The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-19

change my vote from no 70 aye TOT the purpose of moving a reconsideration on tomorrow morning.
 Mir. Coleman--I move to reconsider the vote by which the section was adopted. I do sos for the purpose of offering an amendment authorizing the | legislature to appropriate any surplus that may have accumulated in addition to the estimated revenues. If this Convention is satisfied, that the sur plus, if any, should remain, Is at the disposal of the legislature. why would I be glad to see the motion to reconsider voted down. but as l heard that sec tion read it may accumulate there un- | til the next Convention meets again. A Voice-Four years?
 MT Coleman-Four years don't reach l it. it will remain there until the next Convention meets to authorize the ap- propriation of 1t. That is the way 1t strikes me and that is the reason l hesitated to vote. Now. if I am mis- taken in my construction, l would like | for my motion to reconsider to be vot- ed down. but if am right, that is the condition, you will place the Treas | ury in, with any surplus that may &C., cumulate there.
 MT. Long (Walker)-It would take a | suspension of the rules at this time to move to reconsider. The President-The point of order is | we'll taken.
 Mir. Coleman-Then I move the sus- pension of the rules. I want the ques- ton settled and that Is the only pur- pose I have in view.
 Mir. Pillans-Would it not be better to | let 1t go over until tomorrow, and then bring in your amendment. MT. Coleman-I will let it go over. | u,,,a rok;oa [ xvill rnaka motion ! in the morning to reconsider, and in | the meantime, we will have time to l consider it.
 The President-The Clerk will read | Section 28.
 The Clerk read Section 2S as follows: Sec 2S. All sta tionery, printing, pa- per and fuel used in the legislative and other departments of government shall be furnished and the printing and dis tribution of laws. journals. depart ment reports and all other printing and binding and repairing and furnishing the halls and rooms used for the meet ing of the legislature and it's commit tee shall be performed under contract, | to be given to the lowest responsible
 bidder below a maximum price, and under such regulation as shall be pre- scribed by law; no member or officer of | any department of the government shall be in any way interested in such contracts. and all such contracts shall
 be subject to the approval of the Gov ernor. Auditor and Treasurer. MT. Pillans-I have an amendment to offer.
 | Mir. Chapman-Allow me to ask q question, whether or not there is a | little mistake here in the fourth line as read by the Clerk. whether it is committee" or committees" | The Clerk-It Is "committees"-plu~ ral.
 MT. Chapman-It is committee" in my copy.
 l fered by MT. Pillans, as follows: Amend Section 2S by adding at the end
 thereof. the following words: The leg islature may, however, provide that for such supplies or printing no bid from any nonresident person or foreign | corporation shall be considered and by striking out the period at the end of the Section and inserting semi colon | instead"
 | Mr. PiIians-I have nothing to say
 more than is said by the amendment
 which is offered. The section as it is
 reported is a good section. It is in
 line with the requirement of the Fed eral government and State governments
 generally in all public contracts that l they shall be given to the lowest re- | sponsible bidder, but 1t occurs to ire ir
 our experience in Alabama. particular
 ly in the matter of printing, recently, l does not justify our making g hard and l fast rule. that we shall give to the low
 est bidder in Jacksonville, Florida, in | Nashville, Tennessee, or in Buffalo, N Y. the public printing, and send to
 these distant points the archives clear
 beyond the boun iaries of the State. I
 confess if I were a member of the leg | islAtu and the Constitution did not | forbid It. and I were inspired by the
 very motives which inspired this Com mittee, l should, unless there were ev- l idences that there was adequate print l ing offices in the State, or their prices | excessively high. l would be quite un-
 willing 10 let the printing go beyond
 the borders of the State. With the va riety of industries and the number of
 cities and towns and printing houses
 in Alabama, and I speak of printing | particularly. because that is a matter
 that has come considerably under my
 notice. it does seem to me that the | legislature ought 70 be permitted to
 provide if 1t sees fit in it's wisdom so
 to do from time to time either that
 the bidding may come from the entire
 Unicn or that it may be confined to
 the people who are domiciled in the
 State. and that Is the object of the
 amendment
 Mir. Jones (Montgomery)-Will the
 gentleman from Mobile permit me to
 ask a question.
 | Mr. Pilllns-Certainly.
 MT. Jones-I think it an excellent
 idea. but would it not be a good idea
 to put a provision in there in case of
 combination to put the prices up. In
 this case as it is now, it is the lowest
 bidder and there are only three or four
 in the State. and If they combine the
 legislature is bound to .ake it at their prices.
 MT. Pillans-I agree with the views
 of my distinguished friend, and I would | be glad if an amendment could be of- fered such as suggested by the gentle
 man. but the amendment as I offered It does not undertake to legislate, but to
 enable the legislature to see if they
 can find plan to confine it to the State. unless they find 1t should go into the hands of a trust. It is not in-
 tended as legislation but as fundamen-
 tai law ---'%
 MT. Miller of Wilcox here took the Chair.
 Mir. Reese-A great deal has been
 of this State.I don't believe that any
 State has ever had better Legislatures than those of Alabama which have as-
 sembled in this historic hall. Take
 this body and surround it by the con-
 ditions and tempta tions that have
 confronted that body. and this Con-