The age-herald., 1901-06-22
The Constitutional Convention Failed to Adopt Any New
 Sections Yesterday
THE GOVERNORS SALARY IF"
This Was the Principal Theme for the' Debators, and Judge Coleman and President Knox Were the
 Leading Orators.
BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER.

BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER.
 Montgomery. June 21.-(Special.)-To- days session of the convention was an- other failure as a constitution maker. Not section was adopted, although at the hour of adjournment the convention was discussing section four of the article on executive which prescribed the man. ner of publishing the returns for Gov ernor and the other state officers. The article as reported gave the joint assem- bly, power to correct errors in the returns. while some of the delegates wished to make their duties purely ministerial.
 Most of the days session was taken up with discussion over the O'Neal resolu- tion to fix the Governors salary. This matter was under discussion yesterday at the hour of adjournment and mo- tion then to table an amendment made by Judge Coleman of Greene to leave the increase to the discretion of the legisla- ture, was lost by a tie vote of 70 to 70. The matter was reopened today and Judge Coleman and President Knox debated it, with the result that Judge Coleman's amendment fell with dull sickening thud,'' the vote today being 56 for it and 80 against it. Judge Coleman in his re- marks made some caustic allusions to Governor Oates. comparing him to W. J. Bryan. The whole matter Is really much ado about nothing. The resolution. which is published in full below. has no legal. force, but is merely a request to the legis- lature sss,
 Before beginning his argument. Judge Coleman waived the olive branch of peace at Governor Jones. He disclaimed any intention of refecting on him in what he : had said yesterday. and Governor Jones said that while he had been wounded at the time, 1t was all right now, and only the fact that he was on crutches prevent ed him from walking over and shaking hands with Judge Coleman, whereupon everybody applauded and good feeling was restored.
 The committee on preamble and declara- tion of rights made it's report today. em- bodying substantially the article in the present constitution.
 The convention has done so little work in the last two or three days that Mr. Sanford of Pike moved to have an after noon session. This was not popular with the delegates, who voted 1t down. The fact of the matter is that the weather in Montgomery is hot, and one session a day exhausts all the energy that summer legislative body possesses.
 Convention Opens.
 The twenty-sxth days session of the Constitutional Convention was called to order by President Knox at 10 o'clock A prayer was offered by Rev. MT. Murphy
 Roll call showed 13S members present. The committee on journal asked further time in which to report Mir Ashcraft and Judge Cobb arose to correct errors in the stenographic report.
 MT. DeGraffenreid of Hale moved to dispense with the regular order of busi- ness and proceed with the question under consideration at the hour of adjournment yesterday.
 Judge Coleman of Greene arose to dis claim any intention of having intended to reflect on Governor Jones in his marks of yesterday. Governor Jones said he had been wounded at the time. but stncc Judge Coleman's disclaimer he would dismiss all thought of it and If he was not on crutches would walk over and shake his hand.
 MT. Kirk of Colbert offered a resolution to have committee of five appointed to prepare a memorial to Congress to have the Fifteenth Amendment annulled.
 President Knox then read a communi- cation from the Secretary of the Alabama Press Association acknowledging the re- ceipt of the resolution passed yesterday by the convention.
 General Harrison of Lee offered a reso- lution to fix the time for discussing reso- lutions.
 Judge Cobb of Macon offered a resolu- tion to amend rule 1 so as to limit the right of chairman to close debate to ten minutes.
 Also, that requests for leaves of absence be granted by the President without talk ing up the time of the convention.
 MT. Lomax of Montgomery, chairman of the committee on preamble then asked leave to make his report.
 MT Pillans of Mobile objected to the report being read as it had to be printed and he saw no reason of consuming time. This caused a reply from MT. Lomax, who said that if Constitutional Conven- ton refused to hear the declaration of rights of a people then civil liberty was in danger on the American continent.
 The rules were then suspended and the report was read to the convention.
 Preamble Report.
 The following are the material changes reported:
 The preamble has been shortened mere ly with a view of conforming to the prac- tice of recent conventions. all of which have adopted the shorter form of pream- ble.
 To section of the declaration of rights the following words have been added: ssNo law shall ever be passed to curtail or restrain the liberty of speech or of the press.'
 To section the following addition has been made: "A provision fixing in the constitution the right of the defendant testifying in his own behalf, and also one permitting motion by a defendant for d change of venue to be heard and de- tcrmiued in his absence"
 In section 9 the named misdemeanors are stricken out and the words Tn cases of mlsdemeanor'' are inserted.
 There is added in section 10 a provision |