Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-20
Passed in tte Last Hours of the
 General Assembly.
JEFFERSON COUNTY AUDITOR
And Police Commission Bills Now Laws,-Col. Johns Bout
 in the Enemy's Camp.

suits to Birmingham.
 The county auditor bill and the bill to define the powers, etc., of the police com- mission and the mode of selecting same were passed by the senate in the closing hours.
 Both bills have been signed by the gov erncr and are now laws. In connection with the auditor there were other measures introduced which, had they, too, become laws, would have re- suited in a saving to Jefferson county of much revenue.
 THE AUDITOR BILL.
 House bill No. 1o97, by Mir. O'Brien, creating the office of county auditor, when was passed and is a law, provides that the said i, fiter shall audit all accounts and make all purchases and do everything usually done by an auditor of accounts. The appointment is to be made by the governor. The original bill contemp plated a salary of sf500 per year, put after consult tation with his colleagues MT. O'Brien amended 1t, reducing the same U SlS0o. If the proper person receives the appoint ment, by the operation of this measure the county will save great deal of money '
 BILLS NOT LAWS.
 If the jury commission bill and the bill to regulate the court of county commis- sioners had not been pocketed in the senate by the gray haired senator from Jefferson county at least S5O00 per annum would have been saved 10 the county.
 Mir. O. Brien's bill No. 1210, 10 amend an act to prescribe and regulate the holding of courts of county commissioners Of Jefferson county, approved December 5, 1892, pro- vided that the commissioners court shCu meet on the first Monday In each month, and remain In session six days and no longer. 1t further provided that each com missioner should devote five full working days in every quarter inspecting roads Tn the district in which he was elected. The rate was reduced from S5 to "A per day, no changes having b,en made in mileage.
 Under the machinery of the new revenue bill the method of assessment has been materially altered. The board of county assessors, consisting of one appointed by the governor, who IS constituted the chairman thereof, at q salary of S4 per working day; one to be elected by the county commissioners, at salary oi B per working day, and the third the county as- sessor, who Is to receive the fees of that of- flee. The county commissioners are pro- hibited from electIng one of their number as an assessor.
 POLICE COMMISSION BILL,
 great many readers of the AaE- HER. AID being desirous of knowing the con- tents of tHouse bill S90, to define the powers and duties of the board of police commissioners of Birmingham, lntro- duced by Representative 5. w. John of
 
 of the bil and its history is herewith given.
 As originally drafted by MT. John the bills provided that the commissioners should be appointed by the governor, and their terms Of service should begin as soon as their appointments were made. The bill was referred to the house corporations committee, and was reported back with an amendment by Mir. O'Brien that the board should consist of five members, the mayor as president, and two members .f l members 10 be appointed by the governor. As amended the bill passed the house and went 10 the senate. here it was referred to the committee on local legislation, which reported it favorabIy. Mir. Miner, however, pocketed the Dill, and night, when he sent an amendment to Mr. O'Bren by MT. Robert Lowe providing that all the board should be appointed by the governor, the appointments 10 be made ss 1 he terms of the present incumbents ex- pifed. his amenuInent was accepted and the bill passed and became a law by the hffixing of the governor's signature 10 the same.
 A sENsATIoN.
 Ca the eve of adjournment Col. Sam Will John of Jefferson created sensation which will long be refriem bered by the members of the legislature. It was a pro- test with reference to the tax assessment bill and reads as follows: MT. Speaker, the most important duty that this general assem ply had to perform was 10 provide the ways and means to carry on the state government that it might aominister justice, execute the laws and protect the liberties of tue people.
 In mediately upon the meeting of the general assembly we were officially in- formed by the governor of the great Enan- cial embarrassment of the state and of the pressing necessity for speedy action and certain relief in message that is remarka- bie for it's simple, plain statements, yet so forcible that he who runs may read.
 This condition was, and is, simply that the state is well nigh bankrupt. This did not come from wasteful expenditures nor from extravagant appropriations, nor from dishonest officials, but it was all the direct, immediate result of a great and rapid con- traction of the currency and of turning over the treasury, the financial policy and laws of the federal government to the un- bridled lust for unlawful gain of the bank CTS, whereby in few months business was paralyzed, enterprise killed and labor un- rewarded and many of our people reduced 10 beggary and want, aud the revenue of the state below the sum justly required for It's support.
 Recognizing the necessity for prompt, intelligent action, and that large amounts of the most valuable property in the state had altogether escaped taxation or been grossly undervalued, the finance commit tee of the senate early in the session framed extended merdments to the laws regu- Iating the assessment of taxes, or that part of the laws on the general subject of taxation popularly called the "ma- chinery" of the revenue law. This was submitted to joint committee of the gen. eral assembly during recess, which assigned to me the duty of preparing amendments of the statutes defining the subjects of taxa tion. These were prepared in the light of the most recent decisions of the supreme courts, state and federal, and approved by the joint committee ana incorporated in a general bill, which was introdu uced in this house by the representative from Calhoun >HRenty, Mir. Kelly, and referred to the
 Rnitiee on ways and means. Had it
 Ii';:; ;::;; ;:';,.! 5; ||11 1I:: $: