The log cabin Democrat., 1915-02-23
.L|FE IMPRISONMENT
 MEASURE PASSED
S5,OOO 10 JUDGE KIRBY
ANOTHER BILL TO ABOLISH HIGHWAY COMMISSION IS
 INTRODUCED.

Little Rock, Feb. 23-The Duty bill appropriating $12,500 to pay Judge Vim. F. Kirby for legal services in the state rate litigation was reduced by the senate to $5000 when consid- cred in a committee of the whole Mon day afternoon. All appropriation measures must be so considered. and alter this procedure, the recommends ton that the bill pass as amended was made.
 The senate also passed the Daven- port bill permitting juries to assess life Imprisonment in cases which are now punishable by> death, and the bill was ordered immediately transmitted to the house in order that it might be acted on without delay. This meas ure is now being pushed for it is a loophole by which several criminals now awaiting electrocution in the state penitentiary may secure com mutation to life Imprisonment. The vote on this bill was:
 Aye-Adamson, Bush, Calvert, Car ter, Davenport, Duty, Edmondson, Garrett, Going, Greenhouse, Hamilton. Jones, Kendall, Moore, Mccall, Owens, Sims, Slaughter, Vann, Wagner. Was son-20.
 Nay-Asnley, Burgess, Cabaniss, Ferguson, Futrell. Overman, Ruff, Smith of Columbia, Toler and Mr. President-10.
 The senate also passed the Calvert bill applying the seven-year adverse possession of property statute to mar fed women; the Ashley bill changing the act regulating the county deposi- tories; the Cabaniss bill creating the Little River drainage district; the Slaughter bill permitting a Forrest City school to mortgage property; and private pension bills by Senator Har- ris and MT. Posey of the house.
 The Adamson bill regulating the concerns which guaranty titles, was defeated, 4 to 23.
 Just before rather elated ad- journment, Senator Wagner put in a bill to abolish all of the state highway commission except the highway en- gineer, distributing the work of the commission around among other state officials, the secretary of state getting the lions share. Objection was made to a second reading of the bill. and the senate voted 12 to 16 against a suspension of the rules for the pur- pose of a second reading.
 The reduction of the Kirby appro- priation was the real argument of the afternoon. Senator Burgess offered the motion to reduce the appropria- ton to 5000 and Senator Going of fered a substitute to reduce it to $2, 300. After a lengthy debate, the Go- ing amendment was rejected, Il to 15, and the Burgess amendment accepted, 15 to 10. Senator Going alone cham pioned his amendment, but Senators Bush and Toler spoke against any fruther appropriations of this char acter. and Senators Cabaniss, Duty and Smith of Columbia favored the passage of the Duty bill as drawn.
 The judiciary committee of the sen ate Tuesday rendered favorable re- port on the Shouse bill for redigesting the statutes of Arkansas, with the amendment that the Arkansas su- preme court nominate the digester that is tO he appointed by the gov ernor The sum of $40,000 is appro- priated for the printing of the stat |utes.
 The committee also reported the Bush libel bill with some slight amendl ments, and without recommendation, though a majority of the committee will oppose the bill when it comes up on third reading. The Broadway bridge bill for Little Rock was also reported back with a favorable recom- mendation,