The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-27
PRESIDENT KNOX SPEAKS
Corporations Committee Sub- mitted Report Yesterday.
MT. Smith of Mobile Made an Able Argument Supporting Grand father Clause-Reduction
 of Fertilizer Tag Tax.

The features of the fifty-fifth day of the Constitutional Convention were the report of the Committee on Cor porations, a favorable report on the ordinance reducing the fertilizer tag tax to ten cents and brilliant speeches in support of "the grandfather clause" of the Article on Suffrage by Presi- dent Knox of the Convention, and MT. Smith of Mobile.
 The speech of MT. Knox was deliver ed at the morning session and was pronounced to be one of the finest ef- forts of the Convention. AS an evil dence of the appreciation of the body 5000 copies of the speech were ordered to be printed. The speech Of MT. Smith of Mobile, consumed one hour and fifteen minutes of the afternoon session. It was legal argument, showing the constitutionality Of the report of the majority Of the Com mittee and was frequently applaudeo.
 Messrs. Kyle of Etowah, Ferguson of Jefferson, Howell of Cleburne. and Spears of St. Clair, also spoke yester- day. MT. Spears had not concluded his remarks when the Convention ad- journed yesterday afternoon. lie WILL have the floor this morning.
 Notwithstanding there appears to be Q large majority in the Convention in favor of the majority report of the Suffrage Committee, the disposition has been to allow unlimited debate on this important question. The Convention AdODf6d a resolution providing for vote on the question Tuesday at 12:So o'clock.
 When the Constitutional Convention assembled yesterday morning MT Mur- phree of Pike, sent up petitions from Pike County citizens protesting against the issuance Of free passes and for abolishing the fertilizer tag tax.
 The Corporations Article.
 General Harrison of Lee. presented the report of the Committee on Cor porations with the Article on that sub- ject. Constitution are as indicated.
 Section 1 has been so amended as to deprive the Legislature or the rlsnt of creating corporations and to pro vide laws general in their character for 4ha formation of such corporations as may be necessary or desired. Also to require the Legislature to pass laws by which charters obtained under the general laws may be altered or amend ed.
 section 2 is amended so as to allow corporations whic.- have not completed their organization twelve months with in which to do so.
 Section $ is practically unchanged from the old Constitution, except in in, n views of some members of the Committee and of the Convention.
 Section 4 is changed to require for eign corporations to file their articles of incorporation and the law under which they are incorporated With the Secretary of the State in order that any citizen of the State in making in vestigations as to the character and standing of such corporations may do so by applying to the Secretary of State; and also to require foreign cor porations to pay the same franchise tax as is required of domestic corpor- atons. It provides further that strictly benevolent and religious corporations shall not pay such a franchise tax.
 Section Is changed So as to make clear the rights of corporations. In the Constitution as it now is the word charter is used, In the new Section the words declaration or application" are substituted in it's place. In other words, it is intended that the corpora tion shall only have those rights which ars set out in it's declaration or appli- cGtloE.
 Section is unchanged.
 Section : of the old Constitution is so amended as to add after the word "compensation" in the third line the following "to be ascertained as may be provided by law" and also by add ing after the word otherwise" in the ninth line the following: but such ap- peal shall not deprive the person who has obtained a judgment or condemna- ton from a right of entry, provided he shall have given bond with good and sufficient sureties to pay such damages es the property owners may sustain"
 Sections and are unchanged.
 Section 10 is changed so as to sim plify the section as it is now set out in the present Constitution, and also to make 1t conform to the amendment to Section 1.
 Section Il is amended by adding telephones"
 Section F and 13 are unchanged.
 Section 14 is old Section 21 renum- bered and is unchanged.
 Section 15 IS practically the same as Section 9 of the present Constitution, but 1t is enlarged in order to be more comprehensive and effective in its pur- poses and intentions.
 Section 16 corresponds to Section 23 in the present Constitution and is so amended as to prescribe a penalty for it's violation and defining the persons to whom free transportation shall not he granted This is the provision against the acceptance by public off 'cials of free railroad passes.
 Section 17 is a new section and is in- serted for the purpose of preventing railroads and others engaged in the common carriage of freight and pas sengers from giving rebates
 Section IS is submitted in lieu of Sec ton 24 of the Constitution of 1875 and is enlarged so as to include all public utilities; in other words, to prevent