The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-20


 Mir. Oates-Mr. President, I have list ened to the debate. especially the speeches in opposition to this Section on yesterday evening until, If l had not known what 1t was, I should have felt very much startled. and felt 1t was time to be looking for the mob or armed force to kill any man who un- dertooi. to be Governor. If this was put in operation, because it was al- legged that 1t destroyed our liberties. it was absolutely assumed and argued that the Governor could make this es- timate and send in this bill. and it was not within the power of any mem- Der of the Legislature tor change it, and he could with his veto sitting back there compel the passage of the bill that he submitted. A most monstrous proposition when there was not line or word that authorized any such as- sertions a 4s
 was not 50 much astonished at the wild speech made by my friend, the delegate from Walker, as I was when my learned friend and colleague from Montgomery. an astute lawyer, Mir. Lomax. went off on the same line, and now. sir, another one of my colleagues who is very learned gentleman, has seen another bugaboo in 1t, and that Is that we have gone back to the Eng fish system. Not quite. sir, not quite! There the bills are sent In and the Cabinet officers have seat in the House of Parliament, as I have had the honor of seeing and observing my self. He is the leader and explains everything. and the debates are had in that way, comes tom the Government, and no other measure is tolerated to displace 1t at all. Now, sir, I don't think experience Is worth very much to the delegates to this Convention, judging by their records, they all seem to think for themselves and go which ever way they are convinced is right without regard to any road that man has travelled heretofore, or any knowi- edge he has gained thereby. Now, I have had a little knowledge on this very question, which I will at the risk of being considered uninteresting and tedious, state to the Convention.
 MT. O'Neal-May I ask the gentle man a question.
 MT. Oates-Certainly.
 Mir. O'Neal-I was going to ask you this question. You speak of members of Parliament. Isn't 1t fact that the Chancellor of the Exchequer may be member of Parliament and have the right to submit their Budgets to Par liament2
 Mir. oates-Certainly they have, and the Government has precedence over everything else.
 MT. ONeal-If it is such a good thing for the Government to prepare the revenue bill. why not prepare bills on all subject of general legisl slation?
 MT. Oates-That is not done. .F
 MT. ONeal-That is the principle on which your bill is based
 MT. Oates-If you will not interrupt with any more questions I will get along and will meet that argument. I had the honor once of being a mem- Der of the Legislature in this House in 1870, when we were practically un- der carpet-bag government That was about the time that we emerged, and in the Senate, I remember distinctly, they were all of the other party except two Democrats. There were two Dem ocratic Senators in there. I was made Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. When we had to deal with the acts of 1888. and more of them that were obnoxious to our people, there was no limit then to the term of the Legislature, there was no limit to taxation. and the terms of the Leg islature were annual. I held that posi- tion and labored here in 1870-71 and 1S71-72. and do know something about
 
 bill. Prior to that time, I had never had any such experience and found myself utterly and entirely at loss as to what I should do, there was no information practically from the Gov ernor, who was Smith at that time, Lindsey succeeding him during the session. There was no information up- on which we could proceed, and I re- me nlber how long and how tedious were the labors of that Committee, when they were trying to get up and finally succeeded in getting up an imperfect revenue bill. Since that time they have had much less difficulty. Times have improved, and legislation has been much less troublesome to deal with than 1t was then, and still you take even the last Legislature, and we have heard from one of the delegates on this floor, the great trouble they had in getting up the revenue bill, and got up very defective one at last. Now what is this Section? What does it require2 Some say, Oh, well. you are going to give the Governor dicta- torial power, he and the Auditor win just run things as they please. We'll. now you find in Section 24 of the Ex- ecutive Department where the Treasur- CT, the Auditor and Attorney General shall perform such duties as are pre- scribed by law, and the Treasurer and Auditor shall. every year, at time the Genera. Assembly may fix, make a full and complete report to the Gov ernor showing all receipts and dis bursements of every character, of claims audited and paid by the State by items, and all taxes and revenue collected and paid into the Treasury fir what sources, and they shall make reports on any matter pertain ing to their office i@required to do so by the Governor or the General Assembly. The Auditor who has the best opportunity, the best information on the subject or the amount of income and expenditures to make a report and every particular and detail reported to the governor of what the revenue will be, and what will be the necessi- ties of Ahe government. and what are the probable expenditures. so as to enable the Governor in his message to lay these facts before the Legislature. Then Section Il, the Executive Depart ment, The Governor shall from time to time give to the General Assembly information of the state of the govern ment and recommend to their consid- eration such measures as he may deem expedient, and at the commencement of each session of the General Assem- bly, and at the close of his term of of flee give informa ton by written mes sage of the term of his State. and he shall account to the General Assembly l Nc bU Ia o1I