The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-11

tieman from Limestone is to lay that pon the table.
 A vote being taken the motion to table was adopted by 6s ayes to 6 noes. Mr. Fletcher-With reference to the report of the Committee on Banking thought the article would be considered in the regular order. but 1t seems that 1t has to be set down at a specific time and I would therefore ask that it be Set down.
 The Presideut-The chair will state for the information of the gentleman that repofts5 have to be set down and considered in regular order when reach cd. unless displaced by a special order which this Convention makes, but it is In the power of the Convention to set the consid sration of these reports for any time 1t pleasese. MT. Coleman-Does not that require A two-thirds vote to suspend the rules?
 The President-To make special order?
 Mr. coleman-Yes, the rules already fix the order in which they shall be taken up.
 The PresIdent--I would call the at- tention of the gentleman to Rule So' Any matter may. by vote of the ma jority of the delegates present, he made
  shall take precedenc it that hour or any other business, exvcept a motion to reconside-."
 The President-The Seer stary VIII continue the call of the roll of delegates for introduction of revolutions. etc. Mir Burns--I desire to introduce . | resolution.
 Resolution No. 235, By Mir. Burns: Resolved, That the Committee on Fees, Printing. etc.. report to this ,Conven- ton what 1t cost per day to run the Convention. and recommen5 some re- duction of expenses.
 Referred to Committee on Schedule. | Printing and Incidental Expenses.
 Mr. Carmichael (Colbert) yielded his call to MT. Kirk.
 Resolution No. 236, by Mr. Kirk: Relating to the powers of Municipal corporations to create debts. Whereas. Section 10 of the Article on Taxation adopted by this Convention | on Friday. the 5th day of July. lsol, providing a debt limit for Municipal corporations. makes an innovation of the laws of this State as heretofore ex- | and cities have created obligations which exceed the debt limit. and Whereas. Such towns and cities under | the operation of Section 10 are prevent ed from creating any additional debt, and are unable to protect themselves l from extortion in the matter of secur- | ing water, light and sewerage. | Now. inasmuch as the cities of Shelf field and Tuscumbia have requested that they be allowed to pay off and ad- just their obligations under the Saws as they existed at the time their debts were created
 Therefore be it resolved, That the cities of Sheffield and Tuscumbia be exempt from the operation of Section | 10, of said article on Taxation. | Referred to Committee on Taxation. MT. Kirk-I send up petition which I ask be read and referred to the com mittee.
 The petition was read as follows: 1 once of City Clerk. Sheffield. Ala. July 8. 1901.
 To the Hon. James T. Kirk. Mont gomery, Ala:
 Dear sir-At special meeting of the City Council of Sheffield held this day for the purpose of taking some action with regard to the limitation to be placed on the debt-creating power of municipalities, the following was un- aninously adopted:
 The City Council of Sheffield views with great apprehension the action of the Constitutional Convention in limit ing the amount of indebtedness that the municipality can make. and 1t asks It's representatives in said Convention, Hon. James T. Kirk and Hon. A. H. tCarmichael. to do their utmost to re- lieve it from the burden of those pro- visions.
 The debt of the city at the present is about fifteen 15) per cent. of it's as- Ressed values. and the character of It's growth will necessitate its making the debt larger, or 1t will be smothered in its infancy. With the limitations pro- vided for in the proposed article. the debt of the city will be more likely to grow from the defaulted interest; the real danger will be that these provis- ions. though of some good effect else- where. will result in death to our muni- Gipal life.
 In municipalities like this unlike those of slower growth, the ordinary rules do not and cannot be made te apply. The work ordinarily done grad ually must here be done at once. Its public dutiEs must be performed, or fl not. the law will place on 1t an invol- untary indebtedness, against which the provisions of the Constitution canno, protect it.
 We ask that the bt-making power of Sheffield be limited only by its bor- rowing capacity, believing that with the limitation provided for on the power of taxation there is no danger of it's unduly mortgaging it's future.
 Yours very obedientIy.
 J. R. Coleman Clerk of the City of Sheffield. Ala.
 Referred to the Committee on Taxa tion.
 The hour of 10:30 having arrived the Convention under the rules sus- pended the call of the roll for the intro duction of resolutions. etc.
 The President-The special order 1: the consideration of the report of the Committee on Local Legislation. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Mobile to sub division 19 of Section l,
 MT. Eyster-I have substitute tc offer to subdivision 19 and the amend ment thereto.
 The clerk read the substitute as fol lows: Resolved. That subdivision 1s oi Section 1 be stricken from said sec tion."
 The President-The question will be on the substitute offered by the gentle man from Morgan.
 MT. O'Neal-I believe have the floor 'Tis not my purpose to trespass on the time and patience of this Convention and I regret the necessity of my ap' bearing so often. but I do not think that Q single delegate on this floor car deny the fact that the evils arising from the unlimited power of cities and counties in this State to borrow money