The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-30

wiil accept k.
 Mr. wnits-The eomnittee VII accept shx.
 The Prcsident--Ihe eenfisssan fSsu1 Jefferson, the chairman of the Co0- nittee on Order, consistency en4 Anr~ monH asks uranimous consent to ec- eep. the amendment offered hy the gentleman from Aontgomery. :. The consent was given.
 Mir. Rogers QLowndes)-1 move te amend A ,ction 24. line e-
 The srresident-The gentleman VIII
 have to reduce the amendment to writing.
 MT. Sanford tPikel-I have sn amendment.
 The amendment was read as follows: Amend the report of the committee by striking out the words ''provided
 this shall not prohibit the Leessleture from altering or re-stranssna tne
 boundaries of any city. town or vtk lage." in line 24, page 23.
 The President-The question will he upon the adoption of the ameudmeat offered by tho gentlemen from Pike. MT. Sanford (Pikel-According to my recollection. the Convention had very decided and very spirited consest over this particular clause. which ! am sure
 has been inadvertently re.inserted by the Committee on Harmony. This Convention, after discussing the ques- ton decided that the question as to whether or not suburban tSwns should be taken into the cities. shsuId Arst be submitted to vote of tl,e people In tboso suburban places. | simpiy desire to call the attention of the Convention to the fact. I am not . suburbauito myself, but 1t could be done by gen. eraf law covering the entire matter. and this question was fought over in this Convention, and tha Convention voted down the ident cat Idea that has been inserted here by the Committee
 on Order, Consisteuey and Harmony. am sure the comrsittee did not have any such intention wDseu it put 1t in there. l am sure it's attention was not called to the fact that the Convention had voted it down. and a change like that is such material change from the action of the Convention that 1t oc- CUTS to me that the committee would
 not be warranted in making the report. therefore offer the amendment ! de not think 1t right now. as l did not as the time we discussed the question heretofore. that people outside of the corporate limits of city should. nolens volens. be taken within the limits. whether they want to go in or not, without having a word to say about 1t. and I call attention to tho fact that In the cities that gre constantly reach- ing out for a larger territory for the purpose of tatation and paying off the indebtedness that has already accrued within the bounds of the corporation,
 and not specially for the prote,tion of
 the people on the outside. that the people on the outside ought t3 have | the right to say by their votes whether -R AL and all those advantages the city pro- pose to give to them. This qaestion, as
 1 say, has been settled by the Cenven- tion, and 1t looks to me like questions of this sort ought to remain unsettled and not be brought In In thls manner. MT. Pillans-At the time that the ar- ticie covering local legislation waa | under considerati,n by this body. 1 some cri.icism Was made of this clause
 as originally written. which forbade
 the amending. confirming or extending
 the charter of any private 9r muni- cipal corporation. because it appeared
 upon the adoption of that, II would be impossible ever after to change In any way. either by restriction or enlarge
 ment. the boundaries of any muptcipal- | ty of the State. The answer was that | the article on municipal corporations
 would properly deal with that subtect
 matter. The section of the srticle on
 municipal corporations which did con
 tain that subject matter. contained a good many other subjects matter. and
 fell. and this committee brings 1t here
 and frankly avows to the Convection
 that 1t did insert this, because they be.
 iieved 1t was the intent of the Conven-
 ton that 1t should be inserted. The
 action of the committee was founded, 1 was about to say. upon the apparent
 necessity for some loop hope being h it
 with regard to local legislation for the
 cities or the State. I would call the
 attention of tho Convention to this fact: that when We adjourn and the | Constitwtion which we frame skalI be
 adopted, which trust 1t will, and as- | sume It will be, every city, town and
 village which Is incorporated in the State Of AlnparnA will be hxee within
 Q mold inflexible, unyielding and un- | changing. unless there is Q power re% siding some where to change It. That
 is plain. The law that now exists Vndet
 winch any city, town or village in tiiie
 State has been incorporated, remains
 beyond the power of the Legislature to
 change. if this section stands as ori-
 ginally written. by any local legisla. l tion.
 Is there a power to change i, vested
 any where else? Can a general law be
 passed under which a change can take
 place? It has been suggested that this
 is put in here to enable cities to grasp
 the suburban property about them. l
 call attention to the fact that there is
 no room for that. aud that the hiss
 tory O. legislation in regard 10 city 1 boundaries in Alabama during the past
 does not point to any such probability
 as that. As matter of fact the cities
 of Alabama have not ordinarily been I extending their boundaries, but the
 chief city of the State. the city of
 Mobile. has not for a great many years
 asked the Legislature for legislation in | regard to city boundaries, and has only twice asked for such legislation.
 and in each case 1t was for restrict
 ion of the boundaries.
 MT. Stanford (Pike)-De you rsmsns-
 Der the legislation in regard to the boundaries of the city of 'Mon,gomeryf l MT. Pillans-I have not been able to
 find it. Before came here I was never
 able to get the acts of that fecund le- | gislature and have never known Whte
 they did, and l am really ignorant as
 to what the last Legislature did. be-
 cause l have not had time to read the
 acts. since I got here.
 Now the point is this: There was q
 necessity found for the city of Mobile | to have more restricted boundaries.
 and the legislature limited the bounda-
 ries and restricted them. Again, it was
 found improper that the east side of
 the river should be put within the tax