354 



GEORGIA. 



consolidated in a joint convention of the two 

 Houses, it stood 164 for Norwood to 5 for other 

 candidates. It will be remembered that Mr. 

 Foster Blodgett had been elected in 1870 

 to fill the same term, and it was claimed by the 

 few adherents remaining faithful to him in the 

 Legislature that there was no occasion for a 

 new election. Mr. Blodgett had, however, 

 never been allowed to take his seat, and in 

 December of this year Mr. Norwood was ad- 

 mitted without opposition. A bill to repeal 

 the usury law, and fix the regular rate of in- 

 terest at seven per cent, when there was no 

 definite agreement on the subject, occupied con- 

 siderable attention, but was finally indefinitely 

 postponed. An act repealing the law which 

 permitted voters in the city of Atlanta to vote 

 for mayor in any ward of the city, and restrict- 

 ing their suffrage to the ward in which they 

 resided, was passed by a strong majority. An 

 act was passed making it penal to sell spiritu- 

 ous liquors to minors without the written con- 

 sent of their parents or guardians ; but a bill 

 which was introduced, and discussed at some 

 length, allowing a married woman to recover 

 damages from a liquor-dealer who supplied her 

 husband with liquor when in a state of intoxi- 

 cation, was indefinitely postponed. The sub- 

 ject of public education occupied some atten- 

 tion, but no material change was made in the 

 existing law, though much fault has been found 

 with its practical workings. The State Teach- 

 ers' Association submitted a memorial, suggest- 

 ing a number of important changes, and it is 

 very likely that the subject will receive a care- 

 ful consideration during the present session 

 (1872). Measures were taken to secure the ben- 

 efit of the grant of land made to the State by 

 Congress in 1862 and 1864, to aid in the con- 

 struction and maintenance of an Agricultural 

 College. An act had been passed in 1866 ac- 

 cepting the grant, but nothing had been done 

 toward securing the practical result intended. 

 Now, however, a bill was passed appointing 

 an Executive Board to receive the scrip and 

 locate the lands, and make a report at the 

 next session of the Legislature. 



Several acts were passed during the session 

 which did not receive the approval of the 

 Governor. That relating to the bonds of the 

 State, and that providing for a special election, 

 have been already mentioned. Besides these 

 was one suspending a section of the appropria- 

 tion act, which allowed the Governor a large 

 discretion in the use of money for special pur- 

 poses. In this case the veto-message was re- 

 ferred to a committee, and never reported 

 upon. An act was also vetoed, repealing the 

 laws which suspended the collection of the 

 poll-tax for several years, but was passed over 

 the veto. This poll-tax was the principal source 

 from which funds were derived for the sup- 

 port of common schools, and its payment had 

 originally been made a condition precedent to 

 the exercise of the electoral franchise. An- 

 other measure which incurred the Governor's 



disapproval was an act repealing the law under 

 which the district courts were organized. 

 These courts, it was claimed, were expensive 

 and unnecessary, and had been established for 

 the purpose of supporting a large number of 

 officials dependent upon the Governor. The 

 repealing act was passed over the veto by a 

 vote of 33 to 8 in the Senate, and 125 to 26 in 

 the Lower House. Another bill vetoed by the 

 Governor was one reducing the per diem of 

 members of the Legislature from $9 to $7. 



A proposition made to the Senate to memo- 

 rialize Congress to make compensation for loss- 

 es incurred by reason of the emancipation of 

 slaves was referred to the Committee on the 

 State of the Republic, who reported the fol- 

 lowing resolution: 



Whereas, The \var lately waged by the United 

 States Government against the Confederate States 

 was, from the beginning of the year 1863 until the 

 close of said war, carried on for the express purpose 

 of emancipating the slaves, and emancipation having 

 been received and considered by all parties as a re- 

 sult of the war ; therefore 



Resolved, That the Senate looks with disfavor 

 upon the move, emanating from the Kepublican side 

 of the Chamber, having for its ostensible object the 

 obtaining pay for emancipated slaves ; that public 

 opinion nowhere deems such a result possible, and 

 that no good, hut, on the contrary, positive evil, would 

 attend its agitation. 



The resolution was adopted by a vote of 81 

 to 5. 



The session of the Legislature is limited by 

 the constitution to forty days, "unless pro- 

 longed by a vote of two-thirds of both branch- 

 es." On the day before the expiration of the 

 forty days, Governor Conley gave notice that 

 he should not recognize the Legislature as a 

 legal body after 12 o'clock, p. M., of the fol- 

 lowing day, which was Sunday. On Monday 

 the two Houses met and passed a resolution 

 declaring that, as the preceding day was Sun- 

 day, that day (Monday) belonged to the term 

 of forty days allowed for the session, and then 

 by more than a two-thirds' vote prolonged the 

 session. The Governor claimed that the reso 

 lution effecting this was subject to his veto; as 

 it was not presented to him, he declared that 

 the prolongation of the session was illegal. The 

 provisions of the constitution bearing on this 

 point are as follows : " Every vote, resolution, 

 or order, to which the concurrence of both 

 Houses may be necessary, except on a question 

 of adjournment or election, shall be presented 

 to the Governor, and, before it shall take effect, 

 be approved by him, or, being disapproved, 

 shall be passed by a two-thirds' vote." " No 

 provision in this constitution, for a two-thirds' 

 vote of both Houses of the General Assembly, 

 shall be construed to waive the necessity for 

 the signature of the Governor, as in other 

 cases, except in the case of the two-thirds' vote 

 required to override the veto." The Legisla- 

 ture claimed that, under this ^ provision, the 

 resolution prolonging the session did not re- 

 quire the Executive approval. The session 

 continued for a few days longer, but no ira- 



