The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-22
STILL ON CONVICTS
QUESTION THE HOUSE FINDS HARD
TO SETTLE.
MORE SUBSTITUTES OFFERED
TO THE BILL PROPOSED BY MIR.
FIELDER.

the States Convicts Was Heard.
Effort Made to Limit Duration of
Speeches and the Consideration
of the Subject, but 1t FafIed-TO-
day Legislators Are Again TO
WrestIc With It--Cann's BILLS for
the Recorders Court.
Atlanta. July 21.-The House of Rep
resentatives is still talking convicts.
The debate on the Fielder bill and all
the various substitutes and amend
ments continued almost during the en-
tire session to-day. the House being
in Committee of the Whole.
Effort was made to limit further
speeches 20 five minutes each and to
put time limit on the whole debate,
but the resolution was ruled out on
points of order Another effort will be
made to the same end Tomorrow, 1t
! having been decided to continue the
! discussion at that time Immediately
after the reading of the journal
Two more substitutes for the Fielder
bill were introduced in the House to-
day. one by Mr.. Fields of Dooly pro-
Viding for leasing convicts to any
county that wants them for road pur-
poses, and another by Mr.. Rankin of
Gordon, providing for an apportion-
ment of convicts to counties in ac-
| cordanee with the road mileage All
or these substitutes and several amend
ments offered look to the prohibition
in the future of the sub-letting of con-
| victs.
''Mr. Shackleford of Clarke in speak
/ behalf 10 ma
there was now convict lessee in At
lanta who was making more money out
| OF the convicts than was the state.
II Mr.. English will do for Georgia
what he has done for himself" Mr..
Shackleford said. "he Will make us one
OF the best prison commissioners we
| ever had"
Mr. Shackleford declared that the
Spanish war had little to do with the
price paid for the conVicts at the time
the lease was made. The reason the
state got no more for them, he said,
was because of the existence Of a Con
vict trust" He considers that trust is
in existence to-day, and that Georgia
will be in the same position unless She
puts minimum limit on the price to
be demanded for the labor of the con-
victs.
The substitute by Mr. Shackeford
and Mr.. Holder Of jackson proposes to
fix the minimum price for the conyicts
at $3.50 per annum. The state at pres
ent receives about 500 each for them.
Outside of the foregoing, little that
is new was brought out in the argu-
ment, but 1t proved >the fact that the
sentiment Is strong in the House in ia
yor OF beginning system Of putting
the conVicts on the roads
For Afternoon Sessions.
Several resolutions were introduced,
looking to holding afternoon sessions,
| beginning Monday. They were tabled
by the Committee on Rules for the
present. The committee, however, re-
ported a resolution fixing the resolution
by Mr.. Dunbar of Richmond to appro-
pirate $4,000 for an exhibit at the ST.
Louis Exposition, as the special order
for next Thursday morning. The
House will pass on this report to-mor-
row.
Savannah Police Court.
A number Of local bills were intro
duced, among them two by Mr.. Cam
of Chatham, proposing to increase the
powers of the Recorders Court In Sa-
vannah. One of these bills proposes to
! give the Recorders Court power TO
punish for contempt. and the other the
power to send certain prisoners to the
county changing.
Defeated House Bills.
The Senate to-day treated adversely
! two bills pertaining to the educational
| system of the state. which recently
passed the House.
One of these was the bill by Messrs
| Steed and Hixson of Carroll providing
for election of county school commits
sioners by direct vote of the people.
| The Senate first defeated an amend
ment by Senator Hopkins, providing
that the bin should not go into effect
| in any county until recommended by
two successive grand juries. The Sem
ate expressed itself as opposed to shift
ing any legislative responsibilities 10
grand jureis. The bin was defeated
on final vote by 10 to q.
Strong opposition manifested itself
to the bill by Messrs. Hardeman of
Jackson and Shackelford of Clarke,
providing for the teaching of elemen-
| tary agriculture and the elements of
civil government in the common schools.
| Special opposition appeared to the fea-
ture requiring teachers to stand exam
nations on these subjects. The bill
was finally tabled by a vote of rs to 4.
To Change Rights of Way.
The Senate passed the bill by sena-
tor Van Buren,. giving railroads the
necessary authority TO condemn land
to straighten out their lines when they
desired to do so. The amendment was
incorporated in the bill providing that
in the Strengthening out process no
town on the present lines should be
left out.
Public school Fund.
The Senate also passed the bill by
Senator Lewis to secure to the several
counties of the state the portion of the
public school fund to which they are
entitled This bill is designed to give
the counties all the public school mon
ey that is coming to Them even when
1t is not drawn out of the treasury
within the time specified
New Bills Introduced.
Senator Gomas introduced
| bill providing that all county
school commissioners should be
full graduates of some uni
versity or college of liberal arts, and
shall have been engaged in teaching
not less than five years prior to their
election as such.
| Senator Comas also introduced bill
providing for the establishment of
dispensary at Jesup, in Wayne county.
To Examine Books.
The Senate passed by substitute the
resolution of Mr.. Hall of Bibb. provid-
| ing for an examination of the books
| of the various public institutions Of
| the state. The resolution provides for
the appointment by the Governor of an
expert accountant. who shall examine
into all the books of the various pub
lie institutions and make report to the
J Governor.