The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-04
GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED
Bill viii Probably Reach Sen
ate Today.
BURKHALTER LED FIGHT FOR BILL
Gibson Vigorously Opposed Measure
As Being Undemocratic.
PERSONAL FEELING SHOWN
Opponents Pleaded That Final Action
Be Postponed So That the 1ndict-
ed Commissioners Gould Be
Heard in Their Behalf.
PERSONAL. FEELING SHOWN

Montgomery, February 3-(Special)-The
hill to abolish the commissioners court OF
Jefferson county and to provide for the
appointment of a board of revenue passso
the house by vote of 81 to Il tonight
The vote in the house is a greater VIC
tory than was anticipated. The Dill VIII
reach the senate tomorrow and will be
considered by that body some day next
week. 1t is claimed that it will pass that
body by a good majority, notwithstanding
the fact that Senator Cunningham is out
spoken in his opposition to the bill.
The bill was first brought before the
house by Mr.. Gibson, who moved that 1t De
made special order for next Tuesday at
10 O'Clock. This motion met with a prompt
motion to table. This was the first test
of the strength OF the bill. The motion
to table was carried by vote of 50 to 81.
The minority then began dilatory tactics,
but the speaker announced that no such
tactics would be allowed. Members would
only be recognized at their seats.
Pleaded for h air Hearing
Mr.. Gibson moved that the bill be set for
special hearing Monday morning and plead
ed with the house for a fair hearing of tho
Ills ilOl4On was ldDiSQ. ALI
other wrangle occurred which was partici-
pated in by a number of the members.
Feeling was intense and personalities were
occasionally dealt in.
The fight for the measure was brilliantly
led by Messrs. Burkhalter, Huey, Brown,
Mitchell, Kyle, Hefiin of Chambers, Bran
den, Seymour, Spears, Hubbard, Patterson.
The opposition was led by Messrs. Gibson,
Davidson, Cofer and Tunstall. After
wrangle Gibson moved to make the bill
special order for tomorrow at 10 O'Clock,
Cofer offering as a substitute that 1t ne
made special order for Wednesday even
ing. The motion and substitute were tabled
by a vote of 49 to "a. Wilson Brown then
moved the regular order, which was the
call of counties for the passage of bills.
The jefferson bill was the first called up.
The point was raised by Mr.. Cofer that the
bill! was not ON the calendar, as he had not
voted to place it there yesterday. The
point was overruled, and the bill was or
dered read a third time
The speaker made the announcement that
he proposed to be absolutely fair in his
rulings on this bill, and stated that no men,
Der would be recognized to move the pre-
VlOuS question Oh Tie pdSSd5C OA Inv SA4A
until it had been thoroughly discussed, nor
would any member be recognized to make
a dilatory motion.
Gibson Opened Debate
The debate on the bill was opened by Mr..
Gibson He regretted that the matter had
been rushed through and called up this
evening out of it's regular order because OF
the agreement with the gentlemen which
had the control of the bill to fix the time
on which the matter should be brought up
that both sides could be represented. He
said that the proceedings this evening were
undemocratic, unjust to the parties con-
cerned and not in accordance with the
statutes providing for the impeachment Of
officers He cited article 70 of the consti-
tuition as to the removal of officers, and
section 44S7 of the code to show that it was
the duty of certain officers to institute these
proceedings He said that the present pro-
ceedings were akin to mob law, and that
impeachement proceedings could have been
instituted either by the governor or five
citizens of the county, and the only rea-
son assigned for the departure from the
usual course and bringing 1t before the leg
islature was the statutory weakness in Sc
lecting Jurors who would be chosen by these
parties to sit upon their own cases. These
gentlemen cannot come here to defend
themselves, and instead of pressing this
measure the friends of the bill should have
remedied the defect in the drawing of
Jurors. He enumerated the various charges
against the commissioners and endeavored
to show the fallacy thereof, and then re-
viewed at length the matter of assessing
taxes.
Mr.. Davidson followed in an argument
against the bill and the methods of pro-
cedure taken. When he had concluded
there were loud calls for ''the question:"
but the speaker failed to recognize them.
Burkhaltcr for 1t
Mr. Burkhaltcr then spoke briefly. The
opponents of this measure had refused to
answer a single 0a] of the charges con-