Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-24
SENATE.

SENATE.
At the meeting Of the senate rain
road committee Friday, a public hear.
ing on the 2-cent-rate bills was set for
next Wednesday evening. A public
hearing on the maximum freight rate
bill was set for Monday evening, Jan.
uary 2S, in the hall Of house of rep
rcsentatives. Attorney General Had.
ley will deliver an address on the
maximum freight-rate bill.
The committee took up Bradley's
anti-pass bill. The author of it was pre-.
sem and urged that 1t be reported
favorably at once. Col. William II.
Phelps, of the Missouri Pacific, asked
the committee to postpone reporting
the bill until after the public hearing
next Wednesday night. While he did
not have the figures, he ventured the
statement that the passes issued were
o one-half of 1 per cent of the pas.
senger traffic.
Senator Anthony moved that con.
s%ideration OF the bill be postponed.
Senator Ruford, who seconded the me.
ton, said that stock shippers down in
his country were unanimous In n de.
mand On him to secure legislation re.
quiring railroads to furnish round.
trip transportation with each car OF
stock. The measure was deferred un.
til the public meeting Januay %.
Senate Committee on judiciary, by
a vote Of Z to 3, reported unfavorably
or Senator Cooper's bill empowering
the Attorney General to file quo war.
ranto proceedings against local officials
who are derelict in enforcing the law.
This Is a measure commended by Gov.
ernor Folk in his message to the Gen.
eral Assembly. The adverse report of
the committee practically mea the
doom of the bill in the Senate. The
Senator's who voted in favor Of II
were: Avery, Of Lincoln; Cooper and
Gilmore. OF Kansas City. Those who
voted against II we're: Fields, OF Linn;
McAllister, OF Monroe; McDavid, OF
Green; Mayer, Of st. Joseph; Major
Of Howard; Kammerer, OF st. Louis,
and Hudson, OF Livingston.
Senator Wornall offered a bill in the
Senate leaving 1t optional with the
jury in capital punishment trials as to
whether the convicted party Is sent
enced to be hanged or imprisoned in
the Penitentiary for life.
This measure has been before the
Legislature several times In n shape
or another. and has always received
considerable support but never enough
to pass both houses.
The agument against such a change
in the law is that juries would invari
ably send the convicted person to the
prison, and a knowledge of this fac
on the part of the people would Leaf
to mob violence in instances where ex
asperating crimes had been committed
The first move on the part OF thu
Legislature In favor of good roads wa.
made by the Senate Committee on Cor
stitutional Amendments in reporting
favorably an amendment to the Con
stitution offered by Senator Fields o
Linn. It provides for a levy OF 2!
cents on the 500 valuation for tn
building of roads and bridges. Citiel
and Counties may vote upon this tax
very much as local option on tn,
granting of dramshop license IL nov
voted upon.
Senator Dowell introduced q bill
making provision for working con
victs In the penitentiary on the pub
lie roads Of the state. He applies fea
lures Of the law now in force In tn
state Of Arkansas. Under his bill tn
board Of inspectors Of the state prisol
will be requested to supply to eacl
county In the state making application
for the same, not to exceed fifty cor
victs each year, who shall be en-
ployed on the roads and bridges O
the county under the direction an,
discipline OF the sheriff OF the count
and his deputies. The county mus
be at the expense Of transporting tn
convicts to and from the penitentiar
and must make provision for carinI
for them suitably and the men are no
to be supplied until the inspectors ar
satisfied that this provision has bee