The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-12


 to that olmcer, why the Legislature Conventioh. do not believe they will do that, and having stated my views briefly. I shall say nothing more. MT. Sollie-I am going to, and do ad- vocate the amendment, not because object tq the creation of the office of Lieutenant-Governor, but because of another consideration which addresses Itself t9' my judgment and makes it become necessary for me to resolve doubt which l now have respec ting the policy of this convention in favor of economy. The difficulty which puts me upon the side of the question which otherwise would not occupy, lies in the fact that the creation of this office, and the compensation to go with it, are separated from each otaer. one being in Section 5 and the other in Section { of this ordinance. The two are not so that the Convention may consider them together. l know not what will be the wish and pleasure of this Convention when 1t comes to providing the com pensation for the Lieutenant-Go Governor. 1T knew that it was the sense Of the Convention that he should receive pay only when actively in service MT. Jones (Montgomery)-Will the gentleman allow me one moment! The President-Does the gentleman permit the interruption?
 MT. Wilson-Yes.
 MT. Jones (Montgomery)-It will be perfectly acceptable to the Committee to have provision made at the proper place. if amendment is offered to that effect. and the Convention adopts it. that the Lieutenant- Governor shall re- ceive no other or greater salary than that paid the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
 Mir Sollie-A provision like that would remove my objections to the creation of the office, MT. President, and l have nothing further to say. If the proper limitations and restrictions are put upon the compensation, l have nothing to say against the creation of the of- flee.
 MT. Case-Mr President, I wish to say, sir, that I am opposed to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Walker, and l am opposed to 1t for the reason that the people Of the State of Alabama ought to have right 10 select who may become the Governor of the great State of Alabama. The view that I take of this is. that he stands as heir-apparent if the Governor were to die, or tor any other reason ne should become disqualified, then he De- comes the Governor of the State or Alabama. MT President, it is not dis allowing the Senate to say who who may predominate over it, or who may become it's officer; it is denying the right of the whole people of the State of Alabama to say who may or may not become Governor. And, as to the ref erence, Mr.. President, to hill-billies, and to the Democratic pledges all over the country, and what has been said, has nothing, as I conceive, to do with this great question, and l shall certain lty oiY1ct he of1aan
 MT. Howze-Mr. President, l was the originator of this ordinance. After mature consideration, it seemed to me highly appropriate that the State of Alabama should have this important officer of Lieutenant Governor. It seems to me that the State, in the first place, should have the right to directly say who should fill this office in the event that the person chosen originally should become incapacitated, or should Vacate the office for any reason. It seems to me it is a self-evident propo- sition, that it is best and proper for the people to select that person. There are several important reasons why this office should be created, it seems to me, and they have been mentioned by my frie Id, Governor Oates, and it is not necessary that I should take up the time of the Convention in arguing upon that proposition. I want to state, how ever. that I am as much aveIse as any other member of this Constitutional Convention to creating offices, and in drawing that ordinance, while thought that it was an important off, flee. I was afraid there might be ob- jections to it because it was the crea- tion of a new office, and 1 put in the ordinance the suggestion that the sal ary should be the same as that allow ed to the Speaker of the House. think that this is important. l think 1t should be done. When this Lieutenant Governor is exercising no functions of the office, he should not be paid sal ary. I, therefore provided in the ordi- nance that he should be paid the same salary that the Speaker of the House receives and when exercising the of- flee of Governor, then he should re- ceive the salary. I think that is fair, proper and right, and I shall propose, when that point is reached, to make an amendment to that effect-that the saL ary shall be the same as that of the Speaker of the House.
 MT Merrill-HaVing at heart the rat ifcation of the Constitution, think we should deal more especially with the paramount question upon which we stumped the State in the election, and that was the suffrage question. It was not desired, nor expected, that there 
 of the people was c.early manifested. There was no expectation nor desire that any new offices should be created. There was no .si C or expectation that any useless office shoull be created, and, believing, as I do, that this Oftice, the very first thing that We do here, the very first ordinance we pass, and the very first se ton of that ordinance, provides for the creation of a new of flee that the people flr twenty-five years have gotten along well without: and when we go ba K to tGe people with this increase of offices, we cannot give them the reasons why. Now, before the Constitution of '75. tais office existed :. What reasons are there now for the creation Of the office that did not exiS> in '75 when 1t was abolished? None that I can see. And, there beng ID good reason for the creation of the of fee. in my humble judgm ent, we ought to go to that part of the Constitution that needs our attention, and that part that we were sen here O reform and fix up, and not waste the time of the Convention by creating new offices for the Legislature or the people hereafter to fill. Why. suppose we go back to the county of Barbour with the Lieutenant Governor on our hands. and want the constitution to be adopted with him h there. You may know what the re- suit will be. We will have difficulty enough, gentlemen. to get this Consti-
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