The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-08
fDISPENSARY BILL
IS ON CALENDAR
But VnORn When the House Hill
Consider II.
{ YESTERDAY
Should be Taken Up Alter
Aittes'S Adverse Report.
ION CARRIED BY VOTE. 65 TO rs
This Cannot Be Taken as Indicative
However-Many Members Want
Measure Discussed Who
Will Not Vote for 1t.
Should be Taken Up Alter
.AitteG'S Adverse Report.
ION CARRIED BY VOTE 65 TO rs

z
Montgomery, February 7.-(Special.)-
house had it's first fight over the dispensary
bill this morning, and in this preliminary
tilt the friends of the bill came out with
seeming victory by vote of So to %. This
vote cannot be taken as indicative of the
final result. however, when the bill comes
up for passage. The question at issue this
morning was whether the bill should be
taken up again after it had been adverse
ly reported by the committee, and given
fair hearing by the house or whether it
should be left in the obscurity in which tho
committee had put it. AS stated, those
favoring full discussion won out, and the
bill is now on the calendar with Jefferson
county, among others, excepted from its
provisions.
Immediately after this vote was taken,
motion was made to suspend the rules and
make the bill a special order for tomorrow
at 1890 o'clock. This motion failed, how
ever, as four-fifths of those voting must
favor suspension. They obtained only 60
votes, wnile n were required. The op-
ponents poled q votes.
The bill did not come up for discussion
again during the day, and it cannot be said
tomorrow, it is almost certain.
Not Real Test
This does not mean necessarily that the
bill will pass the house. 1t is known that
several of the members who voted to con-
slider the bill, Notwithstanding its adverse
report, are opposed to the measure, but
are simply willing to have it brought up
before the house for discussion. Then a
number of amendments will be offered
which will cause a decided change in the
vote. Among them will be one of Wilson
Browns to make the bill general, and let
1t apply to every county In the state and not
to the few. Some of the members are will
ing for other counties to have dispensaries
if they want them, but they are bitterly
opposed to doing away with the barrooms
at their homes. For this reason the fight
is going to be an extremely warm one.
The committee on revision of laws, to
which the bin was referred when it came
from the senate, tried hard to kill it in their
committee and let it rest for the remainder
of this session, but they failed. Last Thurs
day night they decided by a vote of to
to report adversely-on the bill, after which
time nobody on the outside seemed to know
what became of it. EARLY Monday morn
ing it was filed with the clerk of the house
as all adverse bills are, though no an
day yesterday everybody was asking when
the bill would be reported back to the
house, and when it was learned this morn
ing that this had been done yesterday
morning, it came very much in the nature
of a surprise.
The object of this quiet filing of the bill,
it is supposed. was to throw the members
of the committee who favored the bill
off their guard, for they intended filing
minority report. Under the rules of the
house unless a minority report is filed on
the same day that the bill is reported from
the committee.
The Fight Begins
The first move in the fight this morning
was the presentation of the petition pur-
porting to be a minority report, by MI.
Hubbard, of Pike who had been selected
to lead the fight for the bill.
Mr.. Mcqueen, of Jefferson, who was chair
man of the committee. and who had been
selected to lead the fight against the bill,
replied to Mr.. Hubbard. He said he would
depart from the usual custom, and tell ex-
actly what happened in the committee S
meetings while considering this bill.
me first question We had TO decide,
said he, was whether we should accept tho
bill just as we received it from the senate,
or should we amend 1t. Gentlemen repre-
senting their respective counties appeared
before the committee and asked that Ma
con- Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Calhoun, Ma
rengo and Cleburne counties be excepted
from the bill. We voted on this question
first, and decided to except Macon, Tusca-
loosa, Jefferson, Calhoun and Marengo
counties.
I'VE then voted on the bill in it's amended
form. and decided to report it adversely, by
a vote of to 8.
yesterday. hearing that the friends of
the measure would probably present to the
house a document, and L, thinking that they
had not acted in the same good faith to-
ward me that 1 had showed toward them,
that is that the question should not be
brought up until both sides were ready, and
also thinking that they were trying to over
rice me, L filed the bill with the clerk of
| the house, adversely reported. l raise the
| point of order that this minority report
| should have been filed yesterday, the same
| day the bill was reported, and Is conse-
| quently out of order today.
Mr.. Hubbard denied that he had acted In
| had faith toward Mr.. Mcqueen. He said
that his minority report was signed Sat
urday and that Mr.. Mcqueen, acting on
groundless rumors which he had heard con-
corning him, reported the Dill.
"Did you tell me that you were going
| around canyassing the house?" interrupted
| Mr.. Mcqueen.
| 1T didn't canvass the house." said Hub
| bard. ut was understood That was to gel
| up a minority report"
| The Points OF order
| Robinson, of Mobile. then got Up with
| another point of order which he claimed
| took precedence of McQuen's. 1t was that
| the bill having been reported adversely was
| not before the house and could not bt
| discussed unless by a three-fifths vote. thu
| house should decide to put it on the calen'
dar. Notwithstanding its adverse report.
Then followed a long and tiresome par
| liamentarys wrangle of over an hours dura
| ton. which, >as it turned out, was per-
| fectiy fruitless one. For Kyle, of Morgan
| who was in the chair sustained Robinson's
point of order and decided that the bill was
| not before the house. and Immediately
after this decision of the chair Hubbard
| moved to put the bill on the calendar
| which was done by good safe vote, as
stated above.
The debate was participated In by Nc.
| Queen, Hubbard, Robinson, Bulgsr. Helm
| of Chambers and Reynolds. At only one