The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-03

1eT. Lowe tJstFsfson,A-yvh . ths dept of yoaf county Aowf
 Mr. Wiison Vciaehet-r think tt q about sis.vuc. prooapIy. IL is vsr, small.
 Mr. Lowe tyererson)--rAefs is nt limit h the Ccnetituticn now.
 Mr. Wilson tClafke)--Nofse what
 MT. Lowe tyererson)--rnsn do yos need limit to keep the CommisHton' ers' Court from running up that deb, beyond what they can pay?
 MT. Wilson (Clarke)--Yes; think ! limit should be put on the power tt contract debts, and will tell you why We desired to build . court house few yeara ago, and issued $1s,00e fr bonds to build 1t, and when we went C cell those bonds, we had to pay abou, per cent interest. Tn my Judgment if it had been absolutely guaranteed iT the Consultation that that county could never create any debt above what !, could pay the interest on, we could have sold those bonds at Q great deA less rate of interest than we did. That is the reason want to put in thert to limit the capacity to contract debts
 Now at 5 per cent, my county coult contract sso.oeo worth of debts. si, Der cent on that debt, would be $5, 400 which would leave for the general iiv ing expenses of the county $s.600. Now | figure that on the basts of per cent but believe if we put | limitation fl the Constitution upon the debt con tracing power, then every one of thes' counties can get their debt floAte( fol a lower rate of interest than they havt to pay now to ret their bonds fioate1 For that reason, | am in favor of tht amendment proposed by the gentleman from LaudefdAle, and I believe thil Convention should adopt it.
 In answer to the gentleman from Montgomery. in reference to his public roads. will ask the chairman Of the committee If. under the prior section oi this Article, the County Commissioners have not the right to levy additional roads?
 Mir. Browpe--fney have a rixht tc include public rcadp along with bridges and public buildings, as one Of the sub jects of speeiAl taxation.
 Mfr. Wilson tCiarke)--For special taxation above 50 cents. and 1t Is mol limited at all?
 Mir. Browne--Yes, 1t is limited In the report of the committee to ofie-fourtt of one per cent. Tn the present Con. stitution, 1t is not limited at all. tMr. Ashcraft here took the chair).
 Mr. Harrison--f trust that the amend rfent oifered by the gentleman from Lauder dale and accepted by the com. mittee will be adopted. There can cs no question h my mind that this lirni' should be fxed both for the counties and for the cities and towns. For the f-R -S yuIYoe. son. Mr. Lowe. who asks the question If. in the fast aaif century, we have ever had any eason to complain. would remind hin of the history oi seven counties that were fong known h Alabama. as the strangulated counties
 Mir. Lowe--f said in the last quarter of a century.
 Mir. Harrison-And those strangulat- cd counties, or some of them, have been laboring from the effects os that evei since.
 MT. Lowe (Jefrerson, n,--That was un. der the Republican administration n carpet-bag days.
 Mr. Harrison--Yes, under Republican administration. when they were allowed to vote on 1t. and went through the form of voting for it.
 MT. Hinson--f have bean informed that the County of Colbert has . bond cd indebtedness of S200.000, and that ia about per cent of the taxable valua- ton of the property In the county.
 Mir. They need a guardian If they owe that much.
 Mr. Hinson-f also understand that she has made default in the payment of her interest, and is unable to pay the interest, and that this Atate of Af. fairs exists right now in Colbert Coun. ty, and she has a debt of only 5 pei cent of the value Of her taxable prop. erty. would like to ask if that is the fact? I do not know, but have been informed that is the condition Of af- fairs In that county.
 Mir. Harrison--I would be pleased to reply to the delegate. but I am not in the county to which he refers. What county did you inquire as to?
 Mir. Hinson--Colbert County. say If that Is a fact. 1t would answer every objectlon that the gentlemen make to this limit, and show the necessity for @ per cent limit.
 MT. Harrison--Yes, sir; there is no question of the necessity. think we owe 1t to the people of Alabama. We owe it to those counties. and we owe 1t to the cities too, because they are today paying a higher rate of interest than any other municipal corporation In the country. tIeman to my right, one ot my colleagues here has furnished me some figures as to the taxable property m Colbert County. It is placed at $S,s74, . 0CO. Makiag q calculation at n limit of per cent, 1t would be ablA to in- cur e debt of $1Ds.o00. which shows, as intirna ted by the eentlemafi's question, the necessity for this limit. The great necessity for 1t is that no county. no municipality. city or town, should be permitted to incur c debt which the y cannot reasonably expect to ray with in the limit of tdkation authorized by the State. We need. Mir. President and delegates, to prevent their Incurring debts, for we do not want Go place any thing in the Constitution that sounds like repudiation. ana we should not permit municipalities to 60 beyond what they can reasonably pay by the authority they have to raise money within the tax limit, and submit that not only as to the counties, but the delegates win observe that the very next section of this report places the same restriction on towns and cities, and if you make a calculation, and ap- ply 1t to the tax limit. you will find three per cent for both of them Is a safe and conservative limit. and that while ve ought not to interfere with any debt already contracted. because if they have incurred 1t they should pay 1t if they can, we should come in with the strong arm of the fundAnen- tai law Of the land and say thus far you shah go and no further. We have fixed the limit of taxation. and now We