The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-03
permit a question:

&Dcuocrdtlc platlOrm that no DackWarQ step should be taken on education that I would like to inquire in what section pf the platform it is?
 MT. Greer (Calhoun)-I think it is in the platform, although even if it is not an words, it Is in principle.
 The President-The question is on the motion of the delegate from Calhoun to table.
 A vote being taken on a call for a division, the House, by a vote Of 46 ayes and S4 noes. refused to table.
 MT. Carmichael (Coffee)-l wish to offer an amendment.
 The amendment was read: Amend the amendment by inserting $20, 900 in- stead of $10,000.
 MT. Cobb-I accept that.
 MT. O'Neal-Why don't you exclude all furniture used in the operation of a school?
 MT. cobb-My amendment says that.
 MT. O'Neal-No. sir; your amend ment refers to philosophical and chem 1cal and musical instruments.
 MT. Cobb-Put in everything in that line you want.
 Mir. Carmichael (Coffee)-By unani- s,nu,.,en mous consent We can include all school Objection was made.
 The PTesident-The question is on the amendment of the gentleman from Coffee to the amendment of the dele rate from Macon.
 Mir. Cobb-My amendment was drawn up in great haste, and I am perfectly willing that 1t be put in shape.
 Mir. Spears-May I ask the gentleman question?
 MT. Cobb-Certainly.
 MT. Spears-Do you remember that the Government of the United States AI n l.x. k A- vallo and in the same act donated 70, 900 acres of land to the Booker T. Washington school? Now. what l want to know is, do you propose to tax what the Government gave to the negro school and. not tax what the GoVsrn- ment gave to the whites? MT. Cobb-No, sir: don't propose to tax any of that land. I was going to make this motion. This matter occur red to me hastily, and I drew up this amendment hurriedly, and move that this matter be referred to the Commit tee on Taxation to formulate such re. port as, in their Judgment, will meet the sense of the Convention in this be- half
 The President-The gentleman from Macon offers an amendment to sec tion G. Thereupon the gentleman rom Coffee offered an amendment, and now
  refer the section with the pending amendments back to the Committee on Taxation.
 MT. Lomax-I do not think either of these amendments ought to be relerred back to the committee or adopted by this Convention. By not amendment that could be offered would you strike deadlier blow at higher education Tn Alabama than by the adoption of this amendment. The amendment as framed and as amended put @ tax upon every acre of land owned by the University of Alabama because that land is held in the name of the Board of Trustees of the university and not in the name of the State of Alabama.
 MT. Foster-May l interrupt the gen. t;eman?
 MT. Lomax-Certairly.
 MT, Foster-Does not the gentleman know that it is uniformly held by the courts in this country that lands held in the names of trustees for the benefit of States are not taxable?
 MT. Lomax-I do not know that 1t would be so held as to this land. The Supreme Court of Alabama has never passed on the question and there has never been constitutional provision .sf this sort in this State. We cannot tell what the Supreme Court will hold In view of the new and changed purposes of the part of the Constitution makers of the State. This amendment puts tax upon the A. aud M. College, the school at Montevallo, all of their lands. If it so happeris that Howard College at Birmingham owns any land, or mas in prospect the owning of any land. 1t would tax that. Ii would put a tax upon the land oe the Greensboro Col lege If it owns any land. It will put tax upon the land of every institution for higher education in the State of Alabama and submit it ought not to be done It also puts tax upon the personal property of institutions Of that sort over $20,0O0. Suppose 1t saouid happen, and God grant that it may! that either the university of the A. and M. or Howard College or 'he Uni versity of the South at Greensb pro or that at Owenton should receive an endowment which would enable them to put in a plant for the education of the young men of Alabama worth $100. 900, do you propose to say that the people of Alabama want to put tax on $S0,000 of that money invested iu Alabama for the education of her young men? Suppose, as my friend from Lauderdale suggests. some rhiI- anthropist should give library to one of these great institutions of learning in the State of Alabama of the value of $100,0O0?
 MT. Cobb-That is exempted in my amendment.
 MT. Lomax-Is apparatus exc npted2 Mr Cobb-Yes.
 MT. Lomax-Let that amendment be read again.
 The amendment was read showing that the language was not as the deie- gate from Macon understood.
 Mir Cobb-Put 1t there.
 MT Lomax-That don't inc!il le me- chanical. apparatus or for scnool cf mines and apparatus that Woul1 be needed in many different schools that might be established in any of these institutions.
 MT. White-If some gentleman should donate $100000 of bonds to the univer- sity the interest to be applied annually, would that be exempt?
 MT. LomaX-It would not be under khis amendment.
 But even admitting that the univer- eity lands would be exempt. even \ad- mitting that the Montevallo property and lands would be exempt and that tine Agricultural and Mechanical Col iege would be exempt and that Howard College and the Greensboro and Ow- enton Colleges would be, are we going to pass this amendment to put a tax upon the school of Booker Washing Nuhu cbnu1d hat x,o< no