The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-10
MUCH WORK AHEAD
AZURE WILL BE BUSY DUR
ING NEXT THREE DAYS.
TWO IMPORTANT MATTERS.
co~v1Cr BILL AND REPORT OF IN
yEsTIGATING COMMITTEE.

Of. TO-day-RepOrt on Lobbying
Chorces to Be Made Not Later
rhnn Tuesday Judge BIecI1Iey
Mox Address the House on Court
ot Appeals BilI-Sennte May
Amend Convict Bill Passed by
uouse-ConstitutiOn Amend
,snts Must BE Considered at This
Session.
Atlanta, Aug. 9.-The three remain
,,e DAYS of the legislative session
Ill no doubt be hard working days,
the main matters of interest being the
settIement of the convict question and
the report Of the Lobby Investigating
Committee.
The House has passed the last bill
ORIGINATING in that body that can go
through the Senate at the present ses-
sion. and it has now only to deal with
Senate bills, measures from the upper
house which have been piling up, and
70 which, up to the present time, the
House has given no attention.
II is usually the way that action on
Senate bills is postponed until the last
a full calendar, and this year there
have been more House bills than have
ever appeared before within the recol-
lection of any one of those connected
with the former Legislature. The re-
suit is Senate bills have had to walt,
and there has been no little complaint
from members of the upper house on
tycri0
with a rush during the next three days,
since there is nothing now to inter
tere with them.
constitutional Amendments.
Among the Senate measures are sew
eral important constitutional amend
ments, which. if they are to be sub
mitted to the people at the next cleo
ton, must be passed at this session
in order to be advertised the requisite
length of time.
one of these is the bill limiting the
tax rate to five mills. which will prob
ably be considered as a special order
tomorrow. Both bodies originally
passed a bill of this kind by Mr. Tigner
Of MusCogee, but ii was returned by
the Governor for the correction of
what was considered an error. Mr..
1gner did not consider there was any
error in his bill, but in the interests OF
time welcomed the passage of the Sen
ate bill in order that legislatio might
be had en- this subject at the present
session.
Il is quite certain the House will
amend the bill so as to limit the tax
rate to five mills for all purposes. in
Guiding the sinking fund.- which is not
included in that amount in the Senate
ISL.
Court of Appeals.
Another important constitutional
amendment bill which has passed the
Senate is that providing for court
OF appeals consisting of five judges.
This has been known as a measure for
the relief of the Supreme Court but a
member of the House designated 1t the
other day "A bill for the relief of the
people of Georgia"
A resolution has been offered looking
to inviting former Chief Justice Lo-
gan e. Bleckley to address the House
relative to this bill, occupying the
time allotted to the chairman of the
committee making the favorable re-
port. II is probable this resolution
will be passed. to-day.
Another interesting Senate bill is
that increasing the salaries of judges
Of the Supreme Court to $4,000 and
of judges of the Superior courts to 3d.
600 a year. This measure has re-
ceived a favorable report from the
General Judiciary Committee of the
House, and there is strong probability
of its passage.
The Convict Question,
The convict question is proving itself
of more than ordinary interest for
more reasons than one. 1t has formed
of diSOuCciop in tho lohhxy
vestigation and the subject of no end
OF personal privilege speeches on the
floor of the House.
The convict bill will be the special
order in the Senate tomorrow, and
before that body is through with this
measure 1t is going to furnish some
interesting work for conference COM
nlteees. The Senate. 1t is understood,
Is determined to amend the measure
materially, the amendment proposed
oelng provision giving any county
IN the state the option of working on
the roads its felony convicts whose
terms are five years and under, in lieu
OF receiving its pro rata share of the
public school fund arising from the
hlre OF convicts to other parties.
The Gambler compromise, which came
so near passing the Houses made the
maximum term of convicts which the
counties might use, ten instead of five
years, but the advocates of this meas
ure VIII be willing to accept the shorter
term as compromise. They say their
ooJect is to get an entering wedge
under the lease system with a view
OF nnally getting rid of it.
II may be, too. the advocates of the
present lease system will give in to
.ills extent. or a sufficient number of
mem at least to enable such an
1,Hendmeht to pass the House without
TIIIHlculty. The measure that passed the
house requires any county desiring
sHort term convicts to pay 1920 a year
tor thern. and that appears to be The
most Objectionable feature to those who
opposed the bill.
Trouble Not Anticipated.
The Conference Committees may be
aI.e 10 get together on this measure
H%nnout difficulty, or they may lock
io'hs, though a serious disagreement
not anticipated There are many
iI,einoers who will feel that the Leg
t,a"ture mas done the biggest part of
~ Work when this question is out OF
The Lobby investigation.
me report of the committee, which
into Ueen conducting the investigation
no. the lobbying charges, will be made
IT, Iater than Tuesday, the time hav-
ne peen extended until then though
committee may be heard from to-
booo"' The last witness has been
STU, ana the committee is now con-
nrsr,s the evidence In secret session,