The age-herald., 1901-07-16


 ferson, MT. Davis of DeKalb and MT. Long of Walker to make the suffrage ordinance a caucus matter to be discussed behind closed doors. Other delegates wanted it discussed in caucus so as to save time and debate in the convention. All of these speakers seemed to want to get rid of the stenographic report on that particular subject.
 Governor Jones, MT. Pettus, Judge Cole man and MT. Knox favored open debate in open convention, and that view prevailed by large majority Judge Coleman, chairman of the suffrage committee, said they wanted speedy hearing. as their report was being misrepresented and mis- %-<><><~<<<>-~>>-< in an election held for said purpose; and when an election has once been held for such purpose, no other election can be held for such purpose until the expira- ton of four years; provided that the county site of Shelby County of this State shall be and remain at Columbiana, unless removed by vote Of the people as provided for in act entitled, An act to provide for the permanent location of the county site of Shelby County, Ala a of said county" approved the 9th day of February, 1899. and the act amendatory thereto approved the 2Oth day of Febru- ary, 1899, or by an election held under the provisions of this article.
 Views of Committee. MT Parker of Cullman. chairman of the committee, explained how the committee had considered the Shelby County matter lan nd aft ri evidence ranOrted favor of Columbiana. He said the com mittee had only found one man in the house who knew anything about the pas sage of the bill removing the court house | from Columbiana to Caiera. That both | sides admitted the bill was kept off of the calendar of the house and out of the newspapers. That none of the people of | Columbiana knew anything about the | bill. That while this was a local matter | he thought the convention should have | the power to do right and correct this wrong.
 MT. sentell, who had signed a minority report recommending that this part of | the section be left out, said the conven- | tion had the power to amend this act if | it saw proper but that there was a great | CT power-the people of the State-and | that they did not send the members of | this convention here to legislate on local | matters That each side of this contro-
 
 CT and he did not think the convention ought to go into the matter, The courts or the Legislature were the proper forums l to remedy this natter Fraud had been 1 a&arged, but iL had not been proven. He l had seen bills pass the Legislature when no one was paying any attention! and the fact that the committee had failed to
 find any one in the house who knew of | its passage was no ground of fraud He l had no personal interest In the matter, but was opposed to the convention talk | ing up local matters at cost of $1000 l day.
 l MT Knight of Hale said he was in | the last Legislature and had answered
 every roll call yet he had never heard
 word of any bill removing the county l site of Shelby county. He did not think l such bill had ever passed.
 | A Swapping of Corners. | MT. Thompson of Bibb said he was a member of the committee which had | spent ten days considering this matter. l MT Sentells conversion to his present po-
 sition had been as sudden as Saul of | Tarsus-it had come about in a night. If the members of the convention, he l continued had heard the evidence ad- | duced before the committee they would l realize that the bill had not been passed. l The bill which did pass was bill re- l l Calera and the cover of this bill In some l way got on to this alleged bill remov- | ing the court house. He described how l the committee had examined the covers l of the two bills and found pin holes and l other evidence of the transfer of the 1 covers.
 | The only question before the conven- | ton was one of expediency in taking up l local matters in the Constitution He 1 cited instances in which this had been | done in the constitutions of Arkansas | and Illinois. He wished the convention could see this court house bill for it was l dandy" It fixed a debt of $3O0OO on | the county and provided for fines of 5000 l on certain officials who failed to comply with its terms. The question. however, | before the convention was what was right? If the county had been wronged | 1t would be right for the convention to | remedy it. for there was no other power l which could do so.
 MT. Fitts of Tuscaloosa said there were only five days left in the time limit of | the convention and the main thing for which the convention had been called not | yet touched upon, the convention after | building Chinese walls against To- | cal legislation in the General Assembly were here on tho forty-fifth day of the | convention actually considering matter purely of local legislation. It was the l courts duty 10 BlVe Teilei to tihs couhey' | What has this convention to do with
 fraud and how are we to determine 1t. If | we go into this matter at all. the con- | vention ought to hear the evidence as | a body. But he did not think the con-
 yention should go into the matter The
 idea of asking the people Of the entire
 State to pass upon this question! Tnis
 was an old sore in Shelby county ana
 would continue to be one no matter wnat
 the convention did.
 Governor Oates vIews.
 Governor Oates said he had never taken any part in this controversy. but he was | opposed to having it brought In as rider
 upon the constitution. The people had to
 ratify the constitution, and the people in
 other counties had no interest and did not
 want to vote on the question. This con-
 vention was the people; 1t represented the
 Judicial, legislative and executive depart
 ments. If anything was to be done in
 this matter there should be separate
 ordinance. He admitted the validity of
 the bill looked doubtful, but this was for
 a court to decide or a separate ordinance
 of this convention could accomplish it..
 The convention, for instance, must pass an ordinance to appropriate money to it.
 self if it runs over the fifty-day limit. He
 was opposed to the report in its present
 shape and did not think 1t ought to go
 into the constitution.
 MT. Browne of Talladega said MT.
 Beavers of Shelby County had introduced
 an ordinance as suggested by Governor
 Oates. but it had been suggested that the
 constitutional convention did not have the mower tO paes such an ordinance SD if