Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-01-29

keep them busy for far more than the two months prescribed as the regular period for the legislature to remain lv started upon the work before it and enough measures of great importance to the state are now piled up on the desks of the clerk of the house and the secretary of the senate to make the task of disposing of them seem tremendous.
 During the past week 96 bills were Introduced in the house and 52 in sithe senate. making total of 19s meas tires introduced in both bodies since aths opening of the session. The sim pA reading of these bills three times consumes great amount of time, and this only a small part of the business that will occupy the attention of the Assembly.
 The indications are at present that the matters connected with the new state capitol are destined to play an important part in the present session. That a full investigation of all mat ters connected with the capitol will be made is conceded and before this concluded there are likely to be some strenuous times in the Assembly. Sen ator Otis T. Wingo last week present. ed a resolution of a rather sensational character, demanding a full investi- gatiOn of the charges of graft and cor- ruption that have been made in con- nection with the capitol, and authoriz- ing the joint capitol committee. pro- vided for earlier in the session, to summon witnesses and make a thor ough investigation, with instructions to present a complete report ill writ Nsing to the legislature. Senator Wingo Sked for a special investigation to determine whether or not the present contract with Caldwell & Drake could be cancelled by the state on account of the connection which Geo. w. Cald- we'll, one of the contractors, has had with boodling operations, as brought out in the trial of Senator Covington and Senator Butt. While this reso- lution was later withdrawn, pending a preliminary report from the regular capitol committees as to whether they needed additional authority to con- duct an investigation, it served to bring out in the senate a sentiment in favor of searching investigation of all matters connected with the state capitol. It also developed the fact that a, great many of the mem bers are opposed to making any addi- tional appropriation for the comple- i, tion of the building as long as the present contractors have anything to do with the structure. George w. Donaghey, who has repeatedly made charges against the present contrac- tors and the capitol commission, has announced that he will appear before the Investigating committee and reit- crate all the charges he has made. yThe investigation promises to be of a sensational character and in any event it will consume great deal of time. It is not likely that any appro- priation for the capitol will be made until late in the session. Much comment was caused by the refusal of the house to adopt reso- lution offered in the senate by Senator Legate of Polk county, the only Re- publican in that body, endorsing Pres ident Roosevelt for discharging the negro troops involved in the Browns vile riots. In almost every state in the South the Democratic legislatures have been endorsing this action of the president and it has been the Re- publicans who have opposed it. In this case the conditions were reversed and the attempt of Republican to endorse the stand taken by the presi- dent was defeated by the Democrats Tn the legislature. The resolution passed the senate by a unanimous vote, but was killed in the house.
 Unless all signs fail, the through railroads in Arkansas, as we'll as some of the longer local lines, will be
 
 prohibited within the next ten days from charging more than two cents per mile for first class passenger ac- comodations. The Ross two-cent rate Dill has gone through the house by an almost unanimous vote and has been endorsed by the railroad committee of the senate. Within a few days the measure will undoubtedly have passed the senate and gone back to the house for the approval of two minor amendments which have been tackled on to it by the senate committee. It will then go to the governor for his signature, and there is not thought to be any doubt that Governor Little will approve the measure. In the