Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-03
TIE WAR IS NOW OVER.
ferson County Legislation and the Doings of It's Members.
To the Age-Herald:


 profitable business man who desires to live in peace with his fellow man can in- dulge in. have no desire 10 come before the people of Jefferson county just now and air myself by relating the true in- wardness Of matters legislative during the last session, nor would 1 but for the fact tbat some who were first and foremost in endeayoring to shape local legislation 10 serve private ends, are trying to dodge the inevitable.
 My attention was called this morning to an article in the Daily News from Col. Jchn T. Milner, relative to the passage of certain local bills through the legislature. The white haired senator says: "As l was in Hull control of the bill (ineaning the in- ferior court bil). and the only one in Montgomery with whom deal could have been made, l deem 1t neediul to make a reply. l cal see no foundation whatever for tue statement of MT. Montgomery's $ yourg friend 10 the m alter being fixed, and that the bill would become law, as no human being had said a word 10 me about the natter" Just here l desire to call Mr. Miners attention to a statement made to myself and others by Mir. Oscar Hundley, fellow senator, and chairman of the judiciary committee of the senate.
 Mir. Hundley came to my seat In the house and said: .'Ihere is evidently deal on foot Of some kind, aud il you will come to the cloak room will give you the end of the rope,o as he put it, 'and you can E follow 1t up.'' He stated that Frank Pettus met hlm and told him he wanted favorable report from the judiciary com nittee on the Birmingham inferior court bill; that he (Peitus) was personally inter- ested in the measure, and would accept 1t es persoIa al favor il he (Hundley, chair mau,) would report the Dill favorably at once. II am not mistaken MT. McCartin was present at the time Pettus made the Siatemart HundIav rSnIiaO. ft HRr6 comes senator Milner, I'll see what he says about it.o lie then said Senator Mllner came up and he asked him "what about this Birmingham inferior court bll?'' MT. Milner replied: ''l am opposed to it,. :Well, thea, l'll adverse 1t, VI said Hundley. Mr. Miner replied: "Oh, DO, don't do that; I'li fight it on the floor of he senate.''
 Subsequently. when I had the talk with MT. Robinson of Mobile, heretofore prin ted in the AeE- HERALD, and which 1 hereby reproduce as evidence in this connection, l believed had gotten pretty near all the "rope.o
 ''rhe night before house bill S2l was called from the table 1 approached the gen. tleman from Mobile, MT. Robinson, and pleaded with him to aid me in my effort to avert so great calamity from the city of Birmingham as the turning over to the Southern company of the Alabama Great Southern. MT. Robinson replied that he regretted very much his inability to com- ply with my request; that MT. Montgom- cry had approached him and said be had bill in the senate which sought to create an inferior court in the city of Birmingham, and that he was candidate for judge of said court that Senator Miner was op- posed to the bill, and that he (MontgoLn- ery) wanted him (Robinson) to permit him (Montgomery) to say to Senator Milner if he would vote for the court bill in the sen- ate and not attempt to prevent it's passage tvOuI0 ha quthoriZpd n Say that Mr. Robnson's 8 vote would be cast for house bill S21, better known as the Southern soctopus bill Mr. Robinson, after making the foregoing statement, re- does not accede to the proposition and per- init the court bill to pass the senate will then consider your urrequest.
 My colleagues, Messrs. John, Lipscomb and 1 think MT. Fulton were present, and will remember that MT. Robinson was temposary speaker when l arose to ques- tion of personal privilege and made the statement con tained in the paragraph re- produced above, and certified to the cor rectuess ofthe statement by not denying it when he was relieved by MT. Clark.
 Major CD O'Brien herewith respectfully puts few questions to "the gray haired senator,o which he hopes he will enlighten his suffering constituents on while he is making statements.- Why did he not call up and pass the bill which cut down the
 
 days in each month as commissioners and to five days in each quarter in their sepa- rate districts as inspectors of roads? Why did he not pass the jury law bill, which would have put the drawing of juries in the hands of parties more competent to draw Juries than the gentlemen composing the court of county commissioners? Why did be not pass or permit to be passed the bill giving prior lien to all wage earners in case of insolvency? Can he enlighten his Gttfuapte a why the QOOrs of inc judiciary committee were absolutely closed against my colleague, MT. Lipscomb, and myself when we wanted to get them to con- slider the two weeks' pay and anti-commis- sary bill? 1 apprehend that the foregoing questions are pertinent since explanations are in order. The TWO weeks pay bill passed the house by vote of 73 ayes, 2 nays. The "wage earners' lien" bill passed the house-6S ayes-not one single negative vote. Certainly senatorial cour- tesy played a prominent part in killing tn ese good measures. The latter bill had been adversed during one of my flying visits to Birmingham on business con- nected with the "octopus railroad bill, ," fact I immediately called upon Senator Samfo ford and he said: "Go tell Hundley am willing to have him put the bill on the calendar.' This Mir. Hundley willingly did, as Twas informed that 1t was at the request of MT. Sanford that the bill was auversed, and he had been requested by another party to do so. Just as soon as got the bill back on the calendar went to tUncle Johnnie'' and begged him to call the bill up, urging upon him the ton especially to the number of men near his own home (Mary Lee mines) who had lost m6ney honestly due them when the Mary Lee went into the hands of a receiver. tried to show him where clerks often, in their efforts to aid their employers, would ba.caught by foreign merchants att taching Of foreclosing mortgages given for old debts; but all my entreaties were in vain. My gray haired old friend had his head "sot, and nothing could say would