The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-18
FoRTY-sEvENTH DAY.
 MONTGOMERY. ALA.

MONTGOMERY, ALA.
 Wednesday, July IT. 1901. N The Convention met pursuant to ad- 1ournment, was called to order by the President, and opened with prayer by the Rev. Mir. C. B. McDaniel. as fol- ! lows:
 Almighty God, we have come in the neme Of Christ to give Thee praise for Thy tender care through the shades nf the night. We bless Thee for the 1ight of . new day. And as the sun scatters the darkness of the night, we pray that the Sun of Righteousness may arise with healing upon His wings and dispel all darkness and sin from our hearts. We beseech Thee, to set watch oevr our lips that we speak no $ eyil. our hearts that We think no guile. our hands that We do no evil deed. 2 and our feet that we walk not in for bidden paths. We beseech Thee, to Erant unto these, Thy servants, Thy < heavenly blessing. The Lord bless the President of this Convention. We pray for our loved ones at home. We pray for the sfck. the sad. the dying. We commend one another to Thy eentle protection. We commend unto Thee ell for whom we ought to pray, < for all men in authority and influential positions. We ask these blessings in the name and through the merits of our Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ, Amen.
 Upon the call of the roll 11s delegates responded to their names.
 Leaves of absence were granted as follows: Mir. Carnathan. indefinite on account of sickness; MT. Kyle for to- day; Mr. Graham (Montgomeryl for today; Mir. Sanders (Limestone) Mon- day last and Tuesday morning: MT. Bethune for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
 MT. Chapman-I desire to have cor rected the stenographic report of the yea and no vote on the motion of MT. Rogers (Sumter) the reconsideration of the vote which had been taken. The stenographic report has me as absent or not voting. 1 was present and voted and the journal shows that was pre- cent and voted. The stenographic re- port is incorrect. MT. Rogers was oc- cupying my seat and I occupying his seat. but distinctly voted aye on that motion.
 The President-The journal is correct
 Mr. Chapman-Yes the journal is correct. but I want the stenographio report to be correct.
 The Committee on Journal reported that they had examined the journal for the forty-sixth day and found the same to be correct. On motion the report of the Committee was adopted.
 MT. Jones (Montgomery)-ds a mo- ton now in order to reconsider the section on which the Convention acted just before we adjourned on yester- day. I think 1t is Section 5.
 The Presidential would be in order l. at this time.
 4E &- he vote by which Section 5 was passed.
 The President-The gentleman from Montgomery moves to reconsider the action of this Convention whereby Section $ was adopted. I recognize the gentleman from Montgomery.
 MT. Jones-Mr. President.I I recog- nize that in a deliberative body like this there is . limit beyond which minority should not press discussion. but that time comes only when there has been fair and reasonable oppor- tunity for discussion. That oppor- tunity has not been afforded us and some of the members on this floor de- sire to present the question again to the judgment of this Convention.
 What is the proposition embodied in this 5th Section? For the first time in : the history of Alabama, in the eighty one years of its existence. it is asserted that the people of Alabama ought not to be trusted through their representa- tives to legislate oftener than once in four years. Stripped of all extraneous matter. the issue is that the people of Alabama cannot be trusted to Iegis- late through their representatives, ex- cept once .in every four years. I am not a blind adherent to precedent am not blind worehipper of what other people do even under like circum- stances as ours; but when we are asked to put this remarkable innovation in the Co1stitution, 1t Is we'll to ask our selves what does the rest of mankind do under like circumstances? I make bold to assert here this morning that there is not civilized government, certainly not one whose people Vsreak the English language, which refuses to allow its Legislature to meet except once in four years. Away back in the history of our institutions. during the time of Charles II, unbounded indig- nation flooded the English nation be- cause the king undertook to keep Parliament out of session for several years. They passed an act that the Parliament should never be prolonged longer than three years at a time. That is the law of England today. Nobody thinks of changing 1t. In all the American States, every one of them Mississippi not excluded-they have either annual or biennual sessions of the Legislature. Ought we not to pause, therefore, when we are asked for the first time in the eighty one years of our history, to favor a posi- tion opposed to the practice of the whole civilized world. What argument can we give to the people of Alabama 3n support of this section, when we go out to them and say it is our deliberate 5udgment, after shearing the Legisla- tive power in local matters, in it's power to tax and after fixing many subjects upon which they shall not legislate. say what reason can we give the people after doing that, in support of our position. that the peo- pie are unfit to legislate more than once in -four years.
 MT. President. we have great and a growing State. with diversified in- dustries and pursuits. No man is wise enough to foretell what two years may bring forth. Yet we are putting in the Constitution which may last for half a century. that the General As sernbly of Alabama, which in its last analysis Is the closest representative Of the people, shall not be in session but once in four years to look after their fiscal affairs or to legislate upon any other matters which may affect the honoy, prosperity and welfare of the State. We have been here sixty Gays and 1t may be four months before we
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