The age-herald., 1901-07-12
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS IS CALLED
 ID CONSIDER FRANCHISE PLAN

of the dispensary and the friends of the Mobile system, as MT. O'Neal had charged. His purpose was to protect his people and MT. O'Nears purpose was pride in seeing a section adopted which the prophetic chairman (Mr. O'NeaD could he had prepared. No one, unless 1t was the prophetic chairman (Mr. O'NeaD could say what would arise in the next fifty years. It was for this purpose we had Legislature. If we say the Legis- lature shant do this and shan't do that, of what use Is the Legislature if we pre- vent them from legislating on every sub ject? Local legislation is necessary at times to protect the citizens. We have gone too far, and it Is time to pause and reflect.
 MT. DeGraffenried of Hale supported the motion to reconsider, not as a friend of the dispensaries or the liquor trade, as he knew nothing about either, but he thought local communities should have the right to regulate the liquor business. The Parliament of England is untram- meled by any restrictions. and the gov ernment of England Is the most free in the world except ours We ought not to trammel our Legislature too much. This section passed yesterday not only does this but opens up a wide field of litiga- ton in making the courts. and not the Legislature, the judges as to whether there is a general law on each subject on which a local law is proposed
 MT. o'Neal Explains.
 MT. O'Neal arose to a question of per sonal privilege. He said he had express ly disclaimed in his opening remarks any intention to impugn the motives of any delegate. Yet MT. Smith had seen fit to make a personal attack upon him and ailude to him as a prophet in tone or ridicule. There was nothing in which he said which authorized this and if MT. Smith meant to say that his motives were not as high as his (Mr. Smith's) he stated something which was not true. He again repeated his assertion that he had not meant to impugn the motives of any delegate.
 Dr. Cunningham said that as he had been the unwilling cause of starting this discussion he deemed 1t his duty to make few scattering remarks in plain English. In thirty-fve things the committee had shot at the subject of local legislation with rifle and rang the bell each time and they had then shot at everything else with a shotgun. He believed If they would knock out the section under con sideration and section 4 they could have a most excellent article. He hoped the motion to reconsider would prevail.
 MT. Watts said their report was not aimed at liquor but at local legislation, to prevent the time of the Legislature being consumed by such matters. To placat those who were friends of the dispensary the committee would agree to accept an amendment that the section under consideration would be amended so as not to apply to the liquor business. He cited as an example of local legisla- ton, bills to relieve minors from the dis abilities of homage when the same mat ter could be determined by the courts. He said the discussion had gone far ha tion.
 The motion to reconsider was then adopted by vote of SS to 51.
 Amendment Offered.
 MT. Sanders of Limestone offered an amendment to add to the section the words provided. that nothing in this section shall prevent the General Assem- ply from passing a local law regulating the liquor traffic, provided notice of said law Is first given.
 MT. Wilson of Clarke moved to strike out the clause leaving the courts to de- eide when general laws covered the sub ject matter of a local law.
 The chair at this point ruled that while the motion to reconsider had prevailed, the report of the committee, including this section was not yet before the house for action. the roll call for reports of other committees being in order at this hour.
 MT. Jones of Hale then moved to re- consider section g which prevented local acts regulating the Jurisdiction and fees of Justices of the peace or the fees of constables. This motion was carried.
 Judge Cobb of Macon moved to recon slider subdivision s. This reads as follows: That no local law shall be passed providing for the conduct of elec- tions or designating places of voting, or -;o af o-1e cincts or districts, except on,the organi- zation of new counties and changing the lines of old counties.
 Judge Cobb said this provision as to changing the boundary lines of old coun- ties was in another section and it was unnecessary to repeat it. This motion to reconsider was lost.
 The committee on rules reported fa- vorably MT. DeGraffenreid's resolution to dispense with all clerks after this week except those for the committees on rules and harmony.
 MT. Howell of Cleburne wanted to re- duce the number of pages and employees and moved to have a committee of five appointed to report what reductions could be made. It was moved to table MT. Howelrs amendment This motion was lost by vote of 34 to S5.
 MT Howell then moved the adoption of his substitute, which was done.
 MT. Cofer of Cullman by consent of- fered a resolution to dispense with i've pages after this week. He moved to suspend the rules and put the resolution on its passage. This was lost.
 Tom Long's Resolution.
 MT. Long of Walker, by consent, offer ed the following resolution:
 Whereas, there Is too much expense at- tached to the running of the convention, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That committe of five be raised to say who are orators and who are not orators. and to allot to the ora tors a time during which each day they and one-half of the stenographers may repair to the Senate chamber and there let the orators deliver themselves of their eloquence, and that the convention pro- ceed to work during such time. Mir. Bethune of Bullock had read pe- tition from citizens of his county asking the convention to pass an ordinance re- quiring railroad commissioners to be elected by the people and paid by the State. A similar petition was presented by MT Malone of Henry. MT. Reese of Dallas asked unanimous consent to read thirty-five petitions. This was refused.
 Committee on Impeachments.
 The committee on impeachments then made it's report as follows:
 Mir. President: The committee on inn peachments instructs me to report the or dinance hereto appended to take the place of article of the present constitution.
 The material changes are as follows:
 Section 1. The words Lieutenant Gov ernor Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries" are inserted. "Habitual