The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1904-06-25
HOUSE DECLINES
To CUT PENSIONS
=
Bill to Reduce Georgia
Pension Roll Was
Defeated
KNOCKED OUT IN THE HOUSE
Object Was to Withdraw Pensions
From Those Worth $1,000 and
over-state Reformatory is
Wanted.

Atlanta, June Sentiment and
business met in conflict on the floor
Iof the house of representatives yester.
day when the proposition to cut off
from pensions such confederate sol
diers as own $1,000 worth of property
or have an income of more than 5000
annually came up for final considera-
Lion in the shape of bill by Mr.
Wellborn, OF Union.
Is Sentiment carried the day after
quite warm discussion, for the house
disagreed to the favorable report Of
Che committee by vote of 81 to as
and the bill was lost, The house thus
refused to so on record as cutting off
the pension Of any worthy confederate
veteran because he had accumulated
alittle property.
Mr. Wellborn's bill as it originally
stood prohibited any veteran who own.
ed $1,000 or more of properly, or had
an income Of more tAan $500 from
drawing a pension The committee
offered au amendment making it applv
also to any veteran whose wife had
similar property or income, aud this
was adopted by the house by a vote OF
52to a. The bin came from the com
eittee on pensions with Favorable
report, and later In The discussion am
other amendment was adopted making
the amount OF property $4,000 instead
OF $1,000.
This was the first bill on the caIen-
dar for tbird reading, and wnen it
came up Mr.. Han, Of Bibb, spoke EN-
phatically against IT, urgipg that no
legislation should be passed which
would deprive any confederate soldier
who had lost an arm or a leg in the
defense Of his country from receiving
the little pittance which the state
allowed him.
Il nope to God the house will dis.
agree to the favorable report OF the
committee and Kill the bill, said Mr.
Hall amidst loud applause.
Mr.. Wellborn, Of Union, author Of
the bill, called attention to two cases
in his county. One veteran worth
$4,000 there draws pension, while
another with Il piece Of ground worth
$75 helps to pay taxes TO pay the other
mans pension, but can draw no PEN
sion himself because, being at the foot
Of the roll, there is not enough money
to pay him lie strongly urged the
passage OF the measure.
Il will never vote for any measure
that seeks to take away the pension
IRON a man with an empty sleeve"
declared Nh Rankin, Of Gordon, no
matter what he has or what he earns. y
Mr.. Rankin made a strong argument
against the bill.
Mr.. Budicll Of ChattahOochee and
Mr.. Fiynt, Of Spalding, spoke strongly
against the bill urging that the time
had not yet arrived to cut any one
off the pension rolls
Mr.. Evans, Of Washington, declared
that INDECENT and worthy pensioners
were now prevented from drawing
pensions simply because pensions
were paid to many who had fortunes
and large incomes, and who should not
be entitled to them He gave several
instances and strongly urged the pas
sage Of the bill.
Mr. Thurman, of Walker, spoke in
favor Of the bill. but said he believed
constitutional amendment to be sub
mitted to the people would be neces
sary before such legislation could
be enacted.
The amendment by Mr. Daniel ol
Emanuel. to make the income limit
$500 instead Of $500 was lost, but the
amendment by Mr. Wellborn MAKING
the amount Of property necessary t.
cut off pension $1,000 instead ol
$1,000 was adopted by vote OF 81 t.
50. The aye and nay vote was then
called on the question Of agreeing OF
disagreeing to the favorable report
Of the committee, with the result that
The report was dsagdee 10 by vote
of 81 to As and the bill was lost
Privileges of the Floor.
There was a brief discussion over
ihe feature Of the journal stating The
passage Of a resolution admitting t.
the privileges Of the floor those nom
mated for membership in the legFsa
ture in the recent primary. Mr. Hal
of Bibb, called attention to the fac
that no one who was not entitled tC
the privileges Of the floor under tn,