The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-17
Speaker TunstaII Makes Him. self Popular by Chang
 ing the Rules
DREADED PIGEON HOLE IS
 HEREAFTER BACK NUMBER
A 9ili Adversely Reported Can Be Placed on Calendar By Majority Vote, lnsurine All of Fair
 Treatment.

Montgomery, January 16.-(speeial.)- When the lower house of the legislature today by an unanimous vote adopted the report of the rules committee, fixing the standing rules for the present session, It went on record as the fairest and most conservative legislative body that has possibly ever assembled in this state. The committee, headed by Speaker Tunstall. said that there could be no throttling of Legislator.
 No bills are to get a committee refer ence and find secluded spot for death In the heretofore much dreaded pigeon hole.
 The committee. through the rules adopt ed, says that the majority shall rule. and this action has made Speaker Tunstall exceedingly popular. His enemies, it Is said, have charged him with being a tyrant. q selfish man, who had nothing save corporate interests at heart To- day they confess the truth of the faith placed in him by his friends and sup porters
 Changes In the Rules.
 The cause for this 3 explained In two changes in the rules. The rules govern ing former sessions have provided that a bill adversely reported by a committee cannot be placed upon the calendar save by a three-fifths vote of the house. The rule adopted today to govern the same house which the speaker as its author provides that majority vote of the mem- bers voting may place any bill with an at.. the rules committee does not stop here. vided that majority of the members voting may force any committee to report on bill in its possession. This is an en- l tirely new rule. Tn former sessions a | three-fifths vote of the house could recall q bill from committee of reference. but the speaker could only in such case refer 1t to some committee
 Jefferson Members Delighted.
 The members of the Jefferson county delegation. who have maintained that MT. Tunstall was the proper man to elect to the speakership, are delighted at this action, though 1t merely confirms their belief in the fairness and impartiality of their favorite. It is a complete exonora- tion of the charges brought by what is termed the elective railroad commission element and it is now certain that the lower house at least will adhere to the will of the majority
 The lower house did nothing today save to adopt the report of the rules com mittee, and in joint session with the sen- ate witness the canvassing of the vote cast for state officials. The senate had short session during which the only fea- tnre was the introduction of a number of bills.
 An Interesting Decision. A ruling by the president of the senate today on the matter of local legislation of widespread interest. President Goldsby holds that a local bill cannot be lntio duced until 1t has been for four con- secutiye weeks advertised. Many members and the public generally seems to have become imbued with the idea that four weeks of advertising prior to the passage of the bill was all that the constitution requires. Reference to article 106 of the new constitution will bear out the ru- ing of the senate's president.
 This ruling will cause a general delay in the matter of local legslation as very few proposed local measures are accom- panied by the proposed necessary adver- Using affidavit.
 Bessemer Wants a County. II Is learned tonight that the citizens within the district outlined for the often proposed Bessemer county have adyer- tised that bill IS to be presented to the legislature for the formation of the county of Bessemer This advertisement appears in a Shelby county paper, but Representative Lyman of Shelby says that his people are against the proposed new county and that he stands with his constituents. It is understood that the bill to be presented will provide that the county of Bessemer shall be formed out of portions of Jefferson, Walker Tusca- loosa, Bibb and Shelby. The members from these counties, without exception, oppose the movement and 1t therefore has no chance of passage.
 The Jefferson delegation have been pro- vided with copies of a bill which provides that the tax collector and tax assessor of Jefferson county shall keep open an of- flee daily in Bessemer during the months of October. November and December for the purpose of collecting and assessing taxes in beats l. 2. 3, 4 ,. ', 24, 27. 8, 8, 40 and 4i The bill provides for an appro- priatlon from the county treasury of $150 per month for both the assessor and col lector for the three months designated, for two years. Representative Black burn said tonight that he was disposed to favor the bill with a few minor changes.
 THE HOUSE.
 The session of the house was very brief today. The opening prayer was Dy the Rev. J. P. Morgan of Montgomery. Sneaker Tunstall himself presented the