Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-11-09

The house of representatives was the
storm center in the legislature Friday.
The storm arose over the bill to pay
the state militia for services during the
Illinois Central railroad strike. The
fight ended in the failure of the bill to
pass. The state constitution provides
that all appropriation bills must receive
a majority of all members elected to the
senate and house.
A majority of the house is sixty-nine,
and the military bill received sixty
eight Affirmative votes, one short Of the
required constitutional majority. Speak
er Street ruled that the measure had
failed to pasI and the contest ended in
q victory for the insurgent forces. Sew
eral members of the house who opposed
the bill explained that the legislature
had not been furnished with al itemized
statement of the expenditures of the
militia. If an itemized statement Is fur
nished, some of the insurgents said, they
will vote for a bill to pay the troops,
if the figures are reasonable.
Plans for settling the bond interest
controversy took shape in both houses
Friday. Bills were introduced in the
'enate by Senators Franklin and Gibbs.
The Franklin bill provides for refund
ing to the bondholders the principal Of
he bonds and Appropriated $6oo,OOo for
hat purpose. The Gibbs bill ratifeH
he sale of the bonds and appropriates
money to cover the accrued interest.
Bills on the same subject were intro
duced in the house by the special com
mittee appointed for that purpose. The
Jones bill provides for donating the
y amount of the accrued interest to the
bondholders. The Foster bill provides
: for refunding the entire. bond issue o.
:, 5000, 1000. Mr.. Van Boddie introduced
! a bill placing a contingent fund of $40,
500 at the disposal of the governor
The object Of this measure, while i
does not say so, is to enable the gov
r ernor to pay the amount Of the accrue,
Il interest out Of the contingent fund.
% The senate was disposed to await tn
Ie action of the house on military an
ie bond bills. The session of that bod,
was short.
The most interesting incident was tn
IN defeat of the Hebron resolution provit
he ing for immediate adjournment sine di'
d. The resolution was lost by a vote
le 10 to 10. Senator Hebron delivered
at vigorous speech in support of the res
Or luton, but with little effect on the sci
te ate.
If Gov. Noel sent another message to IL
legislature Friday on the bond issue an
of military pay questions. The govern'
or elaborated his views expressed in h
lis message at the opening of the legisl
in ture and explained why he thought tt
he accrued interest on the bonds should
a paid. The bonds, he said, could n
in have been sold if the bondholders hi
ill known that they would not receive Il
he accrued interest.
ne When asked if he had any reply
TO- make to the statement given out
he State Treasurer George R. Edwards,
rf. which Mr.. Edwards stated that he won
ill not pay the accrued interest on t
for bonds, Gov. Noel replied that he h
it nothing to say on the subject furth
Use than the views expressed in his M
sages to the legislature.
,et. The opposition to the confirmation
,u J. C. Gathings as superintendent OF p'
an. itentiary farms will be abandoned.