Greene County herald., 1906-02-16
THE MISSISSIPPI
LEGISLATURE
OUR CORRESPONDENTS WEEK
LY LETTER.
Subjects I Legislation Recommended
and Acted Upon From Day to Day.
House and Senate Bills Passed and
Other Items Of General Interest.

House and Senate Bills Passed and
Other Items of General Interest.
The senate voted down the county
district court bill introduced in the
early session by Hon. III. j. McLaurin
Of Sharkey. The bill sought to estab-
lish district courts with jurisdiction
between the district courts and the
justices of the peace and concurrent
jurisdiction with justices of the peace
and its evident purpose was to =prac-
tieally abolish the office Of justice
of the peace.
The house spent an entire day in
discussion of the Brown bill provid-
ing for the establishment of a de-
partment Of agriculture. The bill was
ordered recommitted. This is not the
bill that was prepared and endorsed
by the cotton association. In the dis
eussion the fact was developed that
many members argued for policy of
isolation by shutting the doors of the
state to immigration from other
states, holding that Mississippi could
take care of herself and develop her
resources without any outside aid.
There was manifest also an oppo-
sition to the creation of a new state
department.
A significant vote was taken In the
house in regard persons operating
bucket shops" or dealing in fu-
lures. The chapter on criminal
procedure of the new code was un-
der consideration, and as sections re-
lating to proceedings in cases of in
dictments were reached, amendments
were offered making them applicable
to the operators of bucket shops and
future dealers.
These amendments do not in them
selves make such operators or deal
ers guilty of misdemeanors, but they
indicate the intention of the house to
include them in the class of crimes
and misdemeanors when that chapter
is reached, unless some positive legis-
lation to the contrary is had in the
meantime
An amendment was offered by Mr..
Foster Of Warren, which sought to
include in the gaming section "Any
game OF cards where prize is offered
or a reward giver to the successful
guest or player" /" This was of course
aimed at the card clubs, and
games usually played by women, and
it was ruled out of order. Mr.. Fos-
ter stated that his amendment was
offered In good faith, and not as a
jest, as has been intimated, and the
subject may come up again before
the session closes.
In the senate old Sandy Bayou was
aired again and the discussion took up
the entire morning, resulting in the
passage by the senate of the house bill
which prohibits the leasing of pri-
vate lands for working the state con-
victs. The judiciary committee had
reported an amendment to the bill
providing that no present contract
should be interfered with. This
amendment was objected to by Mr.
Smith of Warren, who pointed out
that it would have the effect OF
validating the contract now in It'll
cation between the state and III. j. Me-
Laurin over the Sandy Bayou farm
Mr.. Dunn, chairman of the committee
stated that all the committee desired
to do was exact justice to all parties
and offered to make the amendment
protect only "valid" contracts now
in existence. This amendment was
accepted and the bill was passed with
cut further opposition. As passed il
will prevent the leasing of any more
private property and if the courts up
hold the validity of the Sandy Bayou
lease the place viii not be any more
private property and if the courts de-
clare the lease invalid then the con.
victs will be taken back to the Sun.
flower farm.
The Vicksburg military park bill
carrying an appropriation for a noun
ment to be erected in the park to the
memory Of the Confederate troops whit
fought on hat field, was passed by the
house. The bill carries $4,000. Tht
bill as passed was substitute, The
original carrying 100000
The victory was a hard fought one
and does great credit to the energet
ic Xicksburg gentlemen who have beer
there at work for the past severa
days.
Speaking Of child labor legislation
thare is a probability that there will
be skirmish over the matter in the
senate and it viii come up when the
code chapter on crimes and misde
nleanors (seeion 1908 A is reached
most likely. This is a cestion added
to the dummy code bv the commits
sioners, by request, so it is said, ani
it reads as follows: