The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-02

 | debatable question.
 Mir. Oates-Who said it was debata- bie, my dear sir: am just showing you what it is. I am not speaking to | 1t at all. and do not propose to. I know 1t is out of order. Now this Ia the l other volume. which contains the local | laws
 MT. Greer--I insist upon the point. Mir. oates-And these general laws I stand the resolution, it is to print these
 two volumes and that in one. | The Presidential seems to the Chair | the point of order is well taken. The | question Is on the motion to table the
 resolution as reported by the commit 1 tee.
 Upon a vote being taken | division was called for, and by vote of s1 ayes and H noes. the motion to table pre- | vailed.
 The President--The regular order vii, | the Committee on Taxation.
 Mir. O'Neal Iauderdale}-I desire to l offer an amendment, if 1t Is in order. 1 The President-The Convention, at | its adjournment, had under it's consid- eration section four. and there was | pending an amendment offered by Mir. deGraffenried. the gentleman from Hale. .. Mr. o'Neal (Lauderdale)--I desire to
 offer an amendment to the amendment. The President-The gentleman from l Montgomery CMr. watts) has the floor. | MT. o'Neal Gauderdale)-Will tbe gentleman yield to me for the purpose | of submitting this amendment2
 F. MT. Watts-Provided have the floor as soon as the amendment is offered. MT. Browne-I make the point of or der that the gentleman cannot yield for
 that purpose and still have the floor.
 The President--After the gentleman yields the Chair will rule on the situa- l tion when it arises.
 MT. Watts-I yield provided am to
 have the floor as soon as the amend
 ment is offered.
 The President-The Chair cannot | make any guarantees about what it will rule until the situation arises, MT. Watts-Mr. President, am | aware that this proposition to reduce the limit of State taxation, from 7S to \ 65 cents is no doubt a popular move, and would be received by the people with pleasure and gratitude; but, Mr. President. whenever question of pub lie import has come up for considera- ton I have never stopped to think | whether the one side or the other was 1 popular, but I have tried to content | myself with determining which side oK 1 the question was right, and having de- termined that. to follow that side, | whether it be with the majority or the minority. You might just as well give to a child who cries for it a dangerous | toy because he wants 1t, as to give to | the people of Alabama a reduced rate ! of taxation. when it would be danger
 ous to the fair name of this good State. There has been in the Constitution l since 1875. a limitation of IS cents on l the $lO0 as to State taxation There
 has assembled in this Capitol building a dozen Legislatures since that time, | and but one. believe, has ever | thought the needs Of the State demad- I ed the tax rate to be at the limit. Some of these General Assemblies have puSfhe tax rate at four mills upon the dollar. They have found their mis-
 take. They have involved the State
 in difficulties which have compelled the Executive officers to violate the Con- stitutton in going into the markets and borrowing money to meet the necessi- | ties of the State. If we have trusted the Legislature. in the past. why cannot we l trust 1t in the future? The members | Of the Legislature come here, as we do.
 from the people. Are we to say that those gentlemen are not interested in | the same manner that we are for the good of the people or this State, and for its good name? Are we to credit them with less patriotism than we possess? Why. then, MT. President, | should we refuse to leave this tax rate at 75 cents? Why should we reduce it | to 65 cents? Why should we not leave to the General Assembly the determin- ing of the affairs of government? Let us look back 6 little. Let us | look also at the present. We find the Governor writing to this Convention, or | at least to a prominent member of it, that 1t is dangerous to reduce this tax limit. We find the Treasurer, the man
 who takes charge of the funds, and who Is presumed to know best as to the liabilities of the State, warning us
 against this move. We find the Audit | or of the State likewise, raising
 cry of warning and telling us to be- ware.
 We find two ex-Governors upon this l floor giving us their experience and telling us the move Is dangerous. Not | only that, Mir. President, but I have before me statement showing the
 present income and present expendi- lures of this State, estimating the re- ceipts and disbursements on the basis | of 70 cent tax rate. This is 70 cents l mark you. and not 65 as proposed by | this committee:
 RECEIPTS.
 Assessment on $276,000.000, at