The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-03-02
SENATE.

of having enough to pass the concurrent
! resolution sent over from the House, the
vote, after hours of ~speechmaking, tand-
ing % to Is, and lacking a quintette of
"ayes" to constitute a two-thirds ma
iority for the measure in order to carry
it constitutionally.
Chapter No. &c, which was reported
from the House-the chapter on inter
est-was taken up, and the very first
section, that defining the legal rate of
interest, stirred up dlssension. This Sec
ton reads as follows:
Section 234S. Legal rate: The legal
rate of interest en- all note accounts and
contracts shall be 6 per centum per an
num-; but contract may be made in
writing for the payment of a rate OF
interest as great as 10 per centum per
mum and if a greater rate of inter
est than 10 per cent. shall be stipulated
for or received i'll any case, interest shall
be forfeited, and may be recovered back,
whether the contract is executed or eX-
ecutory; but this section shall not apply
to a building and loan association domi-
ciled in this State, dealing with its mem
bers only"
The house had voted to strike III the
latter claus of the section, or that pass
age exempting building and loan asso-
w Iloii AZ "a ShS VII
usury rate law. The Senate committee
recommended on~-concurrence and offer
ed the eliminated clause as an amend
| ment.
After the debate on the subject had
proceeded for some time, the amendment
was put to a vote, to be defeated by
a good majority. The effect of this is
that builing and loan associations,
whether foreign or domestic, must come
under the same footing in regard to
excessive interest, or greater than 10 per
cent, as any Others, individuals or cor
porations.
Ms Dunn sent up a concurrent resolu-
ton providing for an amendment to the
constitution, providing that after its
adoption by the people no measure for
kind shall be passed by the Legislature,
Notwithstanding two-thirds of the elect
ed representatives vote therefor.
The bill to permit foreign or non
resident corporations to secure charter
and dOInicile and charter in Mississippi
was h called up by Mr.. Farley and
passed without opposition. The act con
templates that any corporation which is
legalized by charter i'll any other State
or territory may qualify for domestica-
ton III Mississippi by applying for char
ter under the same regulations as those
governing corporations organized in the
State.
Then Mr.. Hightower called up the
Agricultural Department bill, which was
laid before the Senate and read section
by section.
The proposition to have the tax asses
sors OF the several counties collect the
ginning statistics to be furnished the
commissioner under the bill created som.
opposition, Senators holding that while
the average assessor is all right at valu-
ing property, when it come to gathering
crop data he might be at a disadvantage.
1t was decided to try the plan for the
first two years, at least, and by that
time experience will prove what is the
best, whether through county officer or
by special deputy selected for just that
work.
. 1T this juncture some spice was in
Jected into the proceedings by the intro
duction of a Senate bill, without number,
by Judge Thrasher of Claiborne, entitled
an act to encourage matrimony, prevent
flirting In a promiscuous way and to pre-
vent race suicide. Senator Thrasher suo-
gested that it be referred to the Com
mlttee on Internal Improvements, a Sc
leet committee to be designated by the
chair, but without formal motion the
bill was allowed to lay on the table and
consideration indefinitely postponed.
House bill No. 6, to provide for an
appropriation for the Mississippi memo
rial in the Nicksburg National Park, wa
then taken up and passed by Il vote of
81 to Il.
Ar. Dunn introduced a concurrent res
olution to amend the constitution by
striking out section al, which gives the
Legislature the authority to make leases
fer the sixteenth section, or Choctaw
purchase chool lands. This proposition
created considerable opposition from
Senators representing that section of the
State, and by general consent Mr.. Dunn
withdrew his resolution in order that
the Senators might look into the mat
ter more fully.
The Committee on Finance favored
the passage of the following bills:
An act for the support of the Depart
nent of Archives and History; an act
giving additional lands to the experiment
statlons; an act making an appropriation
for the establishment of a home for
aged and INDECENT women; an act author
lzlng an appropriation for the establish
ment of a monument in the Nicksburg
battlefield; an act adding to the equip
ment of the Holly Springs experiment
school. 1t submitted amendments to the
bill for the support of the industrial
institute and college.
The local bills acted upon are as fol-
lows:
To relieve the teachers unpaid in Ne
shoba county. On request, sent to the
table indefinitely.
To create the new county of Forrest.
The committee had amended by chang
ing the name of the new county to
Stone. This and other slight amend
ments as offered by the committee were
adopted by the Senate. just as the bill
was to go on final passage it was dis
covered that a flaw existed as to the
date of the creation of the new county.
and 1T was recommitted to the Judiciary
Committee for final perfection.
70 pay the sheriff of Chickasaw eoun-
ty in remuneration for expenditures in
searching for an escaped murderer;
passed.