. 1t had been re-
ported that Mr.. West said a book con-
Germ prepared the minority report on
the uniform text book bill. Mr.. Will
son said that was incorrect, as the
report had been prepared by Mr.
Adams of Putnam. Further he declared
that more book concerns were favor
ing the. uniform text book bill than
were opposed to it.
Mr.. West said his statement had
been misunderstood. What he said
was that the statement prepared by
the county school superintendent
against the bill and the minority re-
ports were very similar documents.
They showed evidence of having been
prepared by the same authors, he
said.
The House passed the bill by Mr..
Saton of Fulton abolishing insanity
trials in certain cases This bill is
designed to prohibit a plea of insan-
ity al the time of the commission of
a crime and a trial theron, after a
person has been convited of a capital
offense and sentenced. Subsequent in
sanity may still be Investigated under
certain conditions.
Bill Affecting Jurors.
The House also passed the bill by
Mr.. Booth of Walton, prescribing ad-
ditional qualifications for jurors. This
bill provides that no person shall serve
as petit juror for two successive
terms of court.
An interesting bill passed by the
house was DIV MT. GdISWGll Oh w
son. appropriating $4,000 for the pur-
pose of paying the expenses of pre-
pairing a roster of the soldiers and
sailors from Georgia who took part in
the Civil War The records at present
ar every incomplete. Such a roster
is needed particularly for reference in
the pension department where 1T is
thought it will put an end to good
deal of fraud in pension claims. For
mer Governor, Gambler, is now at work
getting up this roster, but no money
has ever been appropriated to pay the
expenses of it, and very little progress
has been made. The vote on the meas
ure was 124 to 8.
The House this afternoon defeated,
by a vote of Is to 50, the bill, by Mr..
Hall Of Bibb, to repeal Section 1881 OF
the Code, so as to "Restore the right
Of trial by jury" This section permits
judges in certain cases to direct YER
diets.
Waved Confederate Flag.
There was a warm debate on the
measure, Mr.. Hall at one time waiv-
ing aloft Confederate flag, which had
been placed in his hands, and appeall-
ing for a restoration of the rights and
liberties of the people. He declared
the present law gave judges too much
power. He will move to reconsider
The Senate spent most of the day in
debating the constitutionality of bill
by Mr.. Rainey of Terrell, to create a
special school district in his county
with the rule that it was finally re-
committed to the committee on con-
sututional amendments.
100000 for st. Louis Fair.
The House resolution appropriating
money for a state exhibit at the St.
Louis exhibition was made the special
order for tomorrow. The Senate Com
Inittee reduced the amount from $780,
wy to 100000 and reported it favor