The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-13

committee on Legislative Deparithent to the omission of such provision m their report It may be that it should De added to their report as separate section. In my opinion. however 1t could be added to Section 49 as an amendment, hut leave that to the bet ter wisdom of the Committee. Mr. vaushn--I rise to question or privilege.
 The President--The gentleman will state the question of privilege.
 Mir. vaugi1n---On yesterday I jffsred substitute to Section s of the report of the Committee on Local Legislation. and the report has me as saying that under the Constitution of Mississippi. the Legislature can pass laws whereby towns may enact their local laws l said whereby counties could do se.
 Just beneath that, 1t has me as say nik that under the substitute offered Dy myself, the legislature would not have the authority to delegate that court, or aAy other body in the county, the au- thority to enact these local laws. l asked Mir. ,Pettus the question. and that question was this, under the sub- stitute as offered by myself. would not the Legislature have authority to dele gate to the Commissioners Court, or any other body, in the county. the au. thority to enact these local laws. l would like for the reporters to make the correction.
 The president--The stenographers will be yeQuested to note the correction.
 MT. Sanders--f ask leave to introduc9 a very short resolution.
 The consent was given.
 Resolution No. 24U by Mir Sanders;
 Resolved. That the Sergeant-at-Arms be instructed to place at least four more fans in this hall.
 MT. Sanders-For the purpose of put ting that resolution upon it's immediate passage, 1 mve a suspension of the rules.
 Upon vote being taken, the rules were suspended.
 Upon a further vote the resolution was adopted.
 On the call for reports of Committees the clerk read ths,sollowing report, sub mitted by Mir. Foster:
 Your Committee on amending the Constitution respectfully report back Ordinance 4i2 by Mir. Merrill of Bar bour with ths recommendation that it be adopted by this Convention.
 Respectfully submitted.
 Ordinance No. 412. by MT. Merrill;
 An ordinance relating to the bonded indebtedness of the State
 Be 1t ordained by the people of the State of Alaba ma in Convention assem- bied.
 That an act of the General Assembly of Alabama. entitled An act to con- solidate and adjust the bonded debt of the State of Alabama" approved Feb. ruary 1S. 1895, and an act amendatory fhnratA AAtffln5 of to atIannA Son. ton of an act to consolidate and ad- just the bonded debt of the State of Alabama" approved February 16, 1895, which said last named act was approv- cd February 16 1Ss9 Be and the same are hereby made valid. The Governor Is authorized and empowered to act under the same and carry out all the provisions thereof.
 Upon the call of tht standing com mittees. the Committee on Education submitted the following report:
 Report of the Committee on Educa- ton.
 Mir. President:
 The Committee on Education directs me to submit an ordinance to be in- corporated in the new Constitution as Article -- Education.
 A few brief explanations and intro ductory remarks arc necessary to the proper understanding Of the work and purposes of the Committee.
 Section 1. This section has been changed by striking out the word "eouar' as a basis of apportionment and substituting in substance and fact the provision for free school term of equal length as the basis of dieision of the school fund in the respective town ships and districts; but leaves the ap- portioninent to the several counties according to the number of school children therein. The latter plan is not change.
 Sections and remain unchanged.
 Section presents change in detail but not in effect Ii provides that all poll taxes shall be applied to the public schools Tn the counties where levied and collected, but leaves the regulation thereof as to amount and those subejct to such tax to the Article on Taxation and Suffrage.
 Section . presents apparently the gres test change, yet in fact is largely change in method only.
 The object of the Committee was and is. merely 10 guarantee as nearly as possible the present state school fund as the minimum constitutional fund.
 The Sixteenth Section interest. and the surplus revenue funds are trust funds ana must remain unchanged; hence the first part of the old Section remains unchanged
 The present State appropriation proper Is so50O0O and 70 this is added the special mill tax. which for the year 1900 has yielded to this date $255,- 11T.50 as shown by the Auditors books: and reliable estimate from this office shove that. notwithstanding the total assessment of s266Ss3,2SS for the year 1900. the mill tax will not exceed S257.- GOO. This being true, the total fund available for the scholastic year ending next September, exclusive of poll ta.s and trust fund interest will be s550, 0,OO0 plus mill tax. $257 900 or $s07. .0OO.
 In lieu of this annual appropriation and 1 mill tax, the Committee has sub stituted an annual 5 mill tax, or 70 cents on each hundred dollars. A 3 mill tax oh the assessed valuation of last year would yield $771 .000 as an an- nual fund. which would be S36,000 less than the fund for the present year. If the State should prosper and tha as- seEsment for 1901 should reach s9SO, ,000,- 900, 3 mill tax would yield $S05,s00 as a school fund, bccause only about 96 per cent of the total Is collected. 1t will therefore, be readily observed that, the 5 mill plan would approximately furnish the same revenue year in and year out. that we now have from the general appropriation, and the 1 mill tax. The superior merit of this plan Is that it fixes the school fund rtf- manently, and does not leave it to the