The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-14

| Committee on Executive Department was carried.
 The President-The question before the convention is upon the adoption of the amendment offered by the gentle man from Conecuh.
 The amendment was read: To amend Section 3 by striking out the words where they occur lon the first Monday in August and inserting in lieu thereof the following, lon Tues i day after the first Monday in Novem- | ber:" and to add to said Section 3. at the end. the following words. "The | Legislature shall have the power to | change the time of holding the cleo | tion."
 Mir. Burnett-My object, MT. Presi- | dent. in offering that amendment was l to save to the people the trouble and | expense of holding an extra election, | but as I am informed by the distin- guished chairman of the Committee on | the Legislative Department, that his | committee has reported favorably on | that subject, to hold the State and l Federal elections at the same time, and | as think it more properly belongs to l that committee. with the leave of the convention I will withdraw the amend | ment.
 The leave was granted and the amendment withdrawn.
 The Presdent-The question will be on the adoption of Section 8, as amended.
 | MT. Sanford-Mr. President, I offer one other amendment to strike out. In Section 3, I notice that the term of the | executive officers is fixed at four years.
 The President-Does the gentleman desire to propose an amendment?
 MT. Sanford-I move to amend Sec | tion >
 The President-The chair will ask that the gentleman put the amendment in writing. It is impossible for the con- vention to proceed orderly with these l matters unless delegates reduce the | amendments proposed to writing.
 MT. Rogers (Sumter)-While.t the gen. | tleman is putting his amendment in writing, I ask leave to introduce an or- dinance.
 Leave was granted.
 The President--The chair will state to the delegates, that the convention will | not be able to delay its business to en- able gentlemen to draft amendments. This ordinance has been printed and laid over, and the public business can- not be suspended for that purpose.
 Ordinance No. 370, by MT. Rogers of Sumter:
 Relates to the meeting of the Legis- lature.
 Be it ordained by the people of Ala bama, in convention assembled, That the Legislature of Alabama, shall meet only once in every four years, provided that the Governor of the State may as- semble the Legislature in extra session | whenever the peace or the interests of the State is menaced from any cause.
 Referrel to Committee on Legisla- tive Department.
 Mir. Parker-I ask unanimous con- sent to introduce an ordinance.
 The leave was given.
 Ordinance No. 371, by MT. Parker:
 Be it ordained by the people of Ala bama, in convention assembled That Section r of Article VI of the present Constitution of this State be, and the same is hereby, amended so as to read as follows:
 Vacancies in the offices of any of the Judges or Chancellors of this State shall be filled by appointment of the Governor, and such appointee shall hold his office until the next regular election for Judges or Chancellors, to be provided for by the Legislature, and in no case more than one year, and the person so elected shall hold for the un- expired term and until his successor is elected and qualified.
 Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
 The President-Tne Secretary wifi read the amendment proposed by the gentleman from Montgomery.
 The amendment was read as follows
 To amend section three "by striking out the words four years and the in- sertion therein of tine words two years"
 MT. Sanford-I make that motion, be cause do not know the necessity for changing it. The gentleman from Bar bour a day or two since said that the idea ot this convention was to make as few changes in the Constitution as is now exists as is practicable. Now the rule of all amendments is this: first to ascertain what is the evil to be amended, and second the means by which it shall be amended
 Now do not know any evil that has ever come from having the elections . of the Executive every two years. Has there been any corruption inttwo years, that would not exist in four? Will there be any electioneering in two years that won't be doubled in four , If you shall elect a man for four years who should be feeble, almost imbecile, and yet be guilty of no crime for which he can be removed what relief would
 the people of Alabama have? It is a rule of Thomas Jefferson, the greatest popular leader our country has ever had, that the power of election should be of frequent occurrence; that this power, entrusted to any man to dis charge particular duty. should be returned to the power which conferred it, in order that the people might ex- anime as to the faitEfulness with which he has discharged his trust, and con tinue him, or discharge him. Now I do not know anywhere where any evil has come from it. If man shall electioneer-and by the way let me say this. that 1 do not know of but two instances in the history of Alaba- ma where the Governor was elected to
 the United States Senate during his term. One was that of Clement c.
 Clay, Sr., and the other Gabriel Moore and hone other out of the eighteen
 or nineteen Governors we have had ; has such an occurrence taken place. ' | can see no reason why, when most
 of the States of the Union have only two years. we should have four. Tn
 Virginia Patrick Henry was elected three terms. Nobody objected to his administration. In Tennesse John Se- vier held the Governorship of that great commonwealth for twelve years and no evil came to the State of Ten
 nessee. In New York, Dewitt Clinton held it for twenty-one years, and vel
 it was a glorious administration foI | that commonwealth. George Clinton
 who ran against Madison for the Presi-
 dency, held 1t for eight years, and
 no harm befell New York Joe Brown
 enz of tho D,oet DOpIlar men of tbe