The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-03-02
Mississippi Legislature
HOUSE.

its original effect, required railroad COM
panles 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
habltants. 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 a~ldernsen.
The power of the veto given Mayors
was not restricted, further thar hereaf-
ter reasons for such veto must be given
IN writing at 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 a
commission to certain elective officers.
An amendment corrected this possibility
Of injury to subordinate officers.
AIR. Stevens offered an amendment to
the part OF the chapter stating the duty
Of Police Court officers. Under the
amended form such officers or iudc<
must take cognizance of all violations OF
the law, whether specific violations Of
ordinance or not. Mr.. Ca%routhers, 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.. McMichael pre-
sented an amendment which required the
publication as now ordered, with the ad.
dition that allowances be limited to q
single publication.
BY a majority of n single vote the
support fund of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College passed. 1t was a
compromise victory.
/ The Billiard amendment, objective
point of the liberals. raised the commit
tee appropriation $4,000. 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
have 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. T.. George, was this
victory for educational interests in Mis-
slssippi won. They represented physical
demonstrations of the finished product
of the schools of the State, and espe-
cially in the instance of the former, H.
II. Brooks, himself a graduate of the
school, for whose life he was fighting.
Raliying the forces that had been hand
in han 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 We're calm and cool de-
carnations against the Billiard amend
ment. There were those who stood for
committee Endorsement. The vote III
the Billiard amendment, defeating the
committee recommendation, was 81 for
as against Sc opposed. On the final
passage of the bill the vote was ~ 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
Il hberalist. He regarded this as one of
the most vitality important subjects
pending before the Mississippi Legisla-
ture. He stated that he came from Il
section which tradition had connected
with 'low 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
ure. He defied any member to cite one
such instance. The officers of the in
~stitution came to Jackson to talk with
the committees It was making a prop |
err account of their stewardship. If they
had failed to come, it would be insinu-
ated that there was some reason and
that they were ashamed to show their
faces. "They are men of high character
and high standing" said Mr.. Nixon, "ana
if 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
clip 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"
An act authorizing O%kitibbeha county |
to pay for certain stock destroyed by
order of it's Board of Supervisors; passed.
The Committee on Ways and Means