The age-herald., 1901-06-29
These Were the Subjects Con- sidered in the ConVen-
 ton Yesterday
NO INCREASE IN STATE DEBT
MT. Reynolds of Chiffon Introduces Resolution Prohibiting Newspaper Men From Accepting Railroad
 Passes-Proceedings.
BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER.

| Montgomery. June 2S.-(Special)-Th
 convention today adopted section three
 of the article on taxation. This provides
 that no new debt shall be created except
 to repel invasion or suppress insurrection
 and authorizes the present debt refund
 ed and also authorizes the Governor to
 make temporary loans amounting to s300,- 1 900.
 An amendment by Gen. Oates to regu-
 late the refunding of the state debt and
 providing the capital and buying the re-
 maining part of the capitol square was
 defeated.
 | Most of the day was spent in debate
 over section four which changed the
 state tax limit from 75 cents per s100 to 65
 cents. An amendment by Mir Graham of
 alladega to Fave it at 5 cents was ta-
 bled. Just as the convention was about
 to vote the section as reported the hour of adjournment arrived. Among
 those speaking were MT. Lowe of Jeff
 ferson. who was in favor of the present
 tax limit, and Dr. Cunningham, who was
 in favor of a reduction.
 Among the resolutions introduced today
 was one by MT. Reynolds of Chiffon to
 prevent any newspaper or newspaper rep
 resentative accepting pass from a rail-
 road, and providing a penalty of $500 for | it's violation.
 Convention Opens.
 The thirty-second day's session or tffe
 Constitutional Convention was called to
 order by President Knox at 10 o'clock
 A prayer was offered by Rev. A J.
 Lamar.
 Roll call showed 40 members present
 Several leaves of absence were granted
 and the journal was reported correct. The roll was then called to enable | members to introduce resolutions. | MT. Burns of Dallas offered a resolu- s l tion to strike out section 30 of the article | on executive so as to put sheriffs on the | same footing as other county officials MT. Coleman of Walker offered an ordinance to the same effect. | MT. Duke of Chambers offered resolu- 1 tion reciting an article in the Huntsville
 Mercury describing the hot weather in | Montgomery and inviting the citizens of | that city to come to Huntsville and get | cool. It was referred to the committee | on miscellaneous provisions. | MT. Foster of Tuscaloosa offered a
 resolution that the committee on rules
 assign such time for debate as they may | think proper to the consideration of each
 article.
 i MT. Graham of Talladega offered a
 resolution to fix the afternoon sessions
 at from 3:30 to 5:30.
 Mir. Hef1in of Chambers offered reso- | lution to fix the hours of sessions at | from 9 to 1 and to 6. 1 MT. Jackson of Lee offered a resolution | to limit debate to ten minutes for each | member except the chairman of a com
 mttee.
 1 Mir Reese of Dallas offered a resolu- txx4, | duced except at roll call for that pur- | pose.
 | MT. Reynolds of Chiffon offered a reso- | lution that no newspaper or representa- | tive should receive a pass from a rail-
 road and providing penalty of $500 for violating the ordinance. | MT. Spraggins of Madison sent up | petition which was read. It was against | the enactment of privilege licenses and
 was from some of the merchants of
 Huntsville. The Wholesale Grocers As- | sociaton of Huntsville also presented a | petition urging that the railroad commits
 sioners be elected by the people l MT. Waddell of Russell introduced a | resolution to limit debate to ten min l utes.
 Oates Amendment. | The convention then proceeded with the | consideration of section three of the arti- | cle on taxation and Governor Oates
 amendment, which authorized the issue cf | s96400 Of bonds to improve the capitol
 and buy the remaining part of the cap | itol square, and to authorize the issuing | of fifty year per cent bonds to refund | the debt of the State of $S,500,000 which | falls due in 1906. This amendment limited
 the total amount of the State debt to | S9. 800. .000
 | Governor Oates proceeded to explain the l object of his amendment. He related the | history of the outstanding bonds and said | 1t was important to have the refundlng | ordinance clear and specific: that it would | add to the value of the bonds to put in a | provision to limit the total amount of tho | State debt and that long date bonds would | sell higher than short date bond As | to that part of his ordinance which auth ] orized the purchase of the remaining ps-. | of the capitol square. he said it was s'of z | ble there might at some time be enough money in the treasury to buy this prop | erty, but as 1t was not certain, he had | provided for the issuing of bonds for the | purpose The present capitol was a good | building but 1t needed improvement and | additions He spoke of the economy of | repairing the present building. rather | than waiting and having to build a new | one at a cost of s1.00o.00o. He spoke of | the historic interest of the present capitol. | in the hall of which the first Confederate 1 Congress had assembled. He spoke Of | Toombs, Cobb. Stevens, Davis and other | prominent Southern men whose presence | had lent historic interest to the building.
 He appealed to the state pride of the | delegates to make the capitol presentable. | Dr. Cunningham asked Governor Oates | if 1t might not cripple the States power | to refund it's debt by limiting the rate of | interest. inasmuch as 1t was six years before the bonds matured and we could | not tell what might happen in that time | Governor Oates said that 1t might have | some slight effect. but he did not appre- fconunued on Third Pas&l