The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-14
AT The SOUTHERN
HALLS BILL AIMS
HOUSE HAS PASSED IT.
ALL RAILROADS IN GEORGIA MUST
HAVE STATE CHARTER

If the Bill Becomes "A Law-The
Southern Is the Only Line Affected
by the BnI-Object Is to Force the
Southern's Litigation Into the
state COurts of Georgia Rather
Than Have 1t Brought in the
United StatesCOurts.
Atlanta. July 13-The House to-day
by vote of 81 to % passed the bill by
Mr.. Hall Of Bibb and others requiring
that all railroads which do business
in Georgia. and which make use Of
valuable franchises of the state, must
secure a charter from the state.
It is said that this bill, while general
in its terms. is aimed primarily at the
Southern Railway as that is claimed
to be the only railroad system in the
state which comes within the provision
of the bill as it is drawn. Should the
bill become law the effect of it would
be to require the Southern to take out
a state charter unless the measure
should be declared unconstitutional by
the courts.
The primary object is, it is said, to
in state courts instead of carrying all
suits against it to the United States
courts
This great corporation" said Mr..
Hall, referring to the Southern Rail
way, controlled by Wall street power,
can make or unmake any man or com
munity in the state of Georgia one
man in Wall street can touch a bell
and destroy any citizen or community
in the state of Georgia.
Have the people of Georgia lost all
their rights shall we remain de-
pendent of Wall street?' Mr.. Hall ask
ed in conclusion.
Mr. Slaton, of Fulton. made the only
speech in opposition to the bill. MI
slaton said he considered there was
an existing evil to be remedied, but
he was sure it could not be done
through the bill of the gentleman from
Bibb. The United States Supreme
Court. he said, had passed on the
question involved, and had held that
such measures were unconstitutional
the bill was retroactive. Mr.. Slaton
said. and no such law could be pass
ed and made to apply to a railroad
that has been here fourteen years.
Judge Akin, of Barlow, said he had
heard the railway attorneys argue this
measure and none of them had quoted
a United States decision against it.
the United States Supreme Court rem
dered its last decision ii was not upon
the exact question pTopounded in this
bill. The bill did not apply to any
particular corporation. Judge Akin
said. and he could not see wherein it
was unconstitutional.
The question is" Judge Akin said,
whether we are a sovereign state or Il
province of a, consolidated empire"
When asked by Mr.. Stovall of Chat
ham if the bill exempted tram roads
and lumber roads. Mr.. Hall of Bibb
said he thought that question had been
disposed of by an amendment which
was proposed by the lumbermen them
selves. But l would vote for this
measure he said. IF every Eramroad
in the state went down with it,"
Water for Soldiers.
All of the members from Chatham
voted against the bill.
The House passed the bill by Mr.
Gambler of DeKalb approprlating $4,000
to lay a water main from the city wa
ter system to the Confederate Soldiers
Home.
Not Over Five Mills.
The House. after some discussion, de-
cided to postpone consideration of the
general tax act until tomorrow and
ordered copies printed for the use of
the members. The only change in the
general tax bill as reported this year
and the act of 1902 is that the tax rate
is reduced in the present bill from s
to 4.7S mills. In other words, the tax
rate this year is to be limited to
mills, including the sinking fund of
p mills, whereas for the last two years
the limit has been 3 mills, plus the
sinking fund.
Criticised Convict Camp.
The report of the Penitentiary Com
mittee criticising the unsanitary con-
dition of the Bibb county convict
camp, which carried with it a request
that the Prison Commission take such
action as is necessary. was unanimously
adopted by the House.
Want Taxes Refunded.
A rather unusual and interesting
measure made its appearance in the
House from Messrs. Rogers and
Thompson of Hall, whose resolution
proposed that, $1.515 taxes paid by the
Gainesville Cotton Mills for the year
1903 he refunded to the company by
the state treasurer, because the mills
were destroyed last year by cyclone.
Must Employ Veterans.
Mr.. Preston of Jasper wants to make
il obligatory upon public officers. state
and county. in securing their employees
TO give preference 10 Confederate
veterans. He introduced a bill which
provides a penalty for failure on the
part of such public officials to employ
a Confederate veteran wherever he can
get one to answer his purpose.
Return Marriage Licenses.
If preachers and justices of the peace
do not make returns of marriage
licenses within thirty days after the
performance of the ceremonies they
will have to pay a fine of $40 should a
p Of
duced to-day. becomes a law.
Mr.. Cam of Chatham to-day intro
duced the following bill by request: To
amend Section 1914 Of the Code relat-
ing to the sale of reversionary inter-
ests in land set apart in dover during