370 



GEORGIA. 



than all, it has imperiled the peace, the influ- 

 ence, ay, even the reputation of one whose 

 honorable fame is among the most precious of 

 our public treasures." And they recommend 

 legislation to guard against the evil. 



[Subsequently a resolution passed through 

 the Assembly with only two dissenting votes, 

 proclaiming the entire confidence of the^mem- 

 bers in the Governor, but postponing action on 

 the reports until the July session, as the hour 

 for adjournment was so close at hand. In the 

 Senate, on December llth, the following reso- 

 lution was passed : 



Jfaolvtd, That we request the members of Con- 

 gress from Georgia to use their influence and best 

 exertions to procure, at an early date, a repeal of the 

 resumption act of 1875, and also of the national banks, 

 the substitution of legal-tender Treasury notes for 

 the outstanding circulation of said national banks, 

 making said legal tenders receivable in payment of 

 customs dues, and whatever other legislation may be 

 necessary to provide a sufficient and healthy circu- 

 lation of such legal-tender currency to meet all the 

 wants and necessities of the people and country. 



In the House, an act was passed authorizing 

 the issue of State bonds to the amount of $500,- 

 000, payable in six years at the State Treasury, 

 and bearing interest at the rate of four per 

 cent., payable annually in any one of seven 

 principal cities named of the State ; said bonds 

 shall be for the sum of not less than five dol- 

 lars nor more than one hundred dollars, and 

 shall be issued to meet the installments of 

 bonds becoming due in 1879, 1880, and 1881, 

 etc. The vote in the House was: yeas, 122; 

 nays, 27. This act also passed the Senate. Both 

 Houses adopted a resolution to take a recess 

 from December 13th to the first Wednesday in 

 July, 1879. The principal work before this 

 General Assembly is to adapt the laws of the 

 State to the requirements of the new Constitu- 

 tion. The extent of this labor was not antici- 

 pated before the commencement of this session. 

 The effect of hasty, inconsiderate legislation 

 would be to raise new complications between 

 the constitutional and statutory law of the 

 State. The usual session having been made 

 biennial, too long a period would elapse before 

 the local legislation required could be enacted. 

 The question of the location of the seat of 

 government was submitted to the vote of the 

 people a few years ago, and Atlanta was chosen. 

 One inducement for this vote was the offer 

 made by the authorities of that city to build 

 the Stnte Capitol. A committee was therefore 

 appointed to inquire whether it would be con- 

 venient for Atlanta to comply with its prom- 

 ise. The Committee reported to the Senate 

 that the authorities of that city were ready at 

 any time to comply with their promise. 



The election of a Senator to represent the 

 State in Congress took place on November 1 9th. 

 In the Senate John B. Gordon was nominated 

 and received 42 votes, being all that were cast. 

 In the House there were 165 votes for Gordon, 

 Herschell V. Johnson, and 1 for W. E. 

 Smith, Mr. Gordon was thus chosen Senator. 



On November 21st the Circuit Judges for 

 nine circuits, one half of the State, were chosen 

 in a joint session of the two Hbuses. 



Among the measures of the session was a 

 homestead act providing for the exemption of 

 three hundred dollars 1 worth of property. An 

 act was also passed exempting from taxation 

 public property; places of worship and of 

 burial; institutions of purely public charity; 

 buildings used for a college, incorporated acad- 

 emy, or other seminary of learning; the real 

 and personal estate of any public library, and 

 that of any other literary association used by 

 or connected with a public library ; and books, 

 philosophical apparatus, paintings and station- 

 ery of any association kept in a public hall, 

 and not held as merchandise or for purposes 

 of sale or gain. It is provided, however, that 

 none of the property thus exempted shall be 

 used for " purposes of private profit or gain." 

 An act authorizing municipal corporations to 

 compromise their bonded debts was passed, 

 which provides that where a town or city has 

 outstanding bonds and coupons, the municipal 

 government is authorized to issue new bonds 

 to be exchanged for the old, provided the new 

 bonds shall not exceed the amount of the debt. 

 Ordinances by a city government to issue bonds 

 for the purpose above named shall have the 

 force and effect of contracts between the city 

 and those who receive the new obligation. 

 Cities and towns are also authorized to pass 

 all ordinances necessary to the creation of a 

 sinking fund for better securing the redemp- 

 tion of the compromise bonds if they see prop- 

 er to do so. It is provided that this act shall 

 not be construed so as to prejudice the rights 

 of such creditors as may refuse to assent to 

 such compromise. A law was also passed pro- 

 viding for the probate of foreign wills, and for 

 the appointment and qualification of adminis- 

 trators in this State to carry out the provisions 

 of such wills when they have been probated 

 and recorded in Georgia. The first section of 

 the tax act reduces the general tax on property 

 from five tenths to four tenths of one per cent. 

 The usual tax of $10 per annum is assessed on 

 practitioners of law, dentistry, and medicine, 

 but municipal corporations are forbidden to 

 levy any additional tax. The tax on circus 

 companies is reduced from $200 to $100 per 

 day, and a tax of $50 is imposed on river ped- 

 dlers for each county in which they may ped- 

 dle. Lightning-rod agents are taxed $25 for 

 each county in which they may " operate," 

 and agents for non-resident owners who keep 

 pianos or other musical instruments on sale or 

 hire for commission $50 for each county in 

 which such agent or firm does business. The 

 appropriation act carries out as far as practi- 

 cable the reductions in the expenses of the 

 Government made by the new Constitution. 

 The decrease is very marked. The per diem 

 and mileage of members of the General As- 

 sembly have been reduced nearly one half; 

 the salaries of all the new judges have been 



