The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-30
STATE CONFERENCE OF THE
 CHAPTER REGENTS D. A. R.
 ASSEMBLIES IN BIRMINGHAM
(continued from Sixth Page)..

Continued from Sixth Page)... this for several years and they have at last purchased a site for the hall"
 Mrs Brice declared that the continental hall would be monument to the Daugh- ters of the American Revolution in the present and a memorial to the Revolu- tionary heroes in the past. She said that now since the ground had been broken on the site upon which the hall is to be erected at the corner of Seventeenth and D streets that the building of the hall seemed assured.
 Mrs. Smith made a short talk in refer ence to the raising of the continental hall fund and in referring to the penny boxes sent out by the national society suggest ed that other ways should be devised that would probably result in increased donations
 Mount Vernon Work.
 The afternoon session was called to order by the state regent.
 Miss Boyce and Mrs. Wyly presented the claims of the American monthly and talks on real daughters were made by Mrs Wyly and Mrs. Smith.
 Mrs Mcclellan gave a report of the action of the Mount Vernon association with reference to the states of Alabama to the board of regents, and a brief his tory of the Alabama Michigan controver- sy which has now been satisfactory set tied
 This subject has been one of wide in- terest throughout the state, including as 1t did Alabamas claim to the Central hall in Mount Vernon
 At the council of Mount Vernon regents last May Alabama was represented by her vice regent Mrs. R. D. Johnston of Birmingham, who presented Alabama's l claims through evidence accumulated by the John Wade Reyes chapter of Athens, the happy conclusion of which was | nounced some months ago. | In McClellan's report yesterday she re- 1 ferred to the succession of vice-regent | for Alabama, as given in the annual re- l port of the Mt. Vernon association: Mrs. Octavia Walton Le Vart, fourth 1 on the list of vice-regents appointed by | the founder and first regent, Miss Ann l Pamela Cunningham 1858, and made va cant in 1866 by her death
 'The vice.regents of Virginia North Carolina and Georgia precede Alabama as | to order of choice. Mrs. Ella s. Her bert, the successor of Madame LeVert, was nominated in 1882, and died in 1884. Her daughter, Miss Leila Herbert suc- ceeded her in 1S93-94, and died in 1897. Mrs R. D. Johnston, the present vice. regent, was nominated In 1900.
 She was notified )on installation May, 1901, that because of the indifference Ala bama manifested toward her interests at Mt Vernon, they had been transferred to another state. Mrs. Thomas s. Maxey, vice regent for Texas, In the Mt. Yer non Ladies' association, in a letter to John Wade Reyes chapter, March 26, says
 'In 1858 on the payment of $2O0,0O0 the transfer of the Mt Vernon property was sla fo kla ,soft A1aI, native state, did her part, generously contributing over $10,00O of the purchase money, and has since materially aided in the restoration of the place"
 Mrs. Herbert''s fruitful efforts In behalf of the Central Hall, have been referred to in our resolutions. Miss Leila Her bert with much care and expense, had reproduced antique pieces of glassware of the Washington era, and presented them to the Mansion-House. Her loyalty to the history of Mt Vernon is evinced in her contribution to the patriotic lit- erature of our country.
 In the presence of the testimony of them who though dead, yet speaketh," and of others, whose vigilant devotion neither slumbers, nor sleeps" Alabama stands acquitted of the charge of neg lect of the shrine of Anglo-Saxon patri- otism. The newly constituted trustees of the Central Hall Is not the source or subject of our grievance. The wrong perpetrated is, that after forty-two years of proprietorship it should have been an- nulled, without notification, or the coux l tesy which should have granted to Ala bama at least a graceful relnquishment in favor of a chosen successor. The present custodian of Central Hall, 1 Mrs. Rathbone of Michigan, proposed at once to share its honors with the vice. regent for Alabama.
 At the suggestion of the lady regent, Mrs. J. Van Rensaales Townsend of New York, a motion was made and carried to obliterate all state lines. and to conduct the work on a broader plane. Instead of exalting the patriotic labors of particu- | lar states, it was agreed to merge all gifts and glory in the crowning purpose of the association-the preservation of | Mt. Vernon as a whole. In accordance with this noble spirit, the names of the various commonwealths were ordered to be taken from the doors, and instead only the former use of the apartment was indicated.
 Mrs. Johnston, as the representative of Alabama, was congratulated on bring ing to happy consummation move- ment, the result of which will be more fruitful of advantages to Mr. Vernon and our state than the restoration sought by us.
 It Is inexpressihy pleasing to the D. A. R. of Alabama that the vice-regency or Mrs. Johnston has been so suspicious ly launched, and that they have been permitted to set Its sails to favoring winds.
 Open Discussion.
 Mrs. Johnston made a talk in regard to the Ala bama room at Mount Vernon, and recalled the incident connected with the controversey. She made a most in- teresting tsik in this connection and said that now since Alabama had been fortun- ate enough to secure a room in the Kan sas building at Mount Vernon, she want ed these quarters to be furnished by the school children of the state as a memorial. The daughters decided to make an effort to interest the children of Alabama III this movement and the regents will dis-