The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-13
The Afternoon Session.

oSiC6&sCo
 The order of business was the con- sideration of the report of the Com nittee on State, and County Bounda- ries.
 Mir. Cornwen of Jefferson. said he desired to present a substitute for the majority and minority reports. ana pending a decision upon the point or order Mir. Long of Walker, sent for ward a resolution providing that the first ,fifty-fve so drawn shall resign and return to their homes.
 On motion of Mir. Knight of Hale. the Long resolution was expunged from the records.
 There was considerable discussion of the competency of considering the Cornweil substitute in preference to the other reports.
 The real purport of the CornweIl sub stitute was to further interest of Bes- semer in securing new county.
 President Knox ruled that ie was proper to take the Article up Section by Section. and that the Cornwell sub stitute would come up for consideration immedia tely after the completion of consideration of the sections. The Chairman of the Committee. Mr. Parker of Cullman, said he would not make an argument; the result of the lahors of the Committee was before the ' Convention and he moved that the Ar l ticle be considered Section by Section. The motion was adopted and the Clerk read Section l, which defines the boun- | daries of the State as at present. and provides that "the limits of this State shall extend to and include any other 1 land and territory now acquired or hereafter acquired by contract or agree ment with other States or otherwise. although such land and territory are not included within the boundaries hereinbefore designated"
 The last clause is inserted in the provision for the purpose of permit l ting the annexation of what Is known as Western Florida.
 l No objection was made to the Sec ton and the Convention adopted the 1 Section.
 Section was read as follows: "The
 boundaries of the several counties of this State as they now exist are hereby ratified and confirmed
 Mir. Cornwell of Jefferson, sent up a substitute, providing that the General Assembly may create new counties of 400 square miles, but they must have not less than 1s,0oo population and not
 less than $2,0oO, 900 in taxable property.
 MT. deGraffenrcid of Hale moved to
 table the substitute and the substitute
 was tabled by vote of 6S to 21.
 Section 2, as submitted by the com-
 mittee, was then passed without ob1ec-
 tion.
 Section 3 was read. It gives the Leg
 islature the power, by a'majority vote
 of the members of each house, to sub
 init to a vote of the people residing
 within the territory proposed to be
 taken from one county and given to
 another, a change or alteration in coun-
 ty lines shall receive two-thirds of the
 votes of the qualified electors voting at such election. Provide. that no coun- ty line shall be changed so as to re- fduee any old county below 300 square
 miles. T The minority report of Messrs. Cobb, Parker of Fillmore and Jackson of Lee
 was submitted. It proposed to strike out the figures "500' and insert in lieu thereof the figures "600."
 Mir. Howell of Cleburne moved to
 amend the amendment by striking out
 the figures 800" and inserting in lieu
 thereof the figures "400."
 MT. Howell addressed the Convention in support of his proposition to reduce
 the area of countries to 400 square
 miles. He appealed to the Convention
 to reduce the area in the interest of the people who live remote from coun- ty seats.
 MT. Rogers of Sumter spoke in favor : of the reduction of area. He said il was a progressive movement. He de- cIared that the effort to keep the area } at 500 square miles was in the interest , of county officials whose fees would be
 reduced.
 MT. Palmer of Washington, the farmer delegate, made characteristic l speech in support of the proposition fol a reduction of the area of counties. Ht 5 said he judged from the appearance oi
 the delegates that at least 90 per cent of them lived in court house towns. Ht had noticed that people who lived 1T I court house towns were tremendously afraid that the people who lived in re- 9 mote sections would spend their money
 eoolishly.
 MT. Long of Walker moved to table the amendment of MT. Howell. and MT B Howell called for the ayes and nays - The call was sustained and the amend
 ment was tabled-ayes. 77; nays go. f MT. deGraffenreid of Hale. offered l as an. amendment the present secttoI = of the Constitution, which fixes th' l area of counties at 6e0 square miles . and gives the Legislature the right t'
 submit the question of new boundaries D or new counties to the people affected . MT. deCSraffenreid addressed the Con = vention. He said this subject had no r been made an issue in the campaign
 Messrs. Blackwell of Morgan ant
 McMillau of Wilcox, spoke in suppor = of the Committee report which reduces a the county area to 500 square miles. a Judge Cobb of Macon, spoke In ia n vor the minority report, which pro
 posed to leave the area at 6OO mlIe' = unless changed by vote of the people Q Mir. Parker of Fillmore, also spoke II n favor of the minority report. He sup
 mitted letters from 163 county ofnclal o of the State who were opposed to a re n auction of the area of counties and re a minded the Convention that the dele 1 gates would have to depend to som
 extent upon these, officials for the ratl , fication of the new Constitution. . It was nearing the hour Of adjourn 1 ment and Mir. Parker yielded to MI J Graham of TaIladega, who, remarkln " that the weather was warmer than tn debate. moved that when the Conven
 ton adjourned 1t adjourn until Mon |. day at F o'clock.
 t There were many objections and tn
 Convention refused to adopt the mo tion by a vote of A to AZ.
 President Knox then announced tn r. appointment of the following specia
 committee on retrenchment under tn l. resolution of Mir. Howell, of Cleburn' l. heretofore adopted: Messrs. Howel = Cobb of Macon. deGraffenreid of Hal' Il Boone of Mobile, and Cofer of Gull s man.
 rrl,a DrastaAnt aIso announaad th