The Bolivar County Democrat., 1906-04-14
Mississippi Legislature
SENATE.

WIFI only one negative Note.
The most important change made n
| one election law was that providing for
the filling of State or district Offices,
save legislative vacancies. between regu-
lar election periods. Under the present
law, if the vacancy occurs within more
than year of the next election day,
it is necessary to call a special election.
AS amended the filling of the vacancy
is left to the Governor.
The Acorn drainage bill passed. The
bill was so amended as to exclude from
its operations the counties of Sharkey,
Issaquena, Lauderdale, Chickasaw, Clai-
borne, Warren, Amite, Wilkinson, Tippah
and Grenada.
The Senate took up the house bill
known as the Stegall Pontotoc bill, in
troduced for the purpose of relieving
the situation of the people, as we'll as
the railroads, up in Pontotoc and sur
rounding country. There was only one
speech against the bill and that was
from Senator Franklin, who is from the
town of Pontotoc The bill passed by
vote of 36 to 3.
The chapter on insurance was taken
up.
The most important change was that
regarding the salary of the Insurance
Commissioner, fixing his salary at $4,000
per annum, with $4,000 for clerk hire
and $500 for travelling expenses. The
House had adopted an amendment to
provide that the new order go intp
effect Immediately on the adoption Of
the code. After some discussion the
the Senate agreed to it's committees
amendment, to non-concur, and there
fore rejected the House proposition,
which seemed too drastic. The Senate's
original proposition to make the change
effective in 1908 was adopted in lieu of
that of the House.
By vote of 23 to the Senate
passed the bill authorizing the Capitol
Commission to take steps to make re-
pairs on the executive mansion, and ac-
companied it by provision to have
the sidewalks and grounds trimmed up
and graded. The bill specified that the
sum of 100000 be appropriated for the
purpose mentioned.
Senator Yarbrough called up his bill
to regulate the care and management
of convicts, whereby he would have the
Board of Control authorized and directed
to open an account current with every
convict, to credit him with the value
of the work that he does for the State
and to allow the proceeds to either go
to the family dependent upon him, or,
in case of conviction on the charge of
larceny or theft, that the proceeds go
to recoup those whom he has defrauded.
After the debt has been wiped out and
the convict has worked out the costs of
the court, and of his keep in the peni:
tentiary he shall be liberated. The bill
failed to pass by vote of 20 to IA.
The dram shop chapter of the code
was disposed of after some argument
and some amendments had been pre-
sented and voted upon. The House
amendment making the penalty for un-
lawful retailing, or other violation of
the law, a felony, as well as punishable
by civil suit, was adopted after some
what spirited debate. The fine is to
be not less than $1OO and the imprison-
ment not less than sixty days, or both.
In addition to this the authorities are
empowered to bring civil action to viii
ate the license for continued and sus-
tanned violation of the law.
HOUSE.
The bill introduced in the House sew
eral days ago by Representative Stegall,
for the relief of the town of Pontotoc
and the resumption of traffic on the Mo-
bile, Jackson and Kansas City railroad,
passed the house today by an over
wnelming majority, only seven members
voting against it.
The House passed bills appropriating
to the Oyster Commission the sum OF
$4,000 for two years to build up the
oyster industry; to the State Univer-
sity, $45, 900 for the erection of Science
Hall and support fund of 100000 for
two years; to the hospital at Natchez,
$4,000, and $4,000 to a similar institu-
ton at Meridian; to the State Board
of Health, $4,000, and $4,000 support
fund; to defray the expenses of litiga-
ton against the Illinois Central Rail-
road BY the Railroad Commission, $400
to each of the Code Commissioners,
$1,000; and authorizing the Governor,
in addition to what the State Board
received, to borrow $4,000 if needed
at any time to cope with contagious
diseases.
In revising all the laws concerning
dram shops throughout the State the
House adopted a Senate amendment
prohibiting all females from entering or
buying liquor in saloons; requiring all
saloons to be closed after midnight and
not to open until five in the mornings;
penalizing the sale of patent medicines,
which if drank to excess would produce
intoxication, and placing heavier fine
on tAs second offense under the dram
shop law All of these are new features
to the present law governing saloons.
Mr.. Stevens offered an amendment
making it q misdemeanor for intoxicat-
ing liquors to be stored in ice plants,
storage rooms, etc, saying that in his
own city young men were led to evil
ways by having keg of beer in ice
plants.
Mr. Arnold spoke against the amend
ment, saying it was too drastic and that
it would make any man who had
bottle of whisky in his wardrobe a
criminal.
The amendment was withdrawn by
Mr.. Stevens.
Mr.. Samples measure to make lob
bying a misdemeanor failed to pass,
several members arguing that the pres
ent resolution was sufficient for a prac-
ticable purpose.
A bill appropriating S400 to pay the
costs of the suit of the Railroad Com
missioners against the Illinois Central
Railroad, for attempting to have trains
stopped at Magnolia, was passed.
The bill to give the State Board of
Health $1,000 emergency fund during
this year and the same amount during