The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-27
MORE MONEY FOR
THE GOVERNOR
SALARY WAS JUMPED $4,000.
THE LEGISLATURE KIND TO GEOR-
GAS CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

Honor and $4,000 Year Will Not
Buy Bread and Keep $4,000
Mansion Going-Hard Fight Made
by Those Opposed TO Measure.
Rotation system for Judges Is no
GO-BIue Ridge Circuit Bobs Up
Once More.
Atlanta, July 26.-The House to-day
passed by a vote of liz to rs, the bill
tc increase the Governors salary from
$4,000 to $4,000.
a vigorous fight against the meas
ure was made by those opposing it,
but they We're defeated at every point.
Bills providing for an increase of sal
airy of public officials require a two
thirds vote of both houses of the Gen
eral Assembly under the constitution.
There was question involved as to
whether this meant two~thirds of all
the members elected to both houses. or
simply two-thirds of those voting.
provided the measure received a con-
stitutional majority. The constitution
requires that all bills providing for
constitutional amendments shall re-
ceiVe two-thirds of the votes of all.
The requirement with regard to salary
bills is that they shall be passed by
two-third vote of both houses, and it
says nothing about two-thirds of those
elected to either house.
Governor Poorly Paia.
Speaker Morris took the latter view
of the matter, and held that the bill
was passed il it received two-thirds of
the votes of all those voting, providing
such two-thirds should be constitu-
tional majority. He presented many
decisions in support of his attitude.
Mr.. Slaton OF Fulton made a strong
speech in favor of the passage of the
bill, presenting figures showing that
states with tar less population and
taxable wealth than Georgia pay their
Governors from $4,000 to $500. Mr..
Knight of Berrien offered an amend
ment making the amount $4,000, and
Mr.. Daniel of Emanuel wanted to make
it $4,000.
Mr.. Hall of Bibb, who was chairman
of the Legislative Investigating Com
mittee, in lrging the passage of the
BILL told of some things, the committee
had noted when it visited the executive
mansion.
Did the gentleman have any per-
sonal interest in making that inVesti-
CATION" asked Mr.. Fielder of Bib.
Money for Something to Eat.
1T was made by direction of the
legislature replied Mr.. Hall, but if
by any good fortune I should ever be
there l want money enough to buy
the gentleman something to eat when
he comes to see me-"
The state, he said, put the Governor
in $4,000 house and it was its duty
to give him money enough to take care
Of it, Mr.. Rankin of Gordon said he
was willing to increase the Governors
salary but thought $4,000 too much. He
favored $4,000. Mr.. Knight of Berren
also opposed the bill. Both the amend
ments We're lost and the vote was taxi
en- on the bill as it stood providing for
a $1,000 salary.
Before the result was announced
Speaker Morris had read by the clerk
his opinion with regard to the vote.
He then declared it passed by the vote
stated.
( Mr.. Knight gave notice of a motion
to reconsider.
Rotation system Dead Issue.
Rotation of Superior Court judges is
dead issue, so far as the present
General Assembly is concerned. The
debate, the temper of the House in
voting on the amendments, and the
nature of the vote on each, all indi-
Gated. that there would be no show for
the measure if it was put on its pass
age.
Confronted by this situation Speaker
Morris, one of the strongest cham
pions of the measure, seeing it was de-
feated, moved that it be tabled for the
remainder of the session. This motion
was adopted to-day after three
hours debate, and thus was the mat
ter set aside.
An interesting feature of the situa-
ton was that the House adopted two
amendments including the Atlanta and
Eastern circuits in the rotation proyi-
sion, but defeated other amendments
The object of which was to carry out
the terms of those already adopted.
During the debate the situation in the
Blue Ridge circuit was several times
commented upon, and Speaker Morris
had some interesting things to say
DR.. Kelly of Glascock offered an
amendment making the numbere OF
judicial divisions six instead of four.
putting four judicial circuits into each
division. This amendment was de-
feated along with others.
Blue Ridge Circuit Again,
During his argument COR the bill
Speaker Morris, in urging that the
people of the Blue Ridge Circuit want
ed the law, said:
Il am frank to say the condition of
affairs in the Blue Ridge Circuit is
such that this measure ought to be-
come law. If had received the nom
nation for judge of that Circuit, II
n011Id bava hapn clad for Won fo a lro
me away from those surroundings, and
put me in Il pure atmosphere where
there would be no one to serve, no one
to embarrass me by requests which