The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-04
Johnston Bill Given Favorable Report by Senate Com-
 mitteG on Finance
CREATES STATE BOARD ID
 SELECT AND BUY BOOKS
In the House the New County of Hous- ten Was Created After Hot Con- test Over Selection of
 Suitable Name.

| o. The Johnston textbook bill was given a favorable report by the senate commit | tee on finance and taxation at a meeting l this evening. The meeting was rull-alI | eleven members present-and the vote stood to ?. The bill will ne read a sec end time in the senate tomorrow and placed on the calendar for a third reading on the following day
 The action of the committee is very gratifying to the friends of textbook uni formity, and tonight they feel that the success of the measure Is assured. The committee reporting the bill Is composed of Senators Quinn, Hall. Norwood, Stone, Woolf, Thomas, Johnston. Castleberry, Spencer. NeSmlth and Kennedy. It is un- derstood that Senators Hall and Kennedy cast the negative votes Senator John stons bill provides for state uniformity of textbooks and creates commission. 10 be composed of the governor, s,iperln- tendent of educs ton end president of the University of Alabama to select and con- tract for the books. There is a wide dif- ference of opinion as to how best to pro. vide for board of selection, and 1t Is not improbable that the bill may be amended in this particular before 1t is placed on It's final passage
 General Stock Law. The committee on local legislation took I final action upon a general stock law bill at it's meeting this evening. This 1 has been much discussed and very troubleS6me dhestfon. as the sentiment in i different. portions of the state for or against stock law, and how best to provide for stock law districts. Is greatly l varied The bie drawn and reported by the committee clothes the commissioners court, or court of like Jurisdiction with authority to create or abolish the dis tricts and provides that they must hear cases when petition signed by ten prop erty holders living within the territory to be effected is presented Ten days of notice must be given by the petitioners by publication in some local newspaper as to the date for hearing the petition. The bill also provides for a lawful line fence to be constructed by the proper- ty holders within the territory affected. Punishment for depredations is provid- ed for stock law districts already in ec- istence are not to be affected by the bill except that they may be abolished as provided for in the bill A minority of the committee led by MT. Brown of St. Clair and Mir Hammer of Etowah will present a report providing for elections to establish the districts instead of pe- titons to the commissioners courts. The l bill will cause a lively fight in the house when 1t 1t taken up for consideration.
 Revenue Bill Considered. | The house committee on ways and means and the senate committee on l finance and taxation held joint session tonight to further consider the general revenue bill. There was a large attend ance and the representatives of several corporations were on hand to oppose the proposed tax on gross incomes of street railways, electric light, gas and tele- graph companies. Robert Jemison of Birmingham, w. F. Vandiver of Mont gomery, r. M. Abbott of Selma and oth- CTS addressed the committee in opposi- tlon to this provision.
 The house passed two important bills today, the general appropriation bill and a bill creating a new county. Both meas ures occasioned but little debate, the dis cusslon of the latter being confined to naming 1t After several suggestions by way of amendment, Houston was adopt ed. The senate held a very short session.
 THE SENATE.
 The senate this morning passed the bill increasing the appropriation for the national guard encampments from S12.500 to s15,0O0 per annum. It Is a house bill and hence 1t now goes to the governor. mere WAS SOlne OppOSltlOH lO dnJ n- crease led by MT. Hogue, MT. Fraser sup porting the bill. There were four votes against the bill on passage by Messrs. Hogue, Bostick, Bullock and Norman. Mir Craig of Dallas also spoke eloquent- ly for the increase.
 Lieutenant Governor Cunningham, after a few days absence, vas in the chair this morning, and took occasion in inform senators that when they desired refer ence of a bill different from that made by the chair. they should rise and ask such reference as they wished. The chair would then state the request. and if there be no objection the bill will go as the senators wish. But if there is objec- ton, 1t will take a two-thirds vote to change a reference once made by the chair Senator Rogers wished to know if the chair could not be overruled by a majority vote but the chair preferred to wait to rule on that proposition when it should come up, if ever.
 Deficiency Bill Passed.
 The senate passed the deficiency appro- priations heretofore passed by the house for printing and for the expenses of the last legislature.
 The senate also passed the house bill to stop the making of preferred credi- tors by persons who make assignmentsl
 The request of the Alabama Federation of Womens' clubs that Mrs. R. D. John- ston of Birmingham be given a hearing by a joint session of the senate and house on Wednesday next went to the com mittee on rules.
 Quite number of bills were introduced in the senate. the most important being Mir Hipps' bill to provide for the disposi- ton of the net proceeds of the convict