GEORGIA. 



421 



rules and regulations to designate and fix the 

 ditl'rri'iKv in rates of freight and passenger 

 transportation, to be allowed for longer and 

 shorter distances on the same railroad, and to 

 ascertain what shall be the limits of longer and 

 shorter distance. If any railroad company, by 

 its agents or employees, shall be guilty of a 

 violation of the rules and regulations provided 

 and prescribed by the Commissioners, and if, 

 after due notice of such violation given to the 

 principal officer thereof, ample and full recom- 

 pense for the wrong or injury done thereby to 

 iiny person or corporation, as may be directed 

 by the Commissioners, shall not be made with- 

 in thirty days from the time of such notice, 

 such company shall incur a penalty for each 

 otfense in the sum of not less than one thou- 

 sand dollars nor more than five thousand dol- 

 lars, to be fixed by the Judge presiding. An 

 action for the recovery of such penalty shall 

 lie in any county in the State where such vio- 

 lation has occurred or wrong has been perpe- 

 trated, and shall be in the name of the State 

 of Georgia. The Commissioners shall institute 

 such action through the Attorney-General or 

 Solicitor-General, whose fees shall be the same 

 as provided by law. The three Commissioners 

 appointed by the Governor were ex-Governor 

 Smith, Samuel Barnett. and Major Campbell 

 Wallace. 



There was a large number of local-option 

 laws passed, and the tendency of the legislation 

 shows that the cause of prohibition is gradually 

 gaining ground. In many counties the prohi- 

 bition is made absolute, and in many others it 

 is left to the vote of the people. In the north- 

 ern part of the State the interest is the most 

 decided. 



The highest rate of interest that may be ex- 

 acted in the State is eight per cent., but only 

 in specified cases. When no rate is named in 

 a contract, the legal rate remains at seven per 

 cent. A violation of these conditions brings a 

 forfeiture of the interest and excess of interest 

 charged. 



A military bill was passed, which provides 

 for a reorganization of the State volunteer sys- 

 tem. There are to be no regiments, but all the 

 companies are to be formed into battalions. 

 The Governor is to enforce such organization. 

 The white and colored battalions are to be 

 kept separate, and are to be organized in dif- 

 ferent series, so that each series will have its 

 senior officers. A State flag is adopted for the 

 first time. Not a dollar is to be expended on 

 the military except what may arise from the 

 fines and forfeitures of the military courts- 

 martial, which will be nominal. The proposi- 

 tion urged by the Military Commission that a 

 per capita tax of fifty cents be levied for milita- 

 ry purposes was rejected by the Judiciary Com- 

 niitu-e as unconstitutional. The Governor re- 

 mains the Commander-in-Chief of the army and 

 navy of the State, and the Superintendent of 

 Public Buildings, who is Mr. John B. Baird, 

 was made Adjutant-General of Georgia. 



An act was passed appropriating $60 a year 

 for five years to every soldier of the Btate who 

 lost an arm or a leg in the late war. The ap- 

 propriation was made for the purpose of al- 

 lowing the disabled men to buy a leg or arm 

 for themselves. It is estimated that the cost 

 to the State will be between $60,000 and 

 $100,000. 



The most important measure relating to 

 education was the passage of an act creating a 

 normal school. The law requires that the 

 State shall furnish an appropriation of $6,000 

 per annum whenever the agent of the Peabody 

 fund may furnish a like amount. The school 

 shall then be located in the city or town of the 

 State that offers the most liberal inducements 

 to it. 



An act was passed to define the crime of 

 lobbying, and to prescribe penalties for the 

 same. It declares two classes of persons to 

 be lobbyists: 1. Persons who misrepresent the 

 nature of their interests in any matter pending 

 in either House ; and, 2. Persons who are em- 

 ployed for a consideration, by any person or 

 corporation interested in any measure, to favor 

 or oppose such measure. These two classes are 

 prohibited from any personal solicitation of a 

 member of either House, by private interview, 

 letter, message, or other means and appliances 

 not addressed to the judgment. All others 

 may approach members in any manner, but the 

 above classes are prohibited from doing so 

 under penalty of being guilty of a felony. The 

 man who approaches a member under false 

 colors, or who comes with a fee or other re- 

 ward, becomes a felon. 



Previous to the recess of the Legislature in 

 December, 1878, a committee was appointed 

 to make an investigation into alleged frauds in 

 the disposal of wild lands on the part of the 

 office under the charge of Comptroller- General 

 Goldsmith. These are lands not in cultivation 

 or use, and of course bringing no revenue to 

 their owners. They are scattered throughout 

 the State, and the taxes are scarcely ever paid 

 on them. The law provides that they shall be 

 sold in default of taxes. Hundreds of thou- 

 sands of acres have been sold within the past 

 year or two, bringing only about enough to pay 

 the taxes. It was found that the Ji. fat. for 

 these lands had been transferred by the Comp- 

 troller to four men, who, as speculators, bought 

 in thus probably 800,000 acres of land for little 

 more than the taxes, and less than one per cent, 

 of their assessed value. The speculation was 

 a gigantic one, and an investigation was or- 

 dered. The Comptroller claimed that he had 

 made the transfers under the written opinion 

 of the Attorney-General, which was true. The 

 committee made their report on July 7th. 

 The majority said they could find no evidence 

 that the Comptroller had any interest in the 

 transactions, except his charge for costs, and 

 added : u In view of the wholesale frauds com- 

 mitted in these transactions, we respectfully 

 recommend that the Legislature do pass an act 



