The age-herald., 1901-07-11

ings held in the larger cities of the north. constitution. He moved to table the amendment.
 MT Pettus said this section was a dangerous proposition and ought to be stricken out.
 Oates Amendment.
 Governor Oates said that when the Legislature acts and the law comes be- fore the court, the court must pass on It's constitutionality although 1t may have been in existence ten years and rights ac- crued under 1t. Therefore he bought there should be a standing committee of nine In the Legislature to pass on each law and report it in writing. If they should report unfavorably they should give their reasons In writing. He therefore offered an amendment to the section embodying this idea.
 Governor Jones said that if that part of the section refererd to by the Pettus amendment was left in, the section would be a nullity. The Supreme Court had al- ready passed on this section in the old Constitution the result of which was largely to destroy the efficacy of the section.
 MT. Wilson of Clarke said the adoption of this section would leave the door wide open for some person who had waisted money on the faith of a special law, to be deprived of his property, if the courts should even hold that there was a general law which might have offered the relief. He thought well of Governor Oates idea for a standing committee to pass on bills introduced in the Legislature.
 Tom Long said that for Al days he had sat still and heard many things said of the Legislature as to what they had done, but he thought the worst thing they did was to call this convention. The Legisla ture was near the people. This conven- tion thought they were the people, but they were mistaken. We were going too far In hampering the Legislature. They had nailed 31 shackles already on the Legislature.
 Why not abolish them altogether? You might as well from the way you are pro- ceeding. He defended the last legislature and concluded amid applause
 Other Opinions.
 Captain White said there was little local legislation in Mississippi. If we provide for committee in Alabama to say when there Is a general law which will afford the remedy sought by a local law, we would be no further advanced than we were in 1875.
 MT. Pilans of Mobile favored General Oates amendment.
 The previous question was then called for and Governor Oates amendment for standing committee was rejected by a vote of 60 to IS.
 MT. Watts of the committee closed the debate before the vote was taken on the main question. He emphasized the fact that no special law could be passed where there was a general law on the subject not where there might be a genral law, but where there was
 MT. Pettus amendment was then de- feated and the original section adopted by vote of GA to 33
 Other Sections.
 Section was then taken up and adopt ed. This read as follows:
 Section ?. No special, private or local law shall be passed on any subject not enumerated In section 1 of this article, ex- cept in reference to fixing the time of holding courts, unlss notice of the inten- tion to apply therefor shall be published without cost to the State In the county or counties where the matter or thing to be effected be situated, which notice shall state the substance of the proposed law, and be published at least once a week for four consecutive weeks in some newspa- per, or If there Is no newspaper publish
 
 tice for four consecutive weeks at five diff ferent public places in the county or coun- ties prior to the introduction to the bill. and the evidence that said notice has been given shall be exhibited to each house ot the general assembly, and the fact of said notice spread upon the journal The courts shall pronounce void every local law which the journals do not affirmative ly show was passec in accordance with the provisions of this section.
 Section was adopted, which reads AS follows
 Section g.. The General Assembly may repeal any special private or local law upon notice being given and shown as provided in the last preceding section.
 Section four was then read as follows.
 Section 4. The operation of no general law shall be suspended for the benefit of any individual. corporation, association town, city county or township nor shall any individual, corporation, association town, city, county or township be ex. empted from the operation of any gem eral law
 | At this point the clock struck 6 and the convention adjourned until tomorrow morning.
 Convention Notes. By a typographical error in yesterdays s Age-Herald it was stated that pr. Gun ningham had offered an amendment to subdivision IA of section one. which pro- hibited exclusive or special privileges by the Legislature, so as to make it apply to benevolent associations. The amend ment offered by him exempted town ships, cities, towns and benevolent asso- ciations.