The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-22
THE PREAMBLE
 IS REPORTED Committee Has Completed
 Its LabOrS. ONE SHARP DEBATE Tilt Between Judge Coleman
 and Gov. Oates. The Suffrage Committee is No Nearer c Report Than It Was Before.
 A Few New ordi-

not make much progress on the Exec utive Department ordinance yesterday but the Convention refused to suspend the rules to consider the report of tht Committee on Rules providing for af ternoon sessions. The fact is, the com mittees are not yet through with theiI work. and members do p-- care to at. tend two sessions of the Convention each day and then have to work ir committee until late into the night.
 Judge Coleman Of Greene disclaimed any reflection upon ex-Governor Jones in his repartee on Thursday, and Gov ernor Jones said that the explanation had cured forever any hurt he may have had.
 Mir. Kirk of Colbert presented a res olution looking to an amendment by Congress of the Fifteenth amendment to the Federal Constitution.
 A communication was read from the Secretary of the Alabama Press Asso- cIation acknowledging the receipt of a resolution from the Convention and ex- pressing the appreciation of that body.
 Mr. Lomax, chairman of the Com- mittee on Preamble and Bill of Rights. made the report from that committee, which was read by the clerk
 The report makes material changes in the present bill of rights as follows:
 The preamble has been shortened. merely with g view of conforming to the practice of recent conventions, all of which have adopted the shorter form of preamble.
 To Section of the declaration of rights the following words have been added: No law shall ever be passed to curtail or restrain the liberty of speech or of the press"
 To Section the following addition has been made: A provision liking in the Constitution the right of the de- fendant to testify in his own behalf, and also. one permitting motion by a defendant for a change of venue to be heard and determined in his absence.
 In Section 9, the named misdemean- ors are stricken out, and the words, "in cases of miSdemeanor," are inserted.
 There is added in Section 10 a pro- vision that in cases fixed by law the trial judge may discharge a jury with out the consent of the defendant.
 In Section 13 the words flor libeT' are inserted in the first line, so as to permit the truth thereof to be given in evidence.
 Section 23 is changed by prohibiting the Legislature from granting any ex- elusive as we'll as irrevocable, special privileges or immunities and providing that all franchises, privileges and im- munities shall be subject to revoca- tion. alteration and amendment.
 There Is added to Section 27 a pro- vision requiring the General Assembly to define small arms and to regulate the bearing of the same.
 The word right" as applied to suf- frage Is stricken out and the word priv ilege inserted.
 Section 35 is stricken out as having no place in a declaration of rights.
 Section 3S is changed to Section 9. and also by striking out the prohibition against an educational or property qualification for suffrage.
 Section 3s is new Section prohibit ing the exercise by one department Of, the government of any functi) IS Of either of the other departments there- of.
 Section 29 is retained as in tie pres ent Constitution with the addition of a declaration that the rights retained by the people are excepted out of tne gen eral powers of government and shall forever remain inviolate.
 MT. Barefeld of Monroe. made a mi nority report dissenting from Section as reported by the majority and cf- fered a substitute therefor.
 Messrs. Blackwell of Morgan, Wilron of Washington, and Cornwall of Jefer- son, presented a minority report dis senting from the report of the m tority on Section 12. and offered a substitute therefor.
 The report was received and laid cn the table and ordered printed. 1t was m1de the special order imnehi1:ely sf- ter concluding the consideration of the ordinance on taxation.
 Ordinances were introduced as fol- lows.
 Mir. Reese of Dallas-To prescribe an oath of office.
 By MT. Beddow of Jeffers on Great ing a Board of Arbitration.
 By MT. O'Neal of Lauderd 4le-Reg- uIating the right of eminent dom ain.
 Judge Coleman of Greene, addressed the Convention on his amen 1ma1t to the resolution raising the Governors sa,ary. He referred to buttonholing of delegates and log rolling on the prop osition.
 The statements stirred up MT. Knox, President of the Conventions who yield ed the chair to Mir. Browne of Talla- dcga, and reminded Judge Coleman that some buttonholing and log-rolling had been done to get harmonious re- DOT. in the Suffrage Committee.
 There was also a passage of words | etween Judge Coleman and Governor | Oates. Judge Coleman spoke about the | delegates being bound by the pledges | In tho platform and to the people in | the canvass. Governor Oates said that President | CleTcIand was elected on a platform | to reIeal the 10 per cent. tax. and | that MT. Bryan was the first man to | Lc feard to say that he was not bound | by II.
 YCs, and where is Bryan?" asked | Ildge Coleman. The question pro- voksJ laughter. and Judge Coleman added that the gentleman Governor oates) had been to some extent imi- Eatiay Bryan.
 Governer Oates asked in what re-