The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-14

said yesterday. to So ana roIuxu 70 X@lI
 home almost between sun and sun ~
 would add to the enlightenment oR tnos people. as the gentleman from clebrxne churches would be built. Jails wou11
 be established. as an object iessou k1R
 the lawless. Even a gallows would bo erected possibly. that would have Uoro
 effect in restraining the vicious elo>
 ment of mankind than the Commando
 ment which says thou shalt not kill.
 These are the influences. You have
 markets for your green meats. for your vegetable products and your domestto
 manufactures. Why, in Georgia. and refer to Georgia because think mooo of my friends here are natives of that great State. they have so many smail counties that have seen 50 trtiing . thing as the manufacture of woolen cordage by old ladies taken to thu towns where they receive the market price for their products, = that ft fne even an advantage to the people in that particular. It calls the people closer together. They become moro civilized not merely because of the number of schools, but by intercourse. Why 1t was said by 8 very great man that no question of importance to civ- ilization passed in Europe until is passed in France, and France owes 1e to the fact that her people mingle closely together, and their enlighten- ment Is advanced by their conversa- sophical principles, and Alabama should have the benedht ef them. have nsn- tionsd this fact to show that when you bring the people together ln small how factories spring up. In . little town in the cTorth or Dn9- land, where the weavers lived, then were bankrupt and poor, suffering fon the necessities of life. when twenty eight men combined to contribute cents . week, and raised in that man- ner. after a while, $14o. It was tn- vested in . department store. In sax< teen years that size had increased t0 $500, COG worth of taxable property fon the State. So we bring these people together. They form combinations they establish department stores and and they become wealthy Alabama can reduce its rste of taxa- tien, by the general prosperity of the people, and when you consider ali Of the facts connected with these thingss why 1t seems to me that the substituta or amendment which have offered ought to be adopted.
 Over in Georgia one county has an area of enly ninety square miles, bud the la<gest county has a.tz6 square miles. The average in Georgia is 40 square milss e the esan<y. In Tens nessee 1t is 400 square miles to the county. and why should Alabama net have the same fov her oeunties7 1t was said yesterday in 1900 they had Soo square miiss, and in 1888 they had seo square miles, and thirty-six years af< ter they want to have 200.
 4- has expired.
 Mr. oNeal (I.audsydale)-svviil tha gentleman allow a question befors he takes his seat.
 Mr. Cebb-I yielded to my learned friend from Montgomery when really had the floor, but he has made speech utterly oblivious of the fact that everything he said Is already req adJudicats in this Convention.
 M;. Sanford-Four hundred squaru miles shall be the area?
 Mr.. Cobb-Yes we have settled that question.
 MT. Sanford-That 300 square miles shall be the area7
 Ms, Cobb-Shall not be.
 Mr. Sanford-Let me suggest to th@ gentleman that the Article is not com- plets yet.
 MT. Cobb-It has been adopted.
 Mr. Sanford-Only protempore, and there is a committee hers to reocnciia H there should be any,
 M. Cobb-Well. make your speeck before the Committee. it Is not exactix in order here.
 Now I simply want to call the at< tention of the delegates for one mos ment to the situation of this matter The Committee on County Boundariek have three several reports here, the report, and two minority re- perts. AS a substitute for enc of the reports, this Convention has acted by adopting the old Constitution as 1t stood and now stands. That provision thus adopted covers all the questions about new counties as well as the changing of boundary lines of the old counties. So 1t Is a matteH fixed by this Convention that we will not change the boundary lines of the old counties, so as to reduce any county below 500 square miles. That has been adopted, and there is 8 motion pending to reconsider 1t. That is the situation. Now in view of that fact, Mr. Presi- aens move to lay upon the table--
 Mir. Oates-Will the learned gentle man tell me what is meant by the ratio of representation existing at the time of the creation of the new coun- ties?" What Is the ratio of represents ation?
 Mir. Cobbs-Where do you read that.
 MT. Oates-In the ninth and tenth line of the Fourth Section.
 MT. Cobb-That has been the laM In Alabama for twenty-six years.
 MT. Oates-But what is it7
 MT. Cobb-I have never had my at< .ention called to it.
 Mr. Robinson-About 18,oeo popuiaa tion.
 Mir. Cobb-''But no existing county shall bs reduced to less than soo square miles and no county shall be formed which does not contain a sufficient number of inhabitants to entitle 1t tU ,ns representative under the ratio o1 existing at the time of It's formation" We'll. now at the time 'f the formation of the Constitution. Alabama had a ratio of representation >f enc for SC many inhabitants.
 Mir. Oates-I do not think my learned -iend has quite understood the question
 asked. AS I see 1t. there is no fixed -atio at all. It Is provided that every county shall have one representative n all constitutions. Now as the pop llation changes, suppose dividing the whole population by the number of representatives. we see how many thousand we have in that way. Is that what Is meant by ratio, or how do you get at it?
 MT. Cobb-I will explain. but did lot think that a matter that was in he Constitution for twenty-six gears needed any particular explanation.