The age-herald., 1901-03-10
SENATOR MORROW TALKS
 OF LOCAL LEGISLATION
Interesting Review of the Jefferson County Bills Introduced Dur ing the Late Session of the General Assembly, and
 Their Effect Upon the Public

In speaking about local legislation for Jefferson County in the late Legislature, Senator Hugh Morrow said yesterday:
 During the recent session of the Leg islature many local bills for Jefferson County were passed. The majority of them are unimportant to the county as whole, but the advocates of each bill, however small in it's effect upon the in terests of the county, pushed their pet measures with the same solicitous zeal as if the legislative body had been start ed in motion for the express purpose of enacting Into law these various measures. The number of local bills introduced and passed emphasize the necessity of a con- stitutional provision requiring all bills af- fecting counties alone to be advertised in some newspaper before the introduce tion of the same. Many measures, local and selfish in their nature. that are in- troduced at every session of the Legis- lature would not find their way to Mont gomery if an advertisement of this kind was required as a condition precedent to their introduction.
 Here Is a full list of Jefferson County's local bills:
 House bills 360 and S61, known as the sewer bills,' provide for the creation of a sanitary commission of eleven mem bers, and authorize the issuance of $500,- 900 worth of bonds to construct and main tain a trunk sewerage system from East Lake to many miles below Besse- mer. It Is generally acknowledged that the passage of these bills was the most important local bills that were pending In the Legislature. The names of the commissioners are N. D. Barker, F. Y. Anderson James Bowron, Arthur w. Smith, James Weatherly, W. J. Milner, Chambers McAdory, Charles Nolen, J. M. Gillespy, M V. Joseph and James J. Smith. The last two names were added to the list while the bill was in the Sen ate.
 Senate bill 52s. To regulate primary elections of recognized political parties in Jefferson County. If the law Is en- forced 1t will have a very wholesome effect upon future primary elections Some of the politicians have been heard to say that its passage may have the effect of doing away with primary elec- tions. However, the county convention instructed the delegation to give the peo- pie or the county a prlInary eieClloh id"' and in obedience to this instruction the law.
 "Then there were two bills passed reg ulating the working of the roads and providing for the disposition of the road fund. House bills 1905 and 1906: The for mer authorizes the Board of Revenue, in their discretion, to convert on the 1st Of November of each year into the general f,,,, lad haIo nf hn fund, which simply means that if there is any money remaining in the road fund that has not been needed in keeping up old roads or in opening new ones on tho 1st of November of each year, the Board of Revenue, to meet a deficiency, may convert the same Into the general fund. In this way the roads will be looked af- ter. and, by the exercise of the discretion given to the Board of Revenue, the resi- due can be used and the credit of the county upheld. It was thought at one time that the Legislature would convert 60 per cent. of the road fund to the gen eral fund. but such Is not the case. The latter bill. namely, 1206, has made some very decided changes in the road law. It leaves the office of the road supervisor to the election of the people, but places him under the absolute control of the Board of Revenue, requiring him to make monthly written reports to that board. and taking away from him the right to make contracts or open new roads with out the approval of the board In fact, all contracts must be approved by the board under the new law. This bill also provides for the appointment by the board of ten overseers, two over each of the five districts established by the act, and provides for the more efficient collection of the read taxes.
 There were six bills, known conJointly as the city of Birmingham bills num- bered as follows: 1317, providing for the widening and strengthening of Prospect avenue, near Fountain Heights; 1319 to amend certain sections of the city char ter relating to the improvement of streets: 1862, relating to the assessment of Improvements; 1330 authorizing the collection of interest on delinquent taxes; 1929, ratifying the new plat of Oak Hill cemetery; 1881. providing for the sweep ing and sprinkling of streets, which last bill passed the House and was killed in the Senate; and. lastly, the famous veto power bill, which was House bill No. 1918. Much has been said about this bill but its real history Is this: The bill provides for the election of chairman, whose du- ty is to preside at the meetings, appoint the committees, etc., duties that are now vested in the Mayor. This bill passed the House. and was on the calendar in the Senate. and an amendment was there added to the same by Senator Morrow at the request of Mayor Drennen. The amendment provided for the regulation of amusements at street and other fairs, and after the bill and amendments were passed In the Senate, the amendments and bill were unanimously concurred in by the House, was signed by the presiding officers of both houses, and sent regular ly to the Governor for his approval The Governor vetoed the bill on the theory that 1t might confer upon the municipaIi- ty the right to license pool-selling and prize fighting under the general term, 'amusements' Upon further considera- ton the Governor recalled his veto, hay ing inadvertently overlooked that section of the constitution which provides that a municipality cannot pass any ordinance inconsistent with the general laws of the State and notably the case of Hewlett vs. Camp, 115 Ala. 499, which, in con struing that section of the constitution, expressly declares that the Legislature has not the right to delegate to the city of Birmingham the right to legalize pool selling. When the Governors attention was called to that decision, he very cheer fully recalled his veto, and by joint reso- lution, originating in the House, the bill was recalled from the Governors office The bill on the last day reached the House, and there 1t remained until the session closed Many theories have been advanced as to why the bill was amend ed However, 1t is very clear that under no legal construction could the bill have conferred upon the city the right to li- cense pool-selling.
 House bill 1884 is known as the money