The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-18
HOUSE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Action of Governor in Leasing Con-
 victs Confirmed.

Act1on or GoVernor Tn Leasing Con-
 victs Confirmed.
 The House met few minutes after 8 o'clock for the afternoon session.
 The roll call showed that 90 members were present.
 Two bills, relative to the action of the Governor and Board of Convict Inspectors in leasing the State convicts on the basis of free labor were called up by unanimous consent.
 One of the measures, House bill 362, authorizes the State of Alabama to em- ploy its convicts in mining coal and the other House Bill 36S, ratifies and con firms the contract made by the Governor and the Board of Convict Inspectors with the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company and the Sloss-Shefiield Steel and Iron Company. Both bills were passed without opposition.
 MT. Searcy of Henry endeavored to have his bill establishing a dispensary called up, but he could not secure con sent.
 It was announced that the special order for the hour was the consideration of the general election bill reported from the Committee on Privileges and Elections and which had been considered by the Committee of the Whole
 Mir. Simpson of Lauderdale said that the general revenue bill set for o'clock should come up first, but he was over ruled.
 General Election Bill.
 The election bill was reported from the Committee on Privileges and Elections with an amendment embodytng the changes made in the bill by the Commit tee of the Whole. The changes consist of the addition of the Railroad Com missioners and county solicitors to the list of elective officers.
 The reading of the amendments was dis pensed with.
 The amendment for electing Railroad Commissioners was adopted with but one dessentlng vote and that was cast by Speaker Tunstall.
 MT. Goldsmith of Lowndes, offered an amendment to the section relative to the violation of the election laws by Inspectors or election managers. The amendment provided that any voter who was de- prived of his legal right to vote by the act of any inspector or manager might re- courts,
 The Goldsmith Amendment.
 MT. Goldsmith addressed the House briefly in support of his amendment.
 The amendment" declared MT. Gold simth, goes one step further in guaran- teeing fair elections In Alabama
 He said that when fraud was commit ted 1t was usually done by the victorious party, the party which would have the most influence in drawing grand Juries and who for that reason, was not afraid of indictment
 Mir Benners of Jefferson approved the amendment It was well known, he said that passion of men ran high during that political campaigns, It was not right, he said, that the House should allow the animosity of one man to drag another into the civil courts. He moved to table the amendment and the motion prevailed. The bill was then read a length. It con- tains 1l2 sections and It's reading occupied one hour. The bill was drawn in harmony with the suffrage article of the Constitu- ton. It makes operative all constitution al regulations for fair elections
 ll was passed by a vote of S4 to ], Speaker Tunstall vo ing against it.
 Mir. Mnge of Marengo called up House bill 35l regulating the selling and tagging of fertilizers in Alabama. There was no discussion of the bill and no opposition to its passage.
 Money for Normal Schools. MT simpson of Lauderdale called up House bill 2s9 increasing the States ap- propriation to the Troy and Florence Nor