The age-herald., 1901-06-25
Committee Recommends Re- ductiOn of State Tax Rate
 from 75 to 30 Gents
CITIES LIMITED 10 50 CENTS
Reconsiders It's Former Ac- ton and Makes Sherlffs Eligible to Hold Other Office With
 out Intervening Year.
BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER.

BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER.
 Montgomery, June 24.-(Special) The constitutional convention this morning proceeded to reconsider section 30 of the article on executive, which as adopted Saturday afternoon made a sheriff ineli- gible to election or appointment to any other office for one year after the expi- zation of his term of office. This provi sion was stricken out and the section In this respect remains the same as the law is now.
 A supplemental report to the report of the committee on local legislation, which recommended further restrictions on the powers of the Legislature as to local legislation.
 The question of the Governors salary was again taken up, and an additional section to the article on executive was passed, which authorized the Legislature, if they increased the salary of the Gov ernor, to make it apply to the next Gov ernor in office.
 The committee on municipal corpora tions made it's report It classifies cities, limits their debts to per cent of their assessed valuatien and limits their pow CT to tax at one-half of per cent, except Mobile, which may levy 75 cents and an additional tax of the same amount to pay its existing indebtedness. Birmingham and Huntsville are allowed to levy an extra tax of 50 cents for paying their debt, and the cities of Troy, Attalla, Gadsden, Bessemer, Woodlawn and Flor ence are authorized to levy an additional tax of 50 cents for paying their indebted ness, providing this tax Is authorized by a majority vote of the qualified electors in those. .oities.
 The entire afternoon session was taken up with a discussion of section one of the article on taxation and an amendment offered by Mir. Sanford of Pike to pro- hibit the Legislature from authorizing a fertilizer tax. The question was still un- der debate at the hour of adjournment. In supporting the Sanford amendment MT. Palmer of Washington made his first speech It was a great hit and he was roundly apprauded MT. Palmer is ia farmer, or as he described himself, The was an earnest old clod-hopper who had been hopping the clods all his life" He began by saying he had not introduced a single ordinance because he thought there were already enough to make ten constitutions and that he had not spoken before because he was afraid they would spring 'the questions at him land oth- CT things" He criticised the agricultural schools, saying they were merely high schools and that the students did no man. ual labor
 The Convention Opens.
 The twenty-eighth days session of the Constitutional Convention was called to order at 10 o'clock by President Knox There were 92 members present.
 Mir. Wilson of Washington, who on Saturday gave notice that he would to- day move a reconsideration of section 90 of the report on executive department, addressed the convention in support of that motion. Mir. Wilson said he objected to the section because of the provision that the sheriff could not succeed him. self or any other officer for one year after the expiration of his term. He did not believe the sheriffs of the state such a hard set of customers as to thus bc bound hand and foot and gagged If the sheriffs were so powerful in the state as to make them feared, the convention had best go slow, or the adoption of the Con- stitution might be endangered by their opposition.
 MT. DeGraffenreid of Hale replied to MT. Wilson. He said the delegates were here to frame Constitution for all the people. When an office was placed be- yond the reach of the officer to prosti- tute it to his personal advancement, the office was thus dignified. He said that this provision had been in the Constitu- ton through half century, This had beon done to take from the sheriff the o+ +a a,,t1, to ad- vance his political ambition. The sher- ifs of the state had been men of high character, well administering the duties of his office. So had the Governors of the State, yet this convention has said that the Governor could not hold the office of justice of the peace for one year after the expiration of his term. The office was thus dignifed
 MT. Williams of Marengo, a member of the executive committee said: "The sheriff took his office for the money which is in 1t, and he would perform his duties just as we'll if he were able to succeed himself. The committee saw fit not to change the section and he still thought 1t wise to leave 1t. as 1t is and not say that the sheriff shall not be in- eligible to succeed to another office It Is Just as fair to place the other county officers in the ineligible class with the sheriffs."
 MT. Boone of Mobile demanded the pre- vious question and upon roll call the mo- ton to reconsider was adopted by vote of 69 to 2. The amendment to section 30 providing that the sheriff cannot suc- ceed another office was tabled. Mir De- Graffenreid gave notice that he would on tomorrow move to take the amendment from the table. The section was then adopted as follows:
 Section Thirty.
 Sec. so A sheriff shall be elected in each county by the qualified electors thereof. who shall hold his office for term of four years unless sooner removed. and shall be ineligible to such office as his own successor Whenever any prisoner is taken from the jail or from the custody Of the sheriff or his deputy, and put to death, or suffers grievous bodily harm. owing to the neglect, connivance, cow. ardice. or other grave fault of the sheriff,