The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-13

| We all recognize the fact that Alabo- ma, when it was first organized. had 2s counties. Today we have s6. Our con stitutional area for county Is w-6oo square miles. I propose to reduce it to 400 but for information of the Con- vention will state that further on propose to offer a section. limiting the counties left to 600. That is, you can establish new county, provided it has 400 square miles and so much taxable wealth. If you take into con- sideration what other States are doing benefits to be derived from small coun- ties in the way of education. the bene- fits of brushing up against each other. the benefits to our country friends on account of better roads and local home government, which We all believe in. it will give our people opportunities they have not enjoyed heretofore. | MT. deGraffenreid-I move to lay the amendment of the gentleman on the table.
 The yeas and nays were called for by the delegate from Cleburne (Mr. How. ell.) The call was withdrawn and was then renewed by the delegate from Sum. ter (Rogers). but the cali was not sus- tained. And vote being taken on 2 division the motion to table prevailed by 63 ayes and 21 noes
 MT. Parker-I move the adoption of | Section ?.
 MT. Harrison--Under the ruling of the Chair. were not amendments only to be considered and then opportunity given for the substitute to he consid- cred?
 Mir. President-The Chair proceeded under that rule, but the gentleman from Jefferson announced that he would prefer to offer hIs amendments to each section as read.
 Mir. Moody-There is a minority re- port embracing Sections and 3.
 The President-The Secretary will read the minority report.
 The Clerk-The minority report does not embrace Section 2.
 MT President-The Clerk informs me that the minority report does not affect Section 2.
 MT. Foster-I think the Secretary 1. mistaken.
 The Clerk found the minority report referred to and IL was read as follows
 The undersigned member of the Committee on State and County Bound aries does not concur in the report of the Committee as to Sections 3. and 4, and he offers as substitute therefor the follwing:
 Sec. B. The bundaries of the several counties of this State as heretofore es- tablished by law .are hereby ratified and confirmed. The General Assembly may by vote of two-t thirds of both houses thereof arrange and designate boundaries for Sehe several counties O, this State. which boundaries shall not be altered. except by a. like vote: but no new counties shall be hereafter formed of less extent than six hun. dred square miles and no existing county shall be reduced to less than six hundred square miles: and no new county shall be formed which does not contain a sufficient number of in. habitants to entitle it to one repre- sentative under the ratio of represen- tation existing at the time of it's foun- dation. and leave the county or coun. ties from which it is taken with the , required number of inhabitants entit- ling such county or counties to sepa. rate representation. Respectfully sub. mitted.
 Milao Moody.
 c. H. Millerf MT. Robinson-I want to offer a sub- stitute.
 MT. BIackwell--I make the point of order that there is but one section be- fore the House.
 The President-The chair will rule if the committee desires to perfect that section it will have the opportunity to do so; and also to perfect three and four.
 MT. Cobb-I move the minority re. , port be laid on the table so far as it affects Section ?. It is in the identt- cal words.
 Mir. Presidential seems to the chair pursuing the same ruling that the chair announced awhile ago, that we } will pass over Sections and 3, ano then 1, and give the friends of th' measure an opportunity to perfect each section. Then the minority report will 7 be in order, as it relates to all three 7 sections. So, as there is no amend ment to Section 2, the secretary vii l read Section 3.
 , Section was read as follows: , Sec. 5. The General Assembly shall } have power, provided that each house, ? by a majority of the members elected 3 thereto, shall vote in favor thereof, t' eubmit to a vote of the people residing within the territory proposed to be taken from one county and given ts l another, l change or alteration tE r county lines, but no such change or al ? iteration shall be made unless suck } proposed change or alteration shall re. 5 ceive two-thirds of the votes of tho qualified electors voting at such cleo. 7 tion, and provided that no county lins shall be changed or altered so as to , reduce any old county below 800 square Y miles or which shall reduce the in
 habitants in any such county below ths f number of Inhabitants to entitle the county to one representative. [ The Clerk-To which there are two 3 minority reports; the one just read,
 which was signed by Messrs. Moody l and Miller, and the other of which A , as follows:
 We therefore move to amend the re-
 port by striking out five hundred where it occurs in Section 3, and adding
 in lieu thereof the word "six hun . dred." Respectfully submitted, J. E. Cobb,
 John H. Parker,
 E. c. Jackson. MT. Howel-I have an amendment | to Section 3. -..- Mir. Sanford (Pike)-I rise to a point of order. The President-The gentleman will state his point of order. ? MT Sanford (Pike)-The chair held a
 half minute ago that a minority had the same relation to the majority re- port as an amendment. That being the case, there are two minority reports, t and that would be an amendment to an amendment and no more amendments { can be offered until we can get rid ct s some of the amendments now before
 us
 [ The President-One of the amend