Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-07


 th plrt of any inspector, clerk, returning officer or board of supe. vIsors.
 2. When the person, whose election to such office Is contested, was not eligible at the time of such election.
 8. On account of illegal votes.
 4. On account of the rejection of legal votes.
 5. Anything calculated to prevent fair electon.
 It must be shown that enough illegal votes heve been counted for tbe coutestee to bring his legal vote below that of the contestant before he can be deprived of his office.
 The bill then provides the manner of procedure on the part of the contestant. All contests must be commenced within thirty days after the election.
 The person contesting must give suffi- cient sureties 10 cover the cost of the cJn- test in such sum as the speaker may deem sufficient. At least ten days before the contest, the contestlng party must give the coutestee notice of the frauds he proposes to allese. The bill requires probate judges to give copies of the poll lists to either party upon application, on being paid the fees therefor. On the trial of the contest, the precinct inspectors shall be required to produce the original poll lists lad ballots filed and kept by them for examination, which shall be prima facie evidence that the parties named in the poll list voted. Any person may be required to answer whether he voted or not. Any witness who fails to appear on summons must be proceeded against as other defaultlng wit ness. The witnesses shall receive the same fees as witnesses in the state courts receive. The general assembly in joint session shall constitute the court of trial. The bill was eferred to the Judiciary committee. Mir. O'Brien's bill, No. 527, seeks to en- courage the investment of capital in cotton and wooden manufacturing concerns by ex- empting such enterprises from all taxes whatever for a period of ten years. Mir. Mcqueen introduced his constitu- tional convention bill into the house to- day. The blll has been printed in full in the AsE-HERALD. A poll of the house has been taken on the measure and it will pass beyond peradventure. The bill provides that the convention be held in this city about one year from this time.
 IN THE SENATE.
 The feature of the senate today was & joint memorial introduced by MT. Hollis, which relates to free silver and reads as follows:
 Whereas, The depression in business, the loss to agricultural aud the damage to in- dustrlal enterprises from an inadequate supply of currency, has proved worse than war, pestilence and famine; and,
 Whereas, The adoption of the gold stand ard has been demonstrated to be the fruis ful cause of more or less damage and jury to every kind of productive enterprise than any act of folly in our national history; therefore be it
 Resolved, That the senate, the house concurring, humbly beg congress to pass a bill for the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to l and the adop tion of some different system of finance than the national banking system, SO that the monopoly of money and control of the volume of currency will not only be taken from banking corporations, but be placed beyond the power of any combination of capitalists or syndicate of corporations, 1 sI @I- rIA.Q. l..to ume of currency to iueet the demands of commerce and the exactions of rapidly developing and growing country.
 Resolved. That the governor of the state be requestt to furnish copy of this me- morial to each of our senator's and repre- seniatives in congress.
 The senate proceeded to discuss the bill requiring the auditor to draw his warrants iu such different amounts for the legal claims due from the state as the holder of the claim may desire, not to exceed the amount of the claim.
 Mr. Sanford said: In the present fnan- ciai condition of the state this general as- sembly must do one of four things-reduce appropriations, hypothecate warrants in New York or elsewhere and pay interest, hypothecats these warrants without inter- est, as this bill proposes, or increase the tax rate. AS to the first, there cannot be much if any reduction of the appropria- tions; the state government has been wisely and economically administered for many years past. There cannot be any cutting down of appropriations without doing dam age to the pubic service, and do not ap- prehend that ihe appropriations will be interest on the deficit, or shall we provide for it without interest. We must do one or the other, or raise the tax rate. If that cap be avoided we ought to do it, or even if the tax rate should be increased what harm can this law do? l: the raising of the tax rate raises money enough to pay all the war rants, then well ana good, but If property depreciates as the tax rate increases and the next fiscal year finds another deficit, what will you do about it2 The creditor must wait, or you must borrow the money. But you cannot borrow the money without paying interest.
 Let there be no misunderstanding about this matter. If necessary to raise the ta x rate to preserve the credit of the state am pronouncedly in favor of it. If thought this measure in any way would in the re- motest degree affect the states credit, 1 would certainly oppose 1t. l have no pride of opinion in regard to 1t, and if the senate disagrees with me it is all right. l only desire to save raising the tax rate, if pos slble, aud save further burdens on the people if 1t can be done. It is simply a business proposition, and il there is any vice in it fail to see it.
 Senator Cunningham feared the war
 
 holders would suffer from such deprecia- tion, and preferred to borrow money and pay interest on sufficient funds to protect these warrants.
 MT. Milner favored the bill, which, al- though defective, was the best that could be done under the circumstances.
 MT. Brewer said the bill proposes simply an expediency often resorted to in financial exigencies, notably of the English govern ment. He thought failure 10 make an appropriation for that specific purpose did not necessarily initiate against. the bill. He alluded to The appreciation ofthe horse- shoe money. As a temporary expedient he favored the measure.
 Mir. Austil was first inclined 10 support the measure, but questioned the wisdom of securing temporary relief, and thought it was measure of such vital importance that it would be well 10 postpone consider ation of the same.
 MT. Moody opposed the bill; said the horseshoe money was sold as low as sev- enty cents on the dollar, and was intrn- sically more valuable than ordinary war rants because t.ey bore per cent interest aud insisted that if the state could no, kz, L<.,<