The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-23

V have to dispose of the minority report first. That Is the point of order make.
 Mir. Cunningham-I beg to dissent from the opinion of the gentleman from Mobile. The minority report comes in as report and therefore can be amended. and the question is to strike out and the gentleman from Randolph moves that instead of striking out. that we substitute the amendment that he offers. and make the point of order that 1t is sermain and is in order.
 MT .Jenes (Montgomery)-This Com- mittee has placed the convention under obligations in making this report, If for nothing elne, because it has been the occasion of a very fine speech from my friend from Randolph.
 We were well aware of the history of Alabama in the days of it's banking and railroad experience. None of us had forgotten them. We were also aware of a sentiment which has ex- hibited Itself in many legislatures. and at times very strongly among the peo- pie. that 1t was unwise to have large sum of money in the treasury, which was earning nothing, and which might therefore, is a plain business one. Is 1t wise for a trustee. when he has funds which he cannot use immediately, to loan them out on safe security. That is the whole proposition. It does not involve any question of going into Every man who lends money is not . banker. That is only one of the function of a bank. It is not a question of the State involving itself in precarious enterprises like it used to. when it went into the banking busi- ness. but the whole thing is this, whether we have got. not surplus taking the year round, but million or so of dollars in the treasury which we will not need for six months. Now we cannot loan that out except on good security. Is 1t wise to lend 1t cut at au?. If the House is of the opinion that it is not wise to lend it out at all, andit had better stay in the treasury, then as . business proposition, they can vote it down. But 1t does not involve the proposition of banking, or going into railroads or old United States banks, or Federal power. do not propose on behalf of the Committee to take up any more time on 1t. ..-,
 MT. Pearce-I desire. to- offer an amendment to the minority report.
 The amendment wss read as follows:
 Strike out the words lon calr' in line three of section 27. and insert after the words Cor of this State" in line four. the following words, mortgages on farm lands, crop liens, farm products. such as cotton, corn, cabbage and potatoes and all other farm products all of which loans shall not be due until the crops are gathered" 5
 The President-The gentleman's s amendment will be in order after the pending substitute Is disposed of. The minority report of the committee moves to strike out the entire section. It would have been in order for the mi nority to have moved to strike out the words contained in the section and add in lieu thereof other words. The gentleman from Randolph moves to amend the report of the minority of the committee. by moving to add in ad- dition to the motion made by the minority of the Committee to strike out. Therefore it seems to the Chair that the point of order made by the gentleman from Mobile is not well taken. The question will be on the adoption of the substitute offered by the gentleman from Randolph.
 MT. Jones (Montgomery)-There seems to be so much opposition to this proposition, that I move to lay on the table the original section. the minority report, and ali amendments and SUD- stitutes offered on 1t.
 MT. Handley-I object to laying the substitute on the table.
 shown on their part in any respect In the discharge of their duties. and say to this Convention today that U IS 2 long step towards centralization of government to attempt to remove from the hands of the people to whom the duty is owed, the right to pass upon the impeachment of one of Its ofncers. The argument may be made that as long as you leave 1t to the 1uries or the County in which these crimes are committed that no Sheriff will ever be impeached. That argument can never be good unless this Convention declares that the people of the coun- ties are not capable of self govern ment. It is wrong in principle. It IS wrong in practice to take away rom the people of the counties the right to irnpeach the officers that tlSsy now have and remove the impeachment to the Capitol of the state. I mean no reflection upon the Supreme Court of Alabama when say that it should not be given the Jurisdiction in cases ike this. but I am here pleading Tor the rights of the people of the counties to have control over the officers that they elect and to whom their duty IS.
 Mir. Oates-Is not the Supreme court overloaded with business now?
 Mir. Samford-I thank the gentleman from Montgomery for the suggestion that the Supreme Court of this State is constantly complaining that they are much crowded with work and we need not be hunting to give them any more Now, Mir President, do not desire to detain this Convention further along this line, I simply am here raising my voice and expressing myself in my fee hIe way ia behalf of local. self govern ment, in behalf of the people Of the counties of this State controlling their own affairs, and against the tendency towards the centrali3atton or power at the Capital of the State. They talked tn me on yesterday about county au- tonomy, tell you we cannot too Jeal: ously guard the county autonomy and the right of self government and tne right to enforce the laws of the differ- ent sub-divisionS of the State' and desire, for one, to go on record here and now AS being unalterablyt opposed to the proposition as laid down in the report of the Committee. Ets
 Mr. Espy.-This provision sought to be stricken out by the amendment IS evidently inserted for the purpose or preventing lynching, and. MT. Presi" dent, if there is one evil from which our State Is suffering more than an- other. 1t Is the deploTable condition ot affairs with reference to lynching. IL there is a crime for which there can be absolutely no excuse 1t Is that of talk ing the life of a prisoner when he is in the hands of an officer. It is a further fact. MT. President. that cannot be successfully controverted, that the neg ligence or the cowardice of Sheriffs in