The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-17
.FORTY-THREE BILLS
PASSED. THE HOUSE
"YouthfuI Criminal Bill" In
troduced Again.
NEEDSOFA. & NJ. COLLEGE
Amendments 10 Watts Bill Providing fer Elec'
lions in Towns---To Make Minimum
Imprisonment for Arson Two
Years.

A big hole was made in the House
Calendar yesterday.
Bills were passed with the greatest
rapidity and business like dispatch, and
| when it was all over it was found that
no less than forty-three bills had been
passed on their final reading, to say moth
| ing of numerous roll call bills on second
reading.
And now today comes the tug war,
| the liquor bill
No bill of any general State import
ance was passed, but several of far
reaching significance were introduced.
One of these was by Mr.. Smith, en-
titled an act for the correction of youth
| full criminals. 1t is practically the same
| bill that passed the House two years ago,
and got lost in the Senate during the
closing days. 1t provides that whenever
any person under seventeen years shall
be convicted of any crime the punish
ment for which is now Imprisonment in
| the county Jail or States prison or hard
| labor on the roads or farm, the mayor
| justice of the peace Or judge may, i'll
his discretion permit the parent or
guardian to assume custody OF any such
person under the promise of administer
| ing such parental correction as the cir
cumstances of the case may justify, and
when the parent shall become RESPONSE
| lie for the good behavior of the prison.
| er, judgment may be suspended. There
| is a provision that the act shall not ap-
| ply to persons convicted of any capital
felony.
When no parent or guardian will as
sumo the custody of the prisoner, the
! judge may order BIN to be bound out as
an apprentice untii ne Is twenty-one
years of age, the clerk of the court to be
the officer to bind out the prisoner.
Another bill by Mr. Smith amends sec
tion $685. of the Code as regards punish
ment for the crime of arson. 1t makes
the law clearer, and moreover puts the
minimum term of Imprisonment at two
years instead of five. Heretofore the
| term was fixed at from five to twenty
years, and many juries acquitted prison
ers rather than impose so severe pen
atty as five years.
A bill introduced by Mr. Drewry for
the equipment and maintenance OF the
A. and NJ. College appropriates $50 800
for maintenance, and $25 900 for the COM
pletion and furnishing of the two new
buildings and the starting of the textile
work. The total additional appropria-
| ton is only SIS, 900. When the college
had only 250 students it received S17, SEQ
for maintenance. Now it has over 500
students
THE DAY IN DETAIL.
At ten o'clock Speaker Gattis called
the House to order. and Rev. w. c.
Tyree, pastor of the First Baptist church.
this city, made the opening prayer.
PETITIONS.
Willis From Bladen for temperance
legislation.
For repeal of stock law.
Hamlin: From Madison for London
bill.
Thomas: From Ashe for temperance
legislation.
Wooten: From LenOir, Moseley Hall
and Institute townships. to allow stock
to run at large from November 18th to
February 1st.
Williams: From Union for temperance
legislation.
BILLS INTRODUCED.
Dockery, of Richmond: To regulate the
sale and manufacture of whiskey in
Richmond county.
Smith, of Gates: To amend section
9S5 of The Code, relating to the crime Of
arson
Davidson, of Buncombe: To amend an
act to operate the Clarence Buncombe
Memorial Hospital and Dispensary.
Davidson: To amend chapter 667, Laws
OF 1889, relative to the number of
volumes of Supreme Court Reports in
the Supreme Court Library.
Davidson: To amend section 1892 Of The
Code relative to the number of Private
Law reports in the Supreme Court Lii
bcary.
Britton, Of BERTHE: To appoint c. ].
Morris a Justice of the Peace in Bertie
county.
Wooten, of Lenoir: To fix fees of jurors
in Lenoir county.
Wooten: To appoint magistrates for
Lenoir county.
Willis, of Bladen: For relief of Miss
Irene King, a public school teacher of
Bladen county.
Willis: To establish free ferry across
the Cape Fear River at Whitehall,
Bladen county.
Bryan. of Wilkes: For the relief of
Henry Jennings, Confederate soldier
OF Wilkes county.
West. of Cherokee: For the protection
of birds in Cherokee county.
West: To provide for compulsory at
tendance on public schools in Cherokee
county.
Whitaker, of Wake: For the relief of
A. D. Hill, an ex-Confederate soldier.
Love, of CASTOR: To authorize the Gov