The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-13


 tee of the whole, with MT. Foster of Tus- caloosa in the chair and resumed con- sideration of the election bill. Section after section was passed. and few amendments of slight importance were nut on. One of these by MT. Lusk pro- yides that a man shall be. allowed to register at the court house in October if from any unavoidable cause he could not register in the regular time. One by MT. Reynolds of Chiffon makes the record of registered voters in the probate office public record, another by MT. Davis amended by MT. Hoffman, allows sixty days for the registration In all counties of over 50,OOO population. As framed the bill allowed only forty days, except sixty in the single county of Jefferson. An amendment was also adopted requiring the registrars to sit two days each at the court houses of counties having two court houses Another by MT. Simpson fixed the pay of probate judges for their services in making lists at two and . half cents a name.
 DuBose StartIes House.
 Just before the hour of o'clock the clerk read section "A, which goes on to enumer- ate the officers who are to be elected at elections held under the bill, and to this MT. DuBose of Jefferson offered an amendment, adding the railroad commits sioners to the list No body of men ever woke up more suddenly and completely. In excited tones MT. Bankhead, who was In charge of the bill, assisted by Mir Lon- don, both gentlemen occupying special seats at table just in front of the speak CT. made the point of order that the amendment was not germane to the bill; that this was a bill to provide how off, cers already elective were to be elected, and that it could not enact statutes pre- scribing who are to be elected not already provided for. MT. London got in a re- mark of protest against the point of order MT. Hoffman in the meanwhile was appealing to MT. DuBose to with draw his amendment. The chair, MT. Foster presiding, ruled the point well taken, and amid intense but subdued ex- citement, MT. Lusk appealed from his ruling. The question was put and the house, as a committee of the whole. over ruled the chair by a vote of 4S to 26. MT. Curry of Pickens moved that the com, mttee rise and this was voted down by a large majority Somebody moved to adjourn. but the chair ruled that the committee of the whole could not adjourn. Then Mr. Bankhead moved an amend ment to the amendment that the election of railroad commissioners should not go into effect until 1910 and began to speak against time He said he was for an cleo tive commission and would vote for 1t when 1t was reached regularly. But a bill to that effect was before a regular committee, and he begged members not to bring in this controversial measure here and interfere with the passage of a bill of so much importance. Then the clock struck, and the committee rose and the house adjourned with the DuBose amendment as the unfinished business to be taken up the first thing tomorrow.
 For Elective Commission.
 Thus on two indirect votes the house clearly declared that it Is for an elective commission by something like two to one and will brook no further delay in hav- Ing vote on 1t. The feeling has been growing for several days that there is studied effort to delay railroad legis- lation and this feeling accounted for the stir created this morning by the pre- cipitation of the subject. Mir. Benners had early in the session given a forecast of the purpose of those who are friendly to this legislation by moving to make MT Starr's motion to take his railroad bill from the adverse calendar a paramount special order for noon today, to be refer red to a committee of the whole. The point of order had been made against him that the motion was out of order as the election bill was up as the special order and his motion could not be enter tained until, that order was disposed of. He read the house rules as to motions to make special orders. and no time being fixed for such motions to be made Re