The Spectator., 1915-03-19
BEESON OF CONWAY TALKS TO DEATH" BILL TO RESUBMlT
 ACT NO. 3.
CLOSING HOURS IMPRESSIVE
Both Houses of Fortieth General As semby Adjourn at Time Fixed
 By the Constitution.
Little Rock

The Fortieth General Assembly of Arkansas has passed into history. It 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 75i bills were introduced. Of this number, PIP were Senate bills and 4S2 were house meas ures. The total number of bills passed by both houses was 340 Of these 12G were introduced in the Senate and PA in the house. A total of 13S bills had been approved by the governor when the Legislature adjourned. The num- Der of bills passed that will become laws will be 33S unless some are ve toed Two of the bills which passed both houses, the racing bill and the St Francis levee election bill, ve- toed, and another, the state capitol ap propriation, which passed both houses but failed to become 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 Capi tol Commission.
 Of the bills approved. 55 are Sen ate and S3 house measures. There are yet 206 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 10:4O o'clock Representative Creswell of Stone called up Senate Bill No. 139, by Edmonson, to result init to the people the Publicity Act No. S. It was a general bill, but there ap- peared to be a number of the mem l aga of the bill. and who were clamor- ing for roll call. Mir Beeson secured the floor and held 1t against all eff forts to dislodge him. until the Speaker rapped the gavel at II o'clock and de- clared that the business session was closed. And the bill died" on the | calendar"
 I 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 directing scene was in the Senate, when J. Monroe Smith of Union county delivered his farewell address, which on account of his fee ble condition. was read by Senator Greenhouse. Senator Smith is an old Confederate Veteran, and was pre- sented with a gold-headed cane by ad. miriRg 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 were 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 oi the St. Francis Levee District and the reduction from 24 to 16. He said
 "I am in favor of the election by the people of directors of the St. Franci: Leyee Board. and hoped the presen bill would be one that could be ap proved by me. but after strenuous ob Jections to 1t were made. called upor one of the bond attorneys in the cit, of Little Rock, and also the attorne! general. and their opinions. which co incided exactly, caused me to veto tn,
 measure.
 They said if the present bill be came a law. the bonds of the St Fran cis Levee District, amounting to $465 ] 900, authorized by this legislature , could not be sold, for the reason tha no one would have authority to issu or sign the bonds"
 The bill was supported in the hous . by eight of the nine members from tn , district and fin the Senate by Senator
 Vann and Slaughter. Senator Coin
 Among the general bills which pass ed the Senate and were defeated O l left on the calendar in the house wer