The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-03-03
Mississippi Legislature
HOUSE.

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of the Ethridge railroad bill, which, in
its original effect, required railroad corn.
panies to refund the purchase price on
all tickets purchased at any time within
three years. The compromise came in
the form of an amendment from Mr..
Ross, reducing the time within which the
company was ordered to make the refund
to one year. This, it was argued, would
give the companies more opportunity to
make a financial statement at stated
periods.
The chapter on municipalities was
taken up. Few changes were suggested
from the committee report, probably the
most important of which was by Mr..
Wells, of Kinds, which changed the pres
ent law in regard to the number of alder
men of CITIES of over ten thousand in
habitants. The present law provided for
a number of from five to nine, as the
electors so desired. The amendment
provides for two aldermen as represent
atives from each ward in cities of this
number of inhabitants. The city of
Jackson has six wards, and this will
privilege an increase of three aldernssu.
The power of the veto given Mayors
"oo " ASSti iStCu, tlCl ClIdh l.
ter reasons for such veto must be given
in writing st the time the veto is pre-
sented to the aldermanic body. In the
matter of appointment and bonds, it was
the old law that a Mayor using an I'M
just prerogative might refuse to issue q
commission to certain elective officers.
An amendment corrected TINS possibility
of injury to subordinate officers.
Mr.. Stevens offered an amendment to
the part of the chapter stating the duty
of Police Court officers. Under the
amended form such officers or judgp
must take cognizance of all violations of
the law, whether specific violations of
ordinance or not. Mr.. C~arouthers, Of
Lee, also offered an amendment to this
section, which gives clerks of the city
the right to take evidence in certain
cases.
Somewhat of an argument was precip-
itated over the section on the publica-
ton of ordinances. Mr.. McNlichael pre-
scented an amendment which required the
publication as now ordered, with the adj
dition that allowances be limited to a
single publication.
BY a majority of n single vote the
HtBlotC Iulo vi tHC 11SI dilh
Mechanical College passed. 1t was a
compromise victory.
The Bullard amendment, objective
point of the liberals. raised the commit
tee appropriation $14,6OO. This sum
had already been expended. The short
age on the appropriation of last year
had been used to this extent to keep in
progress the work of this college. To
have refused this amendment would
nave been to repudiate the action of the
board or trustees of this school in their
action. Largely due to Brooks of Noxu-
bee and Smith of Holmes, Nixon of Pike
and Mr.. George, son of the late United
States Senator j. z. George, was this
victory for educational interests in Mis-
sissippi won. They represented physical
demonstrations of the finished product
of the schools of the State, and cspe-
cially in the instance of the former, H..
II. Brooks, himself a graduate of the
school, for whose life he was fighting.
Rallying the forces that had been hand
in hand on the campus, these disciples
took the lead, and their aggressiveness
largely controlled the verdict. Defend
ing the faculty that had been their fac
ulty against a TRADE of insinuation, in
nuendo and abuse, and championing this
cause Of their paters until the last, they
had proven their patriotism. The oppo-
sition this increased appropriation en-
countered was not all of passion and
prejudice; there were calm and cool de-
carnations against the Billiard amend
ment. There were those who stood for
committee Endorsement. The vote on
the Billiard amendment, defeating the
committee recommendation, was 81 for
as against Sc opposed. On the final
passage of the bill the vote was II for
and but "a against.
The renewal of this contest on the
floor of the House began with the recog-
milton of Mr.. Nixon by Speaker Thomas
Mr.. Nixon spoke from the viewpoint of
a liberalist. He regarded this as II OF
the most vitality important subjects
pending before the Mississippi Legisla-
ture. He stated that he came from n
section which tradition had connected
with slow PRESSURE" but so long as he
had been a South Mississippi representa-
tive in the House he had never cast a
vote to reduce a single appropriation,
and that he yet had the first time to be
rebuked or approved for his action by his
constituency. "My people believe in the
future of this great State" said Mr..
Nixon, "and are in favor with the meas
ures that tend to upbuild her institu-
tons" He wanted the high standard of
education established in this State con-
tinued for all time. He spoke briefly on
the charges that had been made connect
ING graft and lobbying with this meas
urc. He dcfed any member to cite one
such instance. The officers of the in
stitution came to Jackson to talk with
the committees. It was moi-ing a prop
or account of their stewardship. If they
lad failed to come, it would be lnslnu-
ated that there was some reason and
that they we're ashamed to show their
faces. "They are men of high character
and high standing" said Mr.. Nixon, and
they have been overzealous it is but
that their lives and hopes are founded
ON the success of the enterprises over
which they preside" Closing his re-
marks. he said: "When we begin to
elm the wings of our State institutions,
don't let us begin with the Agricultural
and. Mechanical School, for if We do we
will iniure one of our foremost educa-
tional interests"
Al oot authorizing Okitibbeha county