Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-19
THE ASSEMBLY ADJ0URNS.
But Little Work Accomplished Yesterday in Either House-The Lawmak-
 CTS Homeward Bound.

Montgomery, Feb. 1S.--(speciaD D.-After fifty days session the state legislature adjourned tonight at midnight. They have had a number of important bills be- fore them during the session. They pass ed the back tax commission bill, the bill for the inspection of kerosene, the insur- ance commission bill and the bill to ex- empt money invested in cotton factories from taxation for ten years.
 They killed the bill for constitutional convention, and the bill to increase the powers of the railroad commission. The local bills were innumerable and many were left on the calendar
 Today's session was devoid of any special interest.
 The house reconsidered and defeated the Searight prohibition bill and bill to incorporate ferry company here.
 THE SENATE.
 The senate galleries were graced by the presence of a large number of Ala bamas patriotic women this morning, among them being Mrs. Bibb and Mrs. Bethea, of the Memorial association. The fate of the house bill which appropri- ates $1,000 to complete the confederate monument on Capitol Hill was to be de- cided today, but has not yet come up. The only other general bill of import ance yet to be considered by the senate is the general revenue bill, which it has already amended in many details. This bill is in charge of Senator Brewer and has the right of way. He can call it up al any moment.
 A resolution to allow each senator to call up a bill for passage as his name was called was adopted This order superseded all previous special orders and the crowd of expectant ladies were thus kept on the ragged edge of sus- pense," awaiting the debate on the monu- ment bill until past noon, when Senator Sayre came gallantly to their relief and, by his personal influence, obtained unan- imous consent to call up the bill.
 The time of senators in debate was limited to five minutes each.
 MT. Sayre yielded his time to Dr. Cum ningham whose eloquent periods merited the spontaneous applause that they elic- tied.
 Senator Case opposed the bill on ac- count of the present poverty of the state and dragged in the threadbare, coperas- breeched bare-footed boy and one-gal- oused girl and appealed to the prejudices in favor of money for common schools, etc.
 He was answered by Senator Brooks, of Geneva, who paid tribute to south ern womanhood. He, like Senator Cum ningham, was the recipient of flowers from the galleries.
 Senators Hundey and Hawkins fol- lowed him.
 Senator Cunningham closed the de- bate in the remaining one minute of his time in burning words which thrilled his whole audience.
 The bill was then passed by a vote of "A to D. Those voting in the negative were Messrs. Brewer, Case Hogue, Rob- inson and Sowell.
 Senator Cunningham remarks on the monument bill were particularly elo- quent. He said:
 Mir. President: To keep green and fresh in the minds and memory of posterity the holy aspirations, deeds of heroism and examples of Valor and results of great achievements of preceding generations, is an honorable ambition and lofty senti- ment, just and righteous design. To this end from time immemorial all peoples have endeavored by material construc- tions, out of stone, marble and bronze, of obelisk, column, building, monument and stone. From these and the charac- ters upon them we trace the earliest his tory of civiliza tion-from the earliest Egyptian, Indian and Semetic to the present time. No object was ever more just, more righteous than the one sought to be consummated and completed by this trif1ing appropriat ton. Mir. President, what is believed to be true in one gen. erat tion may be heresy in succeeding one. The fact that public opinion upon cesession. slavery and states rights may have changed, and the fact that no sec
 
 country, nation and flag than these southern states-once the confederacy- | does not in the least detract from the righteousness of our cause, the heroism of our soldiers, their deeds of valor nor l the sacrifice of our people. Let us, therefore, complete this mon- ument, not only as a just tribute to the | Alabama soldiers who fell in battle, moi | only as a means of perpetuating in this i monument a fond. loving apprecia tion i and devoted remembrance of those fallen 1 heroes, but also as an acknowledgement l of the tax payers of Alabama of the loyal l devotion, earnest efforts and prayerfu 1 devotion of the women of Alabama, whc ! have crystalized their energies, love oi | country and loyalty to principle by erect | ing almost to completion this magnificent ', monument.
 1 MT. President, 1t Is trifiing sacrifice l of treasure 10 ke+r alive and fresh in the 1 minds of oar people the sacrifice oi blood. sf+,, | In that cause which gose with For