The age-herald., 1901-02-01
CUNNE[S BILL
 PASSED HOUSE It Provides for five Months
 Free Schooling FIVE VOTES AGAINST II New 0ratoricaI Luminary in Per-
 son of Mr. Henry ONE OF MEMBERS FROM RUSSELL He Spoke on Bill for the Removal of the Court House, and Made
 Strong lmpression-The
 Proceedings.
ONE OF MEMBERS FROM RUSSELL

The Age-Herald Bureau, Hotel Clancy, Montgomery, January 31.-(Special )-Thls has been a day for free public education in the General Assembly of Alabama By an overwhelming vote the House today passed the Gunnels bill making the public schools of the State absolutely free and extending the minimum length of terms to five months. The bill was not without op- position, but this opposition gradually dwindled away until there were but five of seventy eight members to vote against It's passage. The entire morning session was consumed in the consideration of the bill.
 At the afternoon session quite tion was created by the rising of a new oratorcal lumnary The bill to provide for the removal of the courthouse in Rus sell County from Scale to Girard was called up by MT. Holt of Russell. MT. Hen- ry of the same county secured recognition, and until the hour of adjournment he spoke in opposition to the bill MT. Henry proved himself one of the most brilliant and en- tertaining speakers in the House, and his strong thrusts at the ballot frauds in Gi- rard struck the members with force. At times the speaker was humorous in his references, but he quoted sufficient testi- mony to convince his auditors of the just ness of his criticisms. When MT. Henry concluded he was warmly congratulated by his colleagues.
 The report oI the special convict com- mittee was read In the lower house this afternoon The reading of the report aroused the deepest interest The Gunnels Bill. When the House took up the consideration 1 of the Gunnels bill to fix the minimum tenth of public schools in Alabama at five months several members offered amend ments seeking to eliminate their counties rom the provisions of the bill. Among these members were Messrs. Wallace of Madison, Hoyle of Baldwin, Harris or Chambers and Maxwell of Marion.
 MT Gunnels took the floor In support or the measure, explaining its provisions and showing that without the enactment Of the bill the children of the State would not re- ceive any benefit from the largely increased appropriations made for the maintenance or the schools
 MT. Clarke of Mobile wanted to know if the State fund was sufficient to carry Into effect the purposes of the bill, to which Mr Gunnels replied that the State appro- priation had been more than doubled and under the present law a minimum term or three years.
 The tact was brought out that Superin- tendent Abercrombie favored the passage of the bill
 Mir Maxwell of Marion offered an amend ment permitting trustees and county super- inte ndents to make contracts In sparseiy settled districts for a term of three months.
 Messrs Bulger of Tallopoosa, Sentell of Crenshaw. Maxwell of Marion, spoke for the amendment. MT. Haralson of DeKalb spoke for the original bill. He pointed out that under the present law schools in country districts were almost lnyariaply curtailed to three months, thus giving to the children no benefit from the increased appropriation.
 Mr Harris of Chambers thought the op- eration of the bill would work very great hardship upon the people of his county, as the several districts in his county did not have sufficient funds to run the schools for a longer term than three months He in- sisted upon the exemption from the bill Of Chambers county.
 Eliminated Objections.
 MT. Bulger said he had examined into the provisions of the bill, and the amend- ment adopted yesterday permitting the trustees with consent. of the superintendent to make contract for four months, eliminat- ed any objection he had formerly had to the measure
 MT. Whitson of Talladega spoke for the original bill using strong and forcible arguments to show why the bill should be passed. Under the present law he argued, the teachers receive practically all the benefit from the increased appropriation
 MT. Gunnels read from the reports Of the county superintendents of Marion and Baldwin Counties, in which they strongly endorsed longer school term.
 MT Maxwelrs motion permitting three months contracts in Marion County was tabled whereupon MT. Jones of Conecuh offered an amendment permitting trustees to make contracts for term of three months upon consent of the county and State superintendents On motion of MT. Ward of Henry the amendment was ta- bled by vote of 40 to 26.
 The bill as originally introduced was passed by vote of 73 to 5. Messrs Curry of Pickens, Harris of Chambers, Hoyle of Baldwin Porter of Washington and Car michael of Clay cast the negative votes.
 The bill amending the State public school examination law was next taken up foY consideration. but it was not disposed or when inc hour for adjournment arrived
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