Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-02-23
W MISSISSIPPI
LEGISLATURE
OUR CORRESPONDENTS WEEK
LY LETTER.
Subjects f Legislation Recommended
and Acted Upon From Day to Day.
House and Senate Bills Passed and
Other Items Of General Interest.

Other Items Of General Interest.
Mississippi will vote none Of her
dollars toward the purchase Of a sill
yer service for the battleship named
after her. The house killed the Do
herty bill, which covered an appropri-
; alton of $1,000 to be expended in the
purchase of silver service, to be a
donation Of the state to the battleship
Of Uncle Sans navy that bears the
name Of Mississippi. Although this
battleship was launched some time
ago, and, under the usual custom,
had been christened when she was first
sent from the dry docks, an amend
melt was offered in the house by Mr..
Ell S to the effect that the bill be
passed and the donation be made
"provided no wine be used at the
christening. 1t was charged that this
vessel was not type of the modern
battleship; and that she would be re-
moved from the service and thrown
away in a very short time. 1t was
said that the government had ex-
peeted no serious service of her. Mr..
Doherty challenged these damaging
statements with the question:
"Does the government of the Unit
ed States spend $5,OOO,00O for a
toy?"
Mississippi is evidently not proud
Of her vessel, and would rather keep
her money in the state vaults than do
nate it to battleship.
An amendment offered by Mr. Nc
Michael reduced the appropriation to
1000. The house voted down the
amendment The vote, on the final
passage of the bill, was "a opposed to
so favoring the appropriation. The
bill would have to receive favor from
sixty eight members Of the house to
pass. Chairman Brown, of the appro-
priation committee, which had passed
favorably on the bill, changed Ills
vote to nay at the last moment, and
moved a reconsideration. The friends
Of the bill hope to get it through at
a later period of the session.
Mr.. Ethridge stirred up an elon-
gated discussion when he offered an
amendment to the staid old laws of
heredity, which allowed fathers and
mothers to participate in the estates
of persons dying intestate. Many
Of the prominent members of the
bar in the house stated that they
believed the amendment a good one.
They cited instances where they had
seen fathers and mothers deprived Of
their rights. Mr. Smith, of Holmes,
offered a substitute for the Etthirfdge
amendment, which perfected it, and
on this substitute the house engaged
in its debate.
Consideration of the military chap
ter has been finished and during the
debate there were some breezy ex-
changes between Mr.. Alcorn of Goa
homa and Mr.. Coleman of Lefore.i
Bills were passed appropriating the
expenses of the penitentiary and the
Industrial Institute and College. The
code chapter on Descent and Distri-
button was adopted with amendments,
also chapter on Ejectment, Interest
and Release Of Debtors.
By vote Of % to 10 the Senate
accepted the offer of the city of Vicks7
burg to donate the Charity Hospital
property at that place, estimated to-
be worth 100000 to the State, pro-
viding it is supported by the state.
Mr.. Farley entered motion to re-
consider and will try to change the
result. The passage of the bill does
not necessarily mean that the State
will establish large charity hospital
at that place, indications being that
only the ordinary support fund will
be allowed and no extensions arrang-
ed for at this session.
The Senate in committee of the
whole adopted with amendments the
code chapters on Department of Ar
chives and History, on Superintendent
of Education and County Superlnten-
dent of Education in part. No change
of consequence was made in the two
former but the latter was arranged so
as to make all county superintendent
elective, divided in three classes, with
salary from 81, 200 to $500 per year,
and they are required to devote their
entire time to the work.
The special committee appointed
by the House to investigate lobbyists
have had several sessions behind clos
ed doors, and have examined many
witnesses and more are summoned.
The committee has nothing to give
out, but it is learned that at least one
lobbyist has admitted that he has been
lobbying and was to receive a fee of
$500 for helping to secure the passage
of a new county BILL The committee
viii not report for several days yet.