The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-27

selection reached this city by the Selma
stage on the evening of January 30, 1916,
and the people of Montgomery proceeded to
celebrate the event by a grand jollification.
After nearly thirty years the prophecy of
Andrew Dexter, the founder of the city.
that 1t would become the capital OF the
state was verified. The people went to
work in earnest to accomplish all the re-
quirements imposed in the act of removal.
The city council issued bonds in the sum
of Sc, 900 to pay for the erection of the nee
essary capitol building, and at the sug-
gestion OF the late Colonel Charles T. Pol
lard, the property owners and capitalists
of the city came forward and bought up
the entire issue. The necessary building
committee was appointed, and the plan of
the new capitol was drawn by Stephen-D.
Button. The contract for the construction
of the building was let to B. f. Robinson
and R. N R. Bardwell. The contractors
went to work at once and had the building
ready for inspection by the commission In
time for that body to report to the secre-
tary of state, and for that official to eH-
anime It in person. to receive the keys and
to remove the archives OF the state from
Tuscaloosa to Montgomery in readiness for
the session Of the legislature in December,
l847
"In October, 1s47, Nimrod e. Benson, then
mayor of the city Of Montgomery. notified
the secretary of state that the new capitol
building would be ready for inspection by
the commission elected by the preceding
Legislature The commissioners were nott-
fed, and about the 1st of November the
secretary of state repaired to Montgomery
to receive the building. The structure was
satisfactory to the commission, and the
building was formally turned over to the
state by Mayor Niunrod e. Benson and
Colonel Charles T. Pollard, the chairman
of the building committee. The secretary
of state used the great key in locking and
unlocking the front door of the building.
and after this formality, the result was an
nounced that Montgomery became the>seat
of government and the fact was reported
to the governor"
Here is an account of the destruction of
the capitol by fire, which is taken from the
pamphlet:
''The second session of the legislature. to
meet in the capitol at Montgomery, assem-
bled on the 18th of November, 1919, and in
one particular 1t was the most sensational
session OF the general assembly ever held
In the state, The body had been In session
one month and two days when, on the 18th
day of December. the handsome state house
building erected by the people of Montgom-
cry caught fire during the days sitting, and
in three hours the structure was mass of
ruins.
eat o'clock on that day the house was
engaged in the call of the counties for the
introduction of bills and petitions. The
order was temporarily suspended to allow
the consideration and second reading of a
series of resolutions, introduced by Mr..
Blevins, of Dallas, to abolish the white
basis of representation. Mr.. Jones offered
a motion that 1873 copies of the resolution
be printed for the use of the house. Pend
ing this question, the roof of the house of
representatives was discovered to be on
fVYt.
does not show that the house adjourned.
The reference to the fire in the journal of
the house for that days session is the fol-
lowing, which follows the proceedings:
Note by the Clerk: Pending the above
motion at 1 o'clock and Is minutes p. M,
an alarm of fire was given. The roof of the
capitol was discovered to be in flames, and
in three hours from the first alarm the
broken walls alone remained. The public
records Of the various departments were
saved, and the greater part of the furni-
ture. The fire originated over the repre-
sentatives hail.
1.-THE senate journal disposes of the fire in
the following statement in the opening
paragraph of the proceedings of the ses-
sion of the 18th, which is: The state cap
itol, after adjournment yesterday, having
been consumed by fire. the senate, pursuant
to a notice by the president thereof, met in
the saloon of the Montgomery hall at 10
o'clock
1.-THE Montgomery Hall was then one of
the most famous hotels in the state, and
occupied the corner at present the site Of
the postoffice and government building.
s'The house of representatives met on
that day in the ball room of the same
hotel"
The question of rebuilding the capitol
aroused considerable discussion in the gen.
eraI assembly, but the building was finally
erected. There was some opposition to
having 1t in Montgomery, but this was
overcome and the comptroller's report for
1851 shows that 100000 was spent for the
erection Of a new capitol.
One of the most interesting features of
the historical sketch Is the one touching
the secession of Alabama from the union.
It is given almost In full
"Erom 1852 for several years, there was
little of interest In and around the capitol
building, but the agitation of the slavery
question which was kept up in the years
between 1862 and 1859, eliminated with a
series of momentous events In 1860 and 1881,
which have made the capitol at Montgom-
cry historically famous the world over.
ION the oath day of February, 1860. the
legislature of Alabama, in anticipation of
the possibility of the election of a "black
republican" as president of the United
States, passed resolution authorizing the
governor in the event of the election of a
republican at the election for president in
November of that year. to call q convention
of delegates to see what action Alabama
should take. The governor was authorized
to issue his proclamation ordering an cleo
ton to be held for delegates to such con-
yention to assemble in the capitol, ito con-
slider, determine and do whatever in the
opinion of said convention, the rights, in
terests and honor of the state of Alabama
requires to be done for their protection"
upon the election of Mr.. lincoln in No
vember, 1860, Governor A. B. Moore re-
ceived communication from citizens of
the following counties: Montgomery. Dali
las, Greene. Marengo, Lowndes, Perry and
Jackson calling on him for his construction
of his rights and duties under the resoiu-
tons passed by the preceding legislature,
since the contingency had happened in the
selection of Abraham Lincoln as president.
In reply to this communication Governor
Moore Informed the signers Of the commu-
nication that he felt that 1t would be his
duty to act after the electoral votes had
been cast, and In the event the majority of
the electoral college voted for Mr.. Lincoln,