The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-02-24
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

elected speaker pro tenn. by acclama1
ton.
Mr. Cowley offered resolutions.
which were adopted on the death OF
Hon. w. B, Walker, a senator from
Monroe county.
A minority report was submitted
on H. B. 40, relating to the exercise
of the right of eminent domain from
members Of the judiciary committee.
The report opposes the granting OF
eminent domain rights to street rail-
ways
s. B. 205-Authorizing the Missis-
sippi levee board to issue one million
dollars in bonds was called up by Mr..
Miller of Sharkey
The bill was read third time and
passed by vote Of all present. By
unanimous consent the bill was re-
turned Immediately to the senate for
concurrence in amendment.
Mr.. Stennis, chairman Of the ways
and means committee, called up the
new privilege tax bill and explained
that this is the first entire measure
of the kind that has been offered since
| 1896.
The bill was taken up for adoption
section by section.
TE1iRTY-THIRD DAY.
Owing to the absence of many mem.
bers who are attending the funeral
of Senator Walker very little business
of importance was transacted in the
senate today.
The McLaurin District Court bill,
| which seeks to divide the State into
| forty-five District Court districts, each
\ hVy rJh hoI
draw salary of SIS per month, which
was the special order for the day, was
| continued until next Monday at 3
o'clock. This bill has attracted con-
| siderable attention on account of the
large amount of patronage it creates,
the district judges to be appointed by
the governor aid holding until the
regular election il November 1t
have concurrent jurisdiction with JUS
tees courts, power to try damage
suits and civil actions where not over
| $500 is involved, and concurrent juris-
| diction with Chancery Courts in di-
vorce cases.
The house spent a greater portion
of its session considering the privilege
| tax bill. The house spent the entire
4 uIoCuSSluS the Ulll
The governor signed the house bills
changing Office hours of State officials.
creating the new county of Lamar and
several local and private measures.
| A substitute offered by Senator Nc
Laurin of the Twentieth for S. B. 241,
| to amend the act to Incorporate the
/ levee board of the counties of Bolivar,
Washington and Issaquena. Same was
4 nvzI ~ rh1ki tzl
Senator Bloomfield asked unanimous
| consent to call Np S. B. 1873, to au-
thorize the NJ, J. & K. c. railroad to
remove the draw bridge from Pasca-
, goula river in Green county and re-
place same by fixed span bridge, and
! same was granted. The bill was read
a third time and passed.
Senator Moore of the Twenty-eighth
introduced a resolution indorsing the
bill introduced in congress by Con-
gresham Brownlow of Tennessee
looking toward the national govern
ment cooperating with the State gov
eminent in building roads and same
was read and adopted.
Bills were passed as follows: Pay
ing l.. Brame $3.50 for services as
counsel il Phil A. Rush trial.
To authorize immediate payment OF
wages of deceased employees when not
exceeding $3.50 per month; to enable
guardians to NOR gage property of
minors: providing compensation for
retiring lieutenan-eoverhor; exempt
ing directors of manufacturing COM
panies from liabilities in excess of
capital stock; appropriating $4,000 for
repairs in governors mansion; to pro.
40 - fov Dol
war county.
In the house Mr.. Foster of Warren
offered a resolution directing the at
| torney-general to institute proceed
ilgs to set aside the merger of the
Mobile G. Ohio and Southern Rail-
ways, declaring same to be yiolatiye
of the constitutional provision against
the consolidation of parallel and COM
peting lines. The resolution is quite
lengthy, giving in detail the history Of
/ the merger and citing the law bearing
on the subject. The resolution fur
Their declares that laws should be en-
acted forever forbidding the sale or
transfer of railroada to other lines in
the State. Referred to committee ON
corporations.
The motion of Mr.. East, that the
special OTQSF De displaced anu ln0
house resolve itself into a committee
of the whole to consider the discus
sion of the privilege tax BILL brought
! on quite discussion as to the prefer
ence of the revenue bill over the stock
law bill, each side having earnest ad!
vocates, but the motion of Mr.. East
prevailed
At 1886 the house went into COM
mitttee of the whole, with Mr. Smith
as the chairman of the committee.
Sections 20, 81, %, %, "a, 25, 26, 81
and % were adopted as reported.
| Sections 29 and 80 were adopted with
| very slight variation from the commit
tees report.
COMMENT AND CRITICISM.