The Lexington advertiser., 1910-05-06
THE LATE LEGISLATURE.

Up to the time of adjournment Gov.
! Noel had approved 398 acts passed by
the legislature. This disproves the
charge that the legislature was frit.
tering away its time or that the eloc-
tion of a senator and the investigation
occupied the attention of the body to
the exclusion of other matters. II was
busy session and passed 81 more bills
than the regular session Of two years
ago. Lexington Advertiser.
The first or regular session devoted
large portion of its time 10 debate
incident to prohibition legislation
passing a State wide" statute under
gallery pressure, and few other laws
of importance.
The following is a partial resume of
the work of the recent or special ses'
sion:
The relief of congested judiciary
system by the creation of supreme
court commission that takes upon it.
self portion of the enormous burden
of tribunal weighed down beyond
comparison with courts of last resort
in other states owing to our generous
law that grants appeal and hearing to
every convicted criminal without pay
ment of or security for costs.
An increase in the number Of circuit
court districts to meet the demands of
enhanced population, and increase in
the number and length of court terms
in counties where the overloaded dock
cts amounted to a denial of justice
except in criminal cases
The creation of the Office of county
attorney, resulting in bringing order
out of chaos in justices courts, and
saving thousands of dollars annually
to every county,
The making of the unauthorized
sale of cocaine felony thus impend-
ing fearful curse that is the source
of almost all the baser crimes of the
negro; law that will be patterned
after by all other states.
Those four acts alone would have
justified the prolongation of session
designed primarily bv the constitution
for the framing of bills for the collec-
tion and distribution of revenue
Then there was the bill increasing
pensions; the bill increasing school
fund; the bill establishing state nor
NAL the bill authorizing county agri-
cultural school appropriations; bills
in reference to drainage system; road
system national guard; court proce-
dure; municipal elections; new coun-
ties; health and hygiene and many
other state wide statutes besides scores
of bills of vital Importance, local to
many towns and counties, to say moth
ing of the defeat of numerous Gnneces,
sary and strife breeding measures that
might have slipped through in hasty
and time saving" session, and the
long and unsuccessful fights made for
the passage of certain bills that de-
served enactment.
In short it was one of tho hardest
working and most productive sessions
ever held, and more conspicuous for
its record of good laws and pauclty of
bad ones than any other of recent
years. III looking over its record of
nearly 400 enactments, the wonder is
to find the gaps in legislative work
that were given TO senatorial election
and Bilbo investigation in session OF
less .han ninety working days, when
it is remembered that much time is
necessarily lost at the start in getting
the work in shape before committee
and that every important bill involves
a debate that is frequently renewed
upon reports from conference
Long as the session was it will be
remembered that all through its dura-
tion the committees engaged in the
consideration of the supply bills-the
bills for the creation and appropriation
of reveune- were actively employed
and had barely completed their labors
when the hour for adjournment came.
| There was pure food law passed; a
co. operative cattle tick elimination
bill; three new agricultural expert
ment stations established; one general
board of trustees for all state educa-
tional institutions created: counties
were authorized to give crop prizes
q state charity hospital was established
at jackson Lees birthday was made
a legal holiday factories were exempt
cd from taxation for ten years; con-
stitutional amendment or an elective
judiciary was submitted authority
was given the governor to use the
states credit to extent of $40 600 for
calamity sufferers, etc
Never in the history of the com mon
wealth was more good legislation &C.
complished in single session or at
less cost to the state, and never did
Legislation receive better considera-
tion or closer attention. Aberdeen
Examiner