The Monticellonian., 1915-03-18
F|L|BUSTER ENDS
HOUSE SESSION
SEESON OF CONWAY TALKS TO
DEATH" BILL TO RESUBMIT
ACT NO. g.
CLOSING HOURS IMPRESSIVE
Both Houses of Fortieth General AS
sembly Adjourn at Time Fixed
By the Constitution.
Little Rock.

Inc FOr0eth General Assembly OF
Arkansas has passed into history. II
Is conceded to be the most construc-
tive session in many years Singular
ly enough, the House this time is rec
ogniZed as the conservative body,
whereas that distinction usually be-
longs to the Senate.
During the session 1854 bills were
introduced. OF this number, 272 were
Senate bills and ASP were house meas
ures. The total number of bills passed
by both houses was $40. OF these 12G
were introduced in the Senate and PA
In the house A total of 1873 bills had
been approved by the governor when
the Legislature adjourned. The num-
Der OF bills passed that will become
laws will be 1888 unless some are We
toed Two of the bills which passed
both houses, the racing bill and the
St Francis levee election bill, We
toed, and another, the state capitol ap-
preparation, which passed both houses
but failed to become a law because
the house refused to accept the report
OF the Conference Committee to rec
ommend the receding from certain
amendments in which the Senate re-
fused to concur, chief among which
was the abolition of the present Capt
toll Commission.
OF the bills approved. 55 are Sen
ate and SO house measures. There are
yet FOG bills passed to be approved or
vetoed by the governor.
Representative Beeson of Conway
county, president of the Arkansas
Press Association, was the hero of the
dramatic incident which closed the
business session of the House. It had
been agreed that the House would at
II o'clock conclude the consideration
of bills. and begin the closing exer-
cises.
At 1910 o'clock Representative
Creswell of Stone called up Senate
Bill No. 1879, by Edmonson, to result
nit to the people the Publicity Act No.
3. 1t was general bill but there ap-
peared to be number of the mem
beers that were in favor of the pass
age of the bill, and who were clamor-
ing for roll call. Mr. Beeson secured
the floor and held it against all eff
forts to d1slodge him, until the Speaker
raped the gaeel at II O'Clock and de-
clared that the business session was
closed. And the bill died" on the
calendar"
The closing exercises in the Senate
and House were extremely interesting
and at the same time impressive Just
before adjournment both houses sang
God Be With You Till We Meet
Again. after various farewell
speeches by retiring members. and ad.
dresses of presentation of gifts to Of
ficials, employees and members. Per
haps the most affecting scene was In
the Senate, when J. Monroe Smith of
Union county delivered his farewell
address, which on account of his fee
Bile condition, was read by Senator
Greathouse. Senator Smith is an old
Confederate Veteran, and was pre-
sented with a gold-headed cane by adj
miri1g friends in the Senate. The
feature of the closing was the appar-
ent good will which prevailed among
the members of both houses after the
stormy debates of the session, in
which personalities we're freely In.
dulged In.
Gov. Hays within a few hours af-
ter the adjournment of the Legisla-
ture, vetoed the bill providing for the
election of the Board of Directors of
the st. Francis Levee District, and the
reduction from "a to L. He said:
Il am in favor of the election by the
people of directors of the st. Francis
LeYee Board, and I hoped the present
bill would be one that could be ap
proved by me. but after strenuous OBJ
Jections to it were made, | called upon
one of the bond attorneys in the CITY
OF Little Rock, and also the attorney
general, and their opinions, which CO.
fncided exactly, caused me to veto the
measure
They said if the present bill be-
came law, the bonds of the st. Fran
els Levee District, amounting to S465.-
600, authorized by this legislature.
could not be sold, for the reason that
no one would have authority to issue
or sign the bonds"
The bill was supported in the house
by eight of the nine members from the
district and In the Senate by Senators
Vann and Slaughter. Senator Going
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