Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-30
SENATE FAVORS
BIENNIAL Term.
After Spirited Debate Senate
Passes Senator Skaters Bill
Providing Session Every Two
Years.

BY the vote Of 80 to IL the senata
Wednesday passed Senator Slator's bilI
providing for biennial sessions Of the
general assembly. AS amended by sena1
tor Gordy the sessions are to be or g
days length instead of 50.
The discussion of the bill consumed
over two hours of the senate's time.
Senator Jackson. who had not finished
his argument when the senate adjourned
Tuesday, resumed his argument Wednes-
day morning in opposition to the BILL He
read mass of figures regarding the ex-
| perience of 10 states whose legislatures
meet biennially. His conclusion was that
biennial sessions would cost much as
annual sessions and the 60-day limit would
not be sufficient in which to complete the
| work necessary.
SENATOR JACKSON's OPPOSITION.
Senator Calhoun asked Mr.. Jackson IL
Governor Browns platform did not de-
clare for biennial sessions.
! Senator Jackson replied that IL did,
but that the people had NOT voted on the
platform. 81
1t was not binding on him.
Senator Burwell enquired of the speaker
II the questions asked him did not IN
dictate that the question was a partisan
| issue. Mr.. jackson said II was evident
| make 1t so.
| Senator Perry opposed the bill. He as
serted that few bills were passed at the
! first session. They were introduced and
the general assembly was given Il
months in which to think them over and
reflect on their merits. Annual sessions
| he said. kept power close to the people.
1t was only through the general assembly
that the people could be heard
1 Irxrf - q
lengthy speech.
50 DAYS NOT ENOUGH.
| Senator Matthews advocated the meas
ure He thought the constitutional
amendment could become operative with-
/ out inconvenience to the state. The gov
ernor, he said, could convene the legis-
/ lature at any time that 1t was found
necessary. He thought biennial sessions
would be the means of bringing better
men to the legislature. Many men who
| could not afford to come to the legisla-
| ture two years would be glad to give
one year Of their time to the state. He
| did not think. however, that so days BIZ
/ enniaIIy was enough time. He thought
the session should be 70 days. He gave
notice that he would offer an amendment
/ to the bill to make the sessions 70 days.
| Senator Harrell spoke against the bin
/ and in favor of his amendment striking
| out the word biennial and inserting the
word annual and limiting the sessions to
30 days.
Senator Matthews amendment that the
sessions be biennial Of rs days duration
was first taken up and defeated. Senator
HarrelPs amendment was also defeated
Senator Gordy's amendment substitute
ing so days for 80 days was adopted.
CONCLUDING ARGUMENTS.
/ Of ha Uvar
20 minutes in conclusion. Senator Gordy
thought the will of the people should be
consulted and they be allowed to vote on
| the amendment. He did not think the
| hands of the people should be. TIED
The bill received the strong support OF
Senator 4Griffith.
He thought 1t an insult to the in-
] telligence OF the people of the state
that the general assembly should ar
rogate to itself the sole right OF de-
! Gliding so important a question Tha
1 people should be allowed to vote on
the question
|, At the conclusion of Senator sla-
ter's speech, Senator Jackson rose ia
| a question of personal privilege Hs
denied he had said. as stated by Sem
ator Slater, that the people of Georgia
did not have enough sense to vote
on this question" Senator SLATED
used the quotation from the morn-
| ing paper, in which Senator Jackson
was quoted as saying that there were
times when the public went "tempo-
rarily insane" Senator Jackson adj
mitted he had made the latter stated
ment Recent events, he asserted, bore
out his contention.
NEW BILLS READ.
The following new bills were read:
BY Senator Day-To add the town
of Jasper, in Pickins county, to the
| list of repositories.
SENATE BILLS PASSED.
BY Senator Butt-To incorporates the
| town Of Frey, Fannin county.