The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-04-02
Bills Overlooked.


The following are the senate bills
overlooked and not presented to the
governor until after adjournment:
An act to provide for the appoint
ment OF an assistant to the State IL
brarian.
An act to provide for the distribu-
ton of the State common school fund
to the various counties and separate
school districts of the State, and to
provide for the division of the county
common school fund between the sew
eral school districts of county not
included in separate school districts.
An act to declare, make and set
apart the Sd day of June, the birthday
OF Jefferson Davis, as legal holiday
and Confederate Memorial Day in the
State of Mississippi
An act requiring one representative
in the county of Warren to be elected
outside of Vicksburg and municipali-
ties adjacent thereto
An act appropriating the sum of ST..
500 to be used by the governor in his
discretion in paying the expenses of
an investigation of the various State
Institutions, the capitol commission,
the board of control of the State peni-
Tertiary and the levee boards.
There were only two bills from the
house that were not disposed of by
the governor, and they will lay on
his desk until the next session. They
are:
An act to pay C. L. Anderson, of At
tala county, for certain services.
The famous bill making valid the
merger of the Mobile & Ohio with the
Southern railway.
Work of the Code Commission.
The commission appointed by Gov.
Vardaman to prepare new codif1ca-
ton of the laws of Mississippi have
been notified of their selection by the
governor and all signify their willing
ness to undertake the work, which will
be commenced as soon as they can get
hold of the acts passed by the legis-
lature which has just adjourned.
The commissioners are Chief JUS
+ tice A. H. Whitfield of the Supreme
Court, Gen. Thomas c.. Catchings of
Vicksburg and Capt. w. w. Hardy of
Hattiesburg. The bar of the State is
highly pleased with the selections
made, and confidence is felt that
volume will be prepared by these COM
missioners which will completely and
accurately set forth in annotated form
all the laws of the commonwealth.
1t was the purpose of the lower
house when the act was passed pro-
viding for new codification of the
laws that one of the commissioners
should be an attorney well versed in
criminal law. Although neither of the
three attorneys named make spe-
cialty of criminal practice, there is
perhaps not lawyer in the State who
is more thoroughly conversant with
this branch of law than Chief Justice
Whitfield, and his services as commits
sioner will be especially valuable by
reason of the fact that he has been a
member of the supreme bench almost
since the code of 1892 was adopted,
and is, therefore, familiar with all of
the decisions rendered during the past
decade.
1t is estimated that about eighteen
months will be required for the COM
pilation of the code, and when the
work is finished, the volume will be
submitted to the legislative session
two years hence for adoption.
Will Get FOIL AK
State Superintendent of Education
Whitfield disputes the theory advanc-
ed regarding the failure of the gov
ernor to sign the poll tax division bill
that it will prevent the poll tax from
being used as a county school fund
during the next two years.
81 did not think this bill at all nee
essary," said Surt Whitfield last
week, "and it was framed merely to
act as specific guide. The boards of
supervisors have authority under the
existing laws to distribute the poll tax
fund on the basis of educable children,
just as they have always distributed
the general school fund appropriated
by the State.
1.-THE county superintendent are re-
CURED by the represent law to file
with the boards of supervisors the
lists of educable children, and the
boards will merely be required to take
the school funds as whole, including
their pro rata of the State appropria-
ton and the poll taxes collected, and
divide the fund between the country
and separate school districts on this
educable children basis. The state
ment that the poll tax collections will
be tied up in county treasures for the
next two years is incorrect"
Relief Of Indians.
That the work of the Dawes COM
mission to the five civilized tribes in
allotting lands to the Indians in the
Indian Territory is far from satisfac-
tory to the Mississippi Choctaws is
evidenced by the bill introduced in
congress by Hon. Adam Byrd, mem
Der from the Fifth Mississippi dis.
trict, which seeks to relieve those
Choctaws who could not get to the
Indian Territory before the time al
loted by the Dawes commission had
expired.
Congressman Byrd seeks to extend
the time in which to make application
for lands, and it is estimated that if
the measure is passed, about 400 Choc-
taws in Mississippi, living chiefly in
the Fifth district, will be benefited
thereby. The bill also provides that
the children of the full-bloods may
share in thesallotment. Mr.. Byrd hopes
to get the bill through before the adj
journment of the present session, and
thus far no opposition has developed
to the measure.
Hallstorm at Gunnison.
The heaviest hailstorm for twenty
years ragged at Gunnison last week
for an hour and considerable damage
is reported.
Only 100000 in the Treasury.
Tho vaults of fhn Cfafa