The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-07
THE ARTICLE
 COMPLETED Judiciary Subdivision is
 Finished. a... CHANGE AS 2 SOLICITORS
 - a-
 os Method of St $ ;ti0n Caused Length. g lebate.
The Question of Fertilizer Tag Tax Again Comes Up in Body and Caused a Lively
 Discussion.

The Article or Judiciary was com pleted yesterday by the Constitutional Convention and it will be ordered to be engrossed for a third reading this morning. The surprise of the cay was ;he adoption by the body of a substi- reports on the question of Solicitors. The substitute provides for election of County Solicitors and was the result of a debate which consumed nearly all of the morning session.
 In the afternoon many amendments were offered as independent sections of the Article. but in nearly every instance they were promptly tabled.
 Late in the afternoon the Morrisette resolution reducing the fertilizer tag tax to 10 cents came up. IL had been favorably reported by the Committee on Legislative Department, and was set down as d special order immediately after the completion of the Judiciary Article. The matter was under discus sion when the Convention at [ o'clock adjourned until o'clock this morning.
 Convention Proceedings.
 The Convention was opened at 9 O clock yesterday morning with prayer by Rabbi A. J. Messing, and bare quorum was present.
 Mir. Sanford of Pike, introduced a resolution providing that delegates shall not be granted leaves of absence except on account of sickness. Re- ferred to Rules Committee.
 dn tion of the Article on Judiciary, and Section 27 was read. It provided that the Clerk of the Supreme Court may be removed by the Justices and Reg isters in Chancery may be removed by Chancellors. Such removal nus be accorded on the docket. The Section was adopted without division.
 Section 2S, which provided for the election of Solicitors by the people, pre- cipitated a lengthy debate. The mi nority report of the Committee recom- mended the present system of election by the Legislature.
 By consent of the minority of the Committee, MT. Sanford submitted an amendment to the minority report per- mftting County Solicitors to be elected by the Legislature.
 Ar amendment ny MT. Ferguson of Jefferson, that Solicitors shall be learned in the law. was accepted by the minority Committee.
 By a vote of 58 to 30, the minority report as amended was then adopted.
 The question recurring upon the Sec ton as amended by the minority re- port, MT. Spraggins of Madison, sent up an amendment placing County Solic- itors on salaries and addressed the Convention.
 1f In1 nr made an elaborate argument against the minority report IIhe sharply crit icised the ajority of the Convention for cutting off the majority of the Com mittee on Judiciary, and was frequently interrupted.
 MT. Hefiin of Chambers argued against the proposition to elect Solicit ors by the people. In discharging their duties Solicitors were compelled to make enemies and it was unwise to place them at the whim of the people.
 Mir Merrill of Barbour spoke in sup port of the majority report.
 The Ashcraft Substitute. MT. Ashcraft of Lauderdale sent up an amendment as substitute for the section as reported by minority. The substitute was as follows The So- licitor in each county shall be elected by the qualified electors therein eV- cry four years, whose salaries shall be fixed by law according to the require ments of each county. The office of Circuit Solicitor shall cease at the termination of the term of the present incumbents."
 Messrs. Ashcraft and Pitts of Dallas spoke in support of the substitute. Mir. Sanford of Pike made an ear oh1a arpnpoenf aVaInSt ha substitute. He said that Solicitors had never been elected by the peopies4n AL abama. ' Governor Oates argued against the majority report and Judge Tayloe of Perry spoke for the Ashcraft substi- tute. He said the people wanted Cuun- ty Solicitors.
 Judge Walker of Madison and Mir. Blackwell of Morgan spoke in support of the Ashcraft substitute and Mir. Spraggins withdrew his amendment.
 By vote of 73 to B the Ashcraft substitute was adopted and County So- licitors will succeed Circuit Solicitors. Section % was then taken up. It pro vides for Justices of the Peace and Consta bles as under the present sys- tenn. It also provides for inferior courts.
 A number of amendments were pre- sented and promptly tabled, although they gave an opportunity for a wide discussion of Justices of the Peace. The only amendment accepted by the Convention was one by MT. deGraf- fenreid of Hale allowing inferior courts established in cities of more than 300 population.
 The amended Section %, was adopted
 Section 30 which provides for the election and duties of the Attorney General was read and adopted with | out dvision.
 This completed the article as report ed by the committee and MT. Sanford of Pike sent up a new section that nothing in the article should interfere with the present office holder. It was tabled
 An amendment by Mir Burns that no Judrge should try case in which he was interested was tabled. MT. Ashcraft of Lauderdale sent up