The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-03
BUSY WEEK AHEAD
LEGISLATURE MUST BUCKLE DOWN
TO HARD WORK.
MUCH OF THE TIME WASTED.
MEMBERS COMPLAINING OF THE
HOT WEATHER.

Some OF Those VINO voted Tor sum-
mer Sessions Now Sorry They Did
It-NO Present Prospect of a Solu-
ton of the Convict PrObIem-Five
Mills Tax Limit Apparently For
EOtten-HOuse Has Failed 10 Act
on Bills Sent Over from the Sem
ate.
Atlanta, Aug. 2.-This will be a busy
week with the General Assembly. The
members of the House realize that they
have been wasting a good deal of time
in useless wrangling, and many Of
them express regret'now that more at
tention has not been given to the mat
tiers of important business which should
beAacted on before adjournment.
The Legislature started out well by
passing a bill to amend the constitu-
ton so as to limit the tax rate to S
mills. The bill was defective, and had
to be sent back by the Governor, and
another one passed. The second bill
passed the Senate several weeks ago,
but has never been reported to the
House. 1t begips to look as If the
measure had been forgotten.
Some of the committees have worked
diligently, but on others the attendance
been found impossible to secure a quo
rum. Members of the House partic-
ularly are putting forward the hot
weather reason for the general disin-
clination to work, and some of those
who voted for the summer sessions bill
are regretting on this account that
they did so.
Two Sessions Day.
This week, however, the House Will
hold two sessions a day. and probably
there will be one or two night ses-
sions. The House has done practically
nothing with Senate bills UP to the
present time, and the members of the
upper house are criticising the man
ner in which their measures are being
treated. This is always the way of it,
however, the House deferring action
on the Senate bills until a time when
it is impossible to get through any
more House bills with margin enough
for them to pass the Senate. Some OF
the afternoon sessions this week will
be given up to Senate bills, and the
| House will try to make good" with
| the other body.
The convict question is still in most
unsettled state, with the indications
that a compromise is entirely out OF
the question. That is to say the ardent
advocates OF the present system and
those who desire to put all or a part
of the convicts on the public roads.
will never get together. 1t is now a
question only. of which faction in the
House can develop the greatest
strength, another test of which will
be made on Tuesday morning. There
is little doubt that the House will con-
sent to let the matter come up at that
time, since it is provided that there
shall be no debate beyond Nhe first
hour of the session.
Will Offer Substitutes.
The Clements bill, which has al
ready passed the Senate, will come up
at that time. This bill provides mere
ly for a continuation of the present
lease system. To the Clements bill
will be offered the Gambler compro-
mise and the Holders hackelford bill
as substitutes. The terms of these
measures are familiar to those who
have maintained an interest in the
convict question. The former provides
that any county may have the option
of working its felony conVicts on the
roads, where the terms of such con-
victs are ten years and under. The
latter provides for a distribution of
felony convicts to counties for work
on the roads in accordance with pop
ulation, and in lieu of the pro rata of
school fund from convict hire, where
any county may desire it, This bill
provides also that the Prison Com
mission shall have absolute supervision
and control over all the felony con-
victs as at present. The members of
the Prison Commission and Gov. Ter
rell are said to favor such a bill as
this, and the chances of some such
modified measure passing the House,
appears to be considerably brighter
than II has been before. Nevertheless
the strong supporters of the present
system, with the entire fund going
to the common schools. are still firm
in the expressed belief that there will
be no change in the plan.
If Action Is Not Taken.
Whatever bill is passed, If 1t is not
the Clements bill, will be a substitute
for it, and one that the Senate can act
upon promptly and without reference
to any committee.
Despite the indications that a, vote
will be had in the House on Tuesday.
there are those who continue to pre-
dict that the last night of the session
will see both branches of the Legisla-
ture wrestling with the convict prob
lem.
Should the Legislature adjourn sine
die without taking any action on this
question, three courses are open to the
Governor and the Prison Commission.
who would have to take some action
with regard to the convicts after the
expiration Of the present lease con-
tracts. The Governor could call an
extra session of the Legislature, but
If it could not settle the question
within fifty days, there would be Just
about as much chance of reaching a
settlement in fifty more. Another
plan would be to let the convicts go
one-and the third would be to con-
tinue temporarily the present lease
plan for another year until the mem
bers could deliberate over it at home.
and come back for another session. II
is to be hoped, however, that the Leg
islature will not leave it ''up to" the
Governor.
There are many other important
measures before the House, including
many bills of a departmental nature,
some of them providing for much need
ed appropriations others looking to the
correction of errors IN laws passed at
the last session. Some of these cor
rections are intended to remove unjust
burdens of taxation. Other bills pro-
pose certain reforms, made necessary
by progress and increased business.
The indications are that the majority
of these will have TO go over until the
next session. The House has refused
TO hear 20 the proposition to appoint