The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-06

the people have gone or scheduling eG what was c notori0usfy nie8At Uuf0e I because they were wiiline to m@4e
 sacrifices for the growth and honco of their city. and to promote tho ~ fare and prosperity of the CepltAA e1 ! Alabama.
 Now that is our condition, and VI appeal to the delegates who repreeeue l the sovereign power of Alabama not = put the people of its Capital in . poee1 tion which they will hereafter regree
 Mr. weakley--In order to meet ene wishes of a number of gentlemen o1 the Convention to amend the substitueo offered by me by adding certain wofee which the clerk win read. The amendment was read as fols0Wet Amend by adding after the word "ile- provement," provided. that the pfo- ceeds of all obligations issued e hefee in provided in excess of said seven pt9 centum shall not be used for any pur-
 pose other than that for which said ob- ligations were Issued"
 There was no objection and tho amendment was made.
 MT. Browne-I have no pafticulnx objection that this Convention should place no limit whatever upon the ca-
 
 if 1t does undertake to put .
 debt limit. 1t should be a reason-
 able one. The substitute of
 the delegate from Laaderdale is Ioooo
 times worse than no debt limit. be- cause it Invites extravasant expeud1~
 lures of money. If man owns . plan
 tation and has an honest overseef up-
 on it and goes away allowing him to expend money e needed, he VIII prob ably, being an honest man, only exs pend . reasonable amount, but #. when he leaves he tells him T limit you 70 $1o0 to buy feed for the mules, but for ali other purposes spend as much e you please" no matter how honest that man may be. when you come home yuq will find he has made extfavaeano expenditures.
 This substitute says you can expend per cent. for general purposes. but for waterwori6 that ought to como under general expenses, for sewerage and for street and sidewalk inn> provements of all kinds, you may spend whatever you may see 1t foy After carefully studying this. I say that the debt limit is not for the benene of the people. but for the benefit of the bondholders. and say that Tor this reason: Our courts have way ok
 
 city and make 1t appropriate its gen~ eral fund or the money 1t derives froqa taxation for the payment of interest on . bonded debt until it shall have expended whatever money was nsces. sary for general expenses. Suppose per cent. Is not enough for the Gen- eraf expenses. Suppose, in other words, city becomes indebted in an amount greater than per cent, and Q bond. holder comes up and says you cannot pay one dime of that debt you have created for general purposes, we will g6 to the courts and nnandamus you against paying the debt created for general purposes and force you to ap- ply 1t to the payment of interest on the bonded debt" and Mir. Bondbolder says allow an unlimited bonGed debt oE the character we deal in. say tt would be better to lay the whole mat. ter on the table than to let this euh- stitute become the law.
 am entirely impartial in this mat ter and 1 am willing to admit there is no provision in the Section as reported to meet the necessities of Montgomery. Birmingham and other towns, and that there ought to be some provision and that If you want to put a debt for paving streets on abutting property lQt0cf0 4uu tCt thC Gttx VA0G tA48ts that there should be some. power to do 1t but not to this extent. There are smaller cities in Alabama who are not entlt<ed to the luxury of water works. and gas, and electric light plants and paved streets and they ought not to be allowed to float bonds for these pir- poses. Such expenditures would be pure extravaganza. The smaller towns do not need these things.
 made the proposition to the gem tlernan from Lauderdale awhile ago and you heard 1t made by the gentleman from Greene, why not make an excep- tion. to your cities? Why not7 These cities have a right to levy taxes to per cent. of the taxable value where the other towns have only q right to levy one-half of per cent. Their ln- come per $100 of the taxable property Is double that of the other cities and they should have right to create c larger bonded indebtedness. If your income is 5000 and mine is $1.00o, you can safely incur greater debt than can, but, gentlemen. propose to leave this Section just as reported. which will suit the larger number of cities and then if these other cities want to be excepted, we can except them. You have it now because it
 
 ply to cities over 5000 inhabitants, but there are a number of cities under 6ooo that long before another Constitution will be over 5000, and who don't want any such provision.
 Mir. Harrfson--Are there seven cities h Alabama that have the right to levy additional tax?
 Mir. Browne-No, sir. I have said to the gentleman like the gentleman from Greene said. why not make exceptions b their cities. The truth is they don't want to call attention to their advera ,ities. There is the milk in the cocoa- nut. They recognise that it makes against the city to have 1t known that hey have right to create an enor. nous debt.
 Mr. Pillans--we have no such feel. ng in the world.
 Mf. Weatherly-The gentleman can 'xcept us also.
 Mr. BroNne--Then we have it down O the gentleman from Lauderdale ana ve can compromise in a moment, We rave 1t in here cities over NOOo. There nay be city over 5000 that don't want the limit. If we have this shall lot apply to the city Of Mobile, and which can do so and SO. hat looks to me like 1t would end the natter And I understand Montgom- ry wants to come In and be allowed 0 levy a greater amount,
 MT. Sanford-Montgomery is not wiling to it, whatever may be the jews of some of the delegates.
 Mr. Browne-If the Convention wants O give to these cities the right they