Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-17
RECLINES UPON THE TABLE
Constitutional Convention Bill
Meets a Waterloo.
EIGHTEEN TO ELEVEN
The Vote Announced Upon Motion to Lay on
the Table.
THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WAS IGNORED
Two Amendments, One to Allow the Capitol
to Remain Unmoested and the
Other to Allow
Representation From All Political Factions
Adopted, But to No Avail-Lively
Tilt In the House-Leg-
islative Notes and
Other News.

Montgomery, Feb. 16.-(Special) six
teen misguided senators, more than half
of them being populists, killed the con-
stitutional convention bill today, This
does not mean that the movement is dead
by any means, for 1t is already apparent
that it will be very live issue between
this and the next election, but it will
serve to set back the hands on the dial
of progress for two years at least. The
bill providing for the submitting of the
question of holding convention to the
votes of the people of the state after hay-
ing passed the house, came up in the
senate at the noon hour today. The lob
bies and the galleries were crowded and
the greatest interest in the result was
manifest.
After the reading of the bill Senator
Boykin, an enemy to the measure, offer
ed an amendment providing that all of
the delegates to the proposed conven-
ton should, before they should be allow
ed to qualify, agree that they would vote
against any proposition looking to the
removal of the capitol from Montgomery.
DR.. Cunningham assured the senate
that Birmingham was not aspiring to
secure the capitol; that the people of his
COuHly ldNOfeu tilG cplN6IllOIl CIltlly
for the reason that its probable action
would enable Birmingham to increase its
tax rate and by this means have income
sufficient to meet its honest obligations.
He moved, however. to lay Senator Boy
kin'S amendment on the table, which
motion was lost, and the amendment
was then adopted by vote of II to 12.
Mr.. Hundley then offered an amend
ment requiring that in the election pro-
vided for in the bill the officers and
Jo,lxe 4la Ill hn f.tr ;14,,+o
evenly among the several political par
ties in the state. After considerable
wrangling and discussion this amend
ment also prevailed, after which Sena-
tor Brewer moved to lay the bill on the
table, which was done by a vote of Is
to H.
On the motion to table the senator's
voted as follows: Yeas-Messrs. Brown,
Buchanan, Case, Day, Deans, of Shelby;
Deems, of Covington; Grant, Hall, Hol-
lis, Mathews, Moody, Nolen, Robinson,
Sayre, Smith, Sowell, Thomason.
Nays-Messrs. President, Abercrombie
Bathune, Cunningham, Hawkins, Hogue
Hundley, Lee, McElderry, Sowell and
Walker.
The senate then proceeded to the con-
sideration of the general revenue bill
which was the unfinished business at the
adjournment of the afternoon session.
Many amendments of more or less conse-
quence have been made to the bill in the
senate, but none that appear to imperil
its final passage,
THE HOUSE.
When the house assembled this morn
ing. Mr.. Davis. of Marion, called up
bill which provides for the appointment
of an Independent Jury commission for
Franklin county
He said that Franklin county was in
The hands of the populists and that the
people were not fairly represented. He
said the present commissioners had
a1 n n bad M
on any jury in that county in year.
He appealed to the democrats of the
house to stand by the democrats of
Franklin.
Mr. Cast opposed the bill in vehe-
ment speech, stating it was an attempt
to disfranchise the people of Franklin
county, and the charges made were false.
There had not been grand jury in
Franklin county for the last ten years
of which the foreman was not demo-
crat.
L have petition from eighty-four
democrats in the town of Russellville, in
Franklin county" continued Mr.. Cast,
asking this legislature not to pass the BILL
l represent the democrats as well as the
populists.
Mr. Hibbard followed and raked Mr.
Cast over the Goals for making the state
ment that he represented the democrats
in any way, and said: IT wish the mems
bers could have heard him misrepresent
them last summer. He denounced all
democrats as thieves and liars on every
stump in Franklin county.
Mr. Hibbard then called the previous
question, whereupon Mr.. Cast jumped to
his feet and declared the bill to be a
fraud and forgery and substitute for
the senate bill and had not had but one
reading before the house and could not
therefore, come up for passage.
Mr.. Hibbard insisted on his motion for
the previous question and the bill passed,
ayes AZ, noes 30
Mr.. Longshore gave notice that he
would on tomorrow move TO reconsider
the vote by which the bill had passed
During the roll call on this bill Mr.
Hearne arose and asked leave to explain
his vote. There was loud objections
from all parts of the house, but upon
motion of Col. John Burns, of Dallas
that the house allow the gentleman from
Choctaw to be heard lief was granted
Mr.. Hearne began in high key to de-
nounce the house for perpetrating gag"
rule and the democratic party and the
world in general. The speaker pounded
with his gayel, the gallery cheered while
the members laughed. But Hearne
stood at his post
The speaker commanded him to take
his seat, but he still continued to jesticu-
late and it was at least five minutes be-
fore the speaker could bring order out
of chaos.
Mr. Rrown moved that Hearne be
brought before the bar of the house and
publicly repremanded for his conduct in
refusing to obey orders from the chair.
He was forthwith brought before the
house and repremanded by Speaker
Clements.
The following other bills were passed,
by the house this morning:
S. 374To further regulate the holding