The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-14
Leads all North Carolina Daiies i'm Nevold Circulation

| the Attorney General and Secretary of
State would make good Commission
Senator Mann said he had just drawn an
amendment naming these as the Com
mission.
| Senator Brown said he did not want
to rsuh the bill through, and so that it
might be understood he suggested that
the matter be postponed till Tuesday.
Senator Hicks, of Granville, sent
| forward an amendment which pro-
vided that in casce there was
| an application for a parole, thirty
days notice of such be published in the
papers in the county where the trial
| was held. In order that the bill might
| be thoroughly examined it was referred
to the Judiciary Committee and will
| come up Tuesday
WHISTLE AND BELL.
The special order of the day was on the
| whistle and Bell warning bill, pre-
Sented by Senator Justice, this providing
! that not alone shall parties be seen ON
| the track ahead of moving train, Dut
| that they be warned by bell or whistle
| the train not to stop unless it was seen
| the party was helpless or unconscious
| of the approach of the train. There had
| been unfavorable reports on the bill, but
a minority report favoring the bill had
been made by Senators Prtchard, Manu-
and Justice, who urged its passage as It
imposed no additional burdens on the
| railroads.
There was a running fire of questions
and explanations concerning the bill be-
tween Senator's Justice and Webb, the
latter saying he and other Senators did
not understand the bill and wanted to
| consider it.
| The bill was finally set as a special
order for next Wednesday, ait which
| time the bill and an amendment offered
| by Senator Mcmillan will be considered.
| The amendment provides that if any
person or persons shall mischievously
assume a helpless position on the track
| or put thereon an object to stop or in
any way wilfully or maliciously stop the
| train that this shall be misdemeanOr
punishable by a fine of from $40 to $50
and Imprisonment not exceeding thirty
days.
THE SMALL BOYS WIN.
Senator White won out for the small
boys, the spring guns and the cannon
|
| the provision in the Cannon Cracker"
! prohibitive bill where spring guns and
air rifles were prohibited, and it appear
ed that the bill would pass without these
| being in it.
| But here the festive amendment" did
| it's work. Senator after Senator piled
in amendments excepting his county and
other amendments rolled in. A Senator
|
! This was done and with it went the bill
! The story of the victory for the small
| boy began with Senator Whites amend
ment to strike out air or spring guns
! that carved a metallic missile. Senator
| Thayer proposed the bill go into effect
on August first, so that merchants might
get rid of stock On hand and the small
! boy have a big time on the GLORIOUS
Fourth" Senator White plead for the
| boys, saying the bill smacked of pater-
nalism and class legislation, as the well
TO do boys could get Flobert rifles. He
| said he was not an expert on raising
| boys, but he did not think they should
| be deprived of a chance to employ manly
| sports.
| familiar phrase was heard just here
Il move to exempt Allegheny, Ashe and
Watauga," said Senator Wellborn. Sem
ator Webb said he thought the prohibi-
! tion about guns the best part of the bill
| and Senator Brown agreed with him.
| Senator Beasley thought that town or
dinances might regulate the guns, but
| the cannon crackers ought to go.
Senator Travis spoke up for the boys
| and the guns. He said his boy had
| broken a finger with one, but had gotten
| plenty of fun out of it, and he doubted
not that he would be willing to lose
another finger in preference to giving
up the gun He said boys had to have
hair breadth escapes, and when thought
lost would turn up all safe and sound
| Senator Goodwin favored the bill and told
of injuries from air guns and cannon
crackers
Senator Spruill said all the older Sena-
| tors were against the bill, but that he
and the other young Senators were for
| it. Give the boy some chance" he
said Give him a rifle. Why, in a
| little while you will want to put him in
a flannel lined band box with a glass
cover. All you fellows that have talked
have got boys. There is nothing pecu-
| liar in that. I've got a whole raft of
| en-, regular stair steps, and | believe
| in letting them enjoy life Down in
| Columbia five minutes before the can
non cracker explodes there is a yell of
stand from under and all Columbia
tremblcs. Let's have the cannon crack
ers and the guns"
Senator Baldwin wanted time for the
| stores to get rid of stock on hand and
one more big Fourth of July. Senator
| Gillian read an appeal from boy in
which noise and boys and joys happily
rhymed He did not believe in legsla-
ticn concerning the appetites and pleas
ures of people and objected to the bill.
Senator Whites amendment exempting
air guns was adopted as was Senator
| Thayer's to postpone the effect of the
bill to the first of August. Allegheny.
Ashe and Watauga were exempted. Then
the amendments came rushing in. All
over the Senate Chamber members were
busy writing amendments to exempt their
counties. Edgecombe and Johnston pull
ed out. Then came a cry to let out New
Hanover and Brunswick
81 move to lay the amendment on the
table was the motion heard. "That
kills the BILL" said some one. Lets
kill it," said some one else. The amend
ment was tabled by a vote of % to u,