The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-29


 ! is to bs xalned by this Iecixlaticns Isn't tt rtrictiy legislation to go on ana provide for the Improvement of the | Capitol. foF the purchase of property1 Way not trust these things to the Ia gislature. where they properly hesonG. instead of bringing 1t in here ss part of the organic iaw Of the 6tateT Uvt1~ gates to the Convention. so far aa flx- ing by an ordinance. or inserting n here at premium not greater than per cent. it Is an invitation to capttst~ tsts
 Mr. oates-That Is 2 t-2 per cant Mir, Coleman--The same collection prevails against 1t at Ia per cent as ct per cent, II 1t is wrong at per cent. 1t Is wrong at Ia percent.
 It might be 1-< per. cent, Can we
 Governor. whe have been trusted always with the power of refund- ius the debts and negotiating the bonds of the State on the
 best terms poesiblef That is all that the report of the Tax Committee does. It leaves 1t with the Governor and the Legislature to issue bonds when they are needed. not bond the peepls of Alabama by an organic provision i've or six years In advance of the time necessary to fund this debt. I believe
 if the delegates will closely consider Section 3. they will flnd every provision necessary for the .adtustment os the States indebtedness. and there e provision there that the stste shall h. cur no new debt. and of course would not be authorised to issue any other bonds except in settlement of the debt which already prevatis~ a Mir. Ashcraft--I would like to ask question. 1t has been discussed by sev-
 eral. whether or not under. the proyi- sion ay proposed by the committee. the LaGislature has the constitutional au- s therity to naaixa c purchaae of the land adjoining the Capitol srcundse I would like vary much for you to answer the, proposition. there are several Gentle- men would like to hear.
 Mir. Coleman--I. have two answers to make to that. Under the general pro- vision where the. Legislature is not prohibited. it has ample power, but. Mr. President and gentlemen of the Convention, if such 6 provision as that is deemed necessary. lat tt he tntro- dueea in the proper place and not upon the report of the Committee on TAxa-.
 tian. An independent section author- iatng the Legislature to purchase the land or the property, If deemed neces- sary, could he introduced by an tnde%
 pendent separate section and ! can-
 not see if the Legislature can appso-
 prlate money as was done under my
 friends administration (Mr. Oateel for
 the improvement of the Capitol. why
 the Legislature has not the same pow-, CT now that it had then. Mir. Jones (wilcox>-Mr President,
 there is no member upon the fioer of
 this House for whom have as much
 gentleman who has offered this amend
 ment. Before I had reached my ma
 1oFity I met with him in the Virginia
 army. Together We followed the for~
 tunes of the Southern army in Penn- sylvania, in Maryland, and in Temnas4
 see and afterwards in Virginia. ahd
 MT. President. it needed manhood Co go through what he did. ana never saw c hnaF specimen of manhood then
 was to be seen in him, in his youth He went through those trying dayR. MT. President, in manner that won my admiration and respect, and have held 1t for him ever since. have 9a~ vored him in every aspiration he has had, and when he desired to be Prest- dent of this Convention, I wrote him certainly I should vote for him. and I would have done SO, # had been the only man on the floor of the House who voted for him for President of this Convention.
 But, Mfr. President, while that is true, I beg leave to differ with him. We all have our opinions about the measures that come before this House. It has been stated that men are independent in their thoughts on this floor. That Is to be commended, and although I have respect for the gentleman's opinion, and although have listened to him with great interest in the argument that he made, have not changed my opin- ion one particle that this amendment should not be incorporated Into the Constitution of the state.
 What are We here for? Are we here to make another book like this? (Hcld- Ing up the Code.l Hc we want Con. stitution as lalge aS the civil code of Aiabama7 Are we to fix 1t so we will have one book with the Constitution of the State In it. another with the civoi laws of the State and another book with the penal laws ofv, the State5 Leave to the Leglslatlre of the State what they can do legitlrnateiy. That ia what we ought to do. That is what we are here for. That Is what the peo- pie of Alabama expect of us. MT. Presi- dent.
 went home last Saturday was . week ago, and on the train heard some gentlemen of intelligence, and there are many of intelligence that are not in this body. discussing the Con- stitutional Convention, and they said this Why, those solons at Montgorn- cry have missed it; they seem to think that they are the Legislature of the State. When win they get throughf Why, they won't get through until the fall of the year" They dia not know that I was a delegate. and Mr, Presi. dent. didn't tell them that ! was a delegate.
 tell you that f did not care any thing about the matter, except from a selfish standpoint, I would not be advocating measures that the Leglsia- ture can take charge of. It is hot. This weather Is oppressive. The Legislature will meet hers in the Winter. We are nearly all of us prostrated with the work in committees. 4 year or so ago I was in New York. where there was gentleman on the street car who said during one of those hot days, why h Is almost as hot in New York as 1t Is in Hades," and he turned and saw Q lady and apoiogiZed to her, he saids did not know you were on the car, beg your pardon" She said, "Sir. you owe me no apology, except you put in almost it Is just as hot as Hades now in New York.
 Mr. PFHbident, from . selfish stand point, even if I cared nothing about the expense to the State or Alabama, would say l~t 'Ha Legislature do the work that ehsy can do, and let us do the >S~fK .ass tnA T,aoDia awneck IlR tO do.