The age-herald., 1901-07-20

ty holder to pay cash for street assess ments, and not allow the city to Issue bonds for this purpose. They asked that this exception as to street improvement bonds be stricken out of the section.
 Judge Coleman of Greene also presented petition from John c. Smith and other Birmingham real estate owners, repre- senting over $1,5O0,000 of property, asking for an absolute limit to be placed on the taxing powers of cities.
 MT. O'Neal of Lauderdale moved that the articles as reported by the committee on engrossment be taken up and read the third time. This was done, and the arti- cles on local legislation, banks and bank ing and state and county boundaries were read.
 The article on local legislation was adopted by vote of 99 to 13. The article on state and county boundaries was adopted by vote of 107 to 12. The article on banks and banking was adopted by a vote of 10S to 6. It took about an hour and a half to read and adopt the three arti- cles. They were then referred to the committee on order, consistency and har- mony of the constitution.
 The committee on rules reported a reso- 1ution to suspend the rules limiting debate when the consideration of the suffrage article was taken up It allowed each member to speak half hour and to speak but once on each subject or amendment. The report was adopted.
 Legislative Department.
 The convention then recurred to the dis cussion of section 27, which had been re- considered. Judge Cobb spoke in favor of his motion to table the section and amendments. He said if the delegates would recover a little of their common sense they would see some of the mis- chief which they did yesterday. Some other political party might some day be in control of the State and we cannot tell what would happen If a Governor was of one party and the Legislature of another. He called for the previous question.
 General Harrison of Lee asked what would be the effect if the Governor and Auditor could not agree on their esti- mates. He favored the general idea of preventing the Legislature from spending more than its income, but did not think this section as reported was practical. He had an amendment which he had intend ed to offer If the previous question had not been demanded.
 Governor Oates, chairman of the com mittee who had the right to close the debate, yielded the floor to Judge Cole man of Greene. Judge Coleman said hls only purpose in offering his amendment was to make the section read as the dele gates thought 1t would read when they adopted it. These ordinances had to be read carefully to fully understand them. They could not be properly understood when hurriedly read.
 The section with his amendment lln1- ited the annual appropriations to the sur plus in the treasury and the estimated income. The Governor and Auditor ought to furnish the Legislature with these es- timates
 Judge Cobb's substitute to strike out all of the section and amendments was then adopted by vote of 73 to 54.
 Section Twenty-nine.
 Section 2s was then read as follows:
 Section 2s. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Repre- sentatives; but the Governor, Auditor and Attorney-General shall, before each regular session of the Legislature, pre- pare 8 general revenue bill to be sub mitted to the Legislature for It's action, and the Secretary of State shall have printed for the use of the Legislature sufficient number of copies of the bill so prepared which the Governor shall transmit to the House of Representatives as soon as organized The Senate may propose amendments to revenue bills. NO revenue Dili SlieSil pO PtiSSeo NeNANo the last five days of the session.
 MT. Vaughan yesterday when this sec ton as under consideration, at the hour of adjournment, had offered as an amendment the section on this subject in the present constitution.
 MT. Boone of Mobile offered substi- ute to provide that the revenue bill should be for the information Of the General Assembly only.
 pIa, nf NnrOQn annkA A. vor of the Vaughan substitute. This sec- ton, he said, proposed a radical change in our system of government without giving any adequate reason therefor. We have opened fire on the Legislature and encroached on it. and after we have de- stroyed 1t the only reason we continue to fire at 1t, I suppose. is to show that there Is still punishment after death. Why should we suppose that these three men should know more about the needs of the various parts of the State than the Legislature?
 Extending the Session.
 The committee on rules at this point reported that the attorney general had given a favorable opinion as to the con yention's right to sit longer than fifty days and appropriate funds for its ex- penses The committee reported the fol- lowing ordinance on the subject:
 Be 1t ordained by the people of Ala bama in convention assembled. That this convention shall continue in session until 1t shall, by careful revision and amend ment of the present constitution, frame and adopt a revised constitution for this State.
 Be it further ordained, That during the time this convention shall so continue in session. the officers thereof shall receive the same compensation, payable out of the treasury of the State, as correspond ing officers of the House of Representa- tives are by law allowed; and that the delegates shall receive for their services the same per diem and mileage from the treasury of the State as is allowed the members of the General Assembly. The payment shall be made on the certificates of the president and secretary of the convention. to the auditor of the State. as payment of compensation to members of the General Assembly is by law direct ed to be made.
 The rules were suspended for the pur- pose of considering this ordinance.
 Captain White of Jeffersc< moved to strike out all of said ordinance after the words "by law allowed" so that delegates would serve without pay. He said he did not know of anything which would so much commend itself to the people of Alabama as for the delegates to show in this way their patriotism. large ma 1ority of the delegates were losing every day more than the per diem. If we can convince the people we are working from patriotism it will go far to meet their ap- proval.
 Mr U3tts of T,uscoIooaa said he didn't