The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-09
MUCH WORK, LITTLE TALK,
 FEATURES OF HOUSE SESSION

the session of the House began yesterday morning. The proceedings were opened With prayer by Rev. E. c. Nave of the west End Methodist Church. Leaves of absence were asked for and granted Messrs. Lanier Searcy, Lowe, FL iiott. Fucker, Werner and Johnson. The way was made clear for the intro duction of bills. They came in crow {. but there was a falling off from the ff of bills of the first three days. I 1. twenty-three bills were introduced MT. Hall of Montgomery presented | resolution naming the yellow jesmine as | the State flower for Alabama. The reso- | lution went to the Committee on Rules.
 Mir. Bankhead of Walker offered res- l olution directing the Rules Committee to select the most important general bills on the calendar for consideration. The resolution provided further that upon the acceptance of the Committees report the general bills selected should have priority over all other bills on the calendar. , For Night Sessions. MT. Hoffman of Mobile introduced a ! resolution providing for three sessions daily, beginning Thursday. The House program as outlined in the resolution Is as follows: Morning session. from 10 a. m. to p. m; afternoon session, 8 D. m. to 6 p. m.; night session. 8 D. m. till Il p. m. The resolution declares further that at the night session only local bills shall be considered. Like the other reso- lutions 1t went to the Committee on Rules. Material additions were made to the calendar by the report of the standing committees of the House. The Walker municipal bill was, with a substitute, fa- vorably reported from the Committee on Municipal Corporations. On motion of MT. Walker the bill was made the para mount special order for next Friday at II a. m.
 The bill of Representative T. J. Hall of Montgomery creating a State Board of Arbitrator was favorably reported by the Committee on Immigration and Labor.
 Bills on Their Passage.
 Bills on the calendar were then taken up for passage. MT. Arnold of Calhoun, Chairman of the Committee on Educa- tion secured unanimous consent to take up the bill making provisions for the maintenance of the public schools for the fiscal year ending September 30. 1904.
 MT. Arnold explained that the friends from the special three mills tax would not be available for the schools until the fall of 1904. There was no provisions, he said, for the schools for the year and this bill made appropriations for the schools.
 The bill was passed without opposition.
 MT. Fuller of De Kalb secured unani- nous consent for the passage of a bill for the relief of three widows of Confederate soldiers where papers were lost.
 MT. Starr of Dallas endeavored to se- cure unanimous consent for his public health bill, but objection was raised.
 MT. Glover of Greene also encountered opposition in securing unanimous consent to take up his banking bill. The House manifested it's plain desire to have the calendar regularly taken up.
 The first bill on the calendar, empower ing the Governor to sell the lands of the Alabama Industrial School was called up and passed.
 No Typographical Map.
 The House effectively killed the bill providing for the typographical survey and map of Alabama. and did 1t rather quickly. The bill was explained by Rep resentatives DuBose of Jefferson and Foster of Tuscaloosa. The proposed map was to be made in conjunction with the topogra phical work of the Federal gov ernment. The map, it was said would contain the Impressions the timbered growth and the indications of the min eral wealth of the State, with all the main public roads outlined. The appro- priation carried by the bill, it was said. was to supplement the Federal appro- priation.
 It developed in the discussion that the appropriation in the bill was $5,OO0 an- nually for four years. making total oI $2O,OOO The bill was killed by a vote of 14 ayes to 56 nays.
 The Schuessler bill providing for the payment of the stationery account of the Legislature. was called up and passed without opposition.
 The Arnold bill to authorize courts of County Commissioners to furnish fuels for the offices of county officials, sprung a short discussion. MT. Arnold offered an amendment requiring the commission CTS to furnish fuel and attendance in- stead of authorizing them to do 1t. He submitted that 1t was only right to have the commissioners furnish fuel to coun- ty officials.
 MT. Lusk of Marshall said that the bill should be entitled an act to increase the incomes of county officials in Alabama. The Court of County Commissioners, he said, knew better whether their county was able to bear the expense than the Legislature. He moved the indefinite postponement of the bill and pending amendment.
 MT Blackburn of Jefferson thought that the bill could be improved and he sug- gested that it be temporarily passed. The motion to indefinitely postpone was, however, adopted with votes to spare. To Punish for Assaults.
 The bill to fix the punishment of the crime of assault with intent to rape was taken up. The bill provides that jury may sentence the prisoner to be hanged or sentence him to a term of imprison- ment from two years to life. The meas ure was passed.
 The Walker divorce bill was called up. MT. Walker explained that the bill only added one clause to the six causes for divorce allowed under the Alabama law. The sixth cause entitled a man WOm- an to divorce for habitual drunkenness. He explained that his Dill placed the habitual use of opiates or other narcot- ics upon the same footing as habitual drunkenness.
 The bill was defeated ayes 29. nays 43.
 The House adjourned at 1 p. m. after having passed ten bills.