The age-herald., 1901-03-08
RECORD OF THE
 LEGISLATURE In Many Respects t Was a
 Memorable Session MANY LAWS WERE ENACTED Number of Bills Introduced Largest in States History APPROPRIATION WAS EXHAUSTED The Governor Refused To Make Good the Deficiency-School Legsla- tion-News of interest From
 the State Capital.
APPROPRIATION WAS EXHAUSTED

Age-Herald Bureau. Clancey's Hotel, Montgomery, March 7.-(Special.) - The record of the General Assembly of Ala bama just adjourned shows 1t to have been the hardest worked legislative body ever assembled in Alabama. The record for the enactment of laws, both local and general. was smashed. In many respects 1t may be placed as the most notable ses- sion in the history of the State.
 The record shows that 22a more bills were passed than at the session two years ago. which was the record-b breaker at that time. To be accurate, 11S4 bills were signed by the presiding officers of the two houses, as against 961 bills two years ago.
 Of this number the Governor approved all except about fifty, some twenty being vetoed and the others being permitted 10 die upon the executive desk In this lat ter batch there were no bills of special interest. But after the two houses sent their last message to the Governor Tues day a batch of dozen or more local bills were sent to his office. The Governor had left his office and consequently the bills still unapproved.
 The Governor said this morning that 1t was a question with him as to whether he had the right to approve any bills af- ter the day of final adjournment, but he seems inclined to the belief that he has, ''I may sign some of these bills" he said, but I shall not date them back The genuine date of the signature will be placed upon each of them. If under thA I sign the bills, my signature to them will, of course, amount to naught."
 Just few more than one-half of the bills introduced were enacted into laws In the lower house 1,596 bills were intro- duced, as against 1854 two years ago In the upper house 663 bills were introduced. as against 630 two years ago. This makes a grand total of 2,259 bills introduced The total number introduced two years ago was 2,064.
 Of course the large portion of the new laws are what Is generally known as local laws affecting some particular county or locality Probably 9 per cent of them were creating separate school districts" It is estimated that 10 per cent were stock law districts, 10 per cent. remov-
 
 small relief bills and 10 per cent. incor- porating new towns and amending char ters of others.
 So great has been the work that the legislative appropriation of s55ooO was ex- hausted and deficit of about 1,500 ere ated. This was largely occasloned by the necessarily increased expenses of the en- crossing and enrolling departments. How ever, the legislators accepted pay for five days in which no sessions were held. One of these days was spent in Pensa- cola, two in Mobile, was a legal holi- day, Washington's birthday. and the other the necessary day just before ad- journment.
 Estimating the legislative expenese at 5000 per day, which is about correct $4500 could have been saved to the State, had these recesses not have been taken. This would have kept the expenses of the ses- sion within the appropriation. As 1t was, the presiding officers were forced to bor- row $500 from local bank with which to pay the last obligations, the Governor refusing to pay 1t out of his contingent fund
 While much of the session has been de- voted to local legislation, many general laws of importance were enacted while many others were defeated. It is doubt ful if there was ever assembled In the state General Assembly where the tenn perment of the two houses so widely diff fered. One branch might pass a measure by well nigh total vote, when the other would refuse 1t by like majority. This was especially noted in the school book bill. the Long insurance and the repeal of the back tax law, these measures pass ing the lower House by practically a solid vote, and then failing in the Senate by a reverse majority.
 The constitutional convention act as matter of course stands out pre-eminent- ly as the most important work of the session and is sufficient to make 1t one of the most memorable in the States history