The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-18
Awake to the Fact That the Flow of OTatOrv Has
 Been Limited
VERY LITTLE BUSINESS
 TRANSACTED AT CAPITOL
Senate Has a Long Wrestle Over the General Election Bill, But the
 Speeches Had Not Ended
 When Session Adjourned.

Montgomery, September 17-(Special)- | Talk and more talk principally character ized the sessions of both houses of the | legislature today. Whether 1t was be- cause of the consideration of measures of special importance or a recognition on the part of the members that so far the session had been marked by very slight flow of oratory. it Is not here to be stated but the truth remains that each house spent the larger part of the legislative day in talk without results, in so far as the general public is concerned
 The senate had up the general election bill and four set speeches on the proposi- tion of A numbered ballot were made. Senator Craig opposed the numbered bal lot while Senators Bullock, Harrison and Rogers favored it.
 Will Vote Favorably. The discussion was not ended when the session adjourned but 1t appears to be A pretty safe prediction that the senate will vote favorably to the numbered bal lot. As soon as this question is disposed of the general primary election bill will be taken up. The house committee will not accept the senate recess bill in toto and Chairman Bankhead is earnestly at work to draft a measure that will meet with the approval of the committee. The senate bill is being used as basis.
 The house lost the day on the Gold smith bill to repeal the special mortgage tax but after much wrangling the matter was left untouched. It was a peculiar fight at one time. It appeared that the tax would be increased from fifteen to thirty cents but all new propositions were fnall, voted down and the law remains just as 1t was passed by the early session.
 The house will take up a special order tomorrow the bill amending the railroad commission law so as to permit all the members to serve out the terms for which they were appointed. It is the gen. eral impression that the bill will pass.
 The House.
 The Rev. Neal L. Anderson opened the 1 morning session with prayer and eighty one members answered roll call.
 MT. Powell of Bullock secured unani- | mons consent and called up bis bill au- | thorizing the court of county commits sioners. upon petition filed and proper nroof being made, and authorizing the | state auditor, upon a proper certificate | and proof being furnished him by the | nrohate judge from the court of county | commissioners to refund to any person owning property subject to taxation in this state, money, which was not due for taxes, but was paid through a mistake or error in the assessment or collection of taxes, which was passed.
 Commissioners Pay. Mir. Handeys bill to fix the compensa- tion of members of the court of county | commissioners at $3 per day and mile age was discussed by Messrs. Handley, Byrne and Kelly in favor of the Dill ana by Messrs. Walker and Thach in oppo- sition. The present compensation of | commissioners is g 50 per day and mile age Mir Handley claimed that this comnensation did not hold out sufficient | inducements to the best business men 10 accept the trust, and as the ofhce IS becoming much more important he | thought the compensation should be in- creased. Mir. Thach wanted the bill in- definitely postponed, but the motlon failed; ayes, 31; nays, 40.
 Mir Starr said the commissioners Of Dallas were now drawing $4 per diem, and he wanted the bill so amended as to 1 embrace his county, but he was cut on on motion for the previous question. The bill does not effect the counties which have special acts fixing the com pensation. The bill passed; ayes, 4o, nays, 31.
 Taxes on Mortgages.
 It was with some difficulty that MT. Goldsmith secured suspension of the rules to consider his bill seeking to re- peal the tax on mortgages, imposed by | the general revenue law enacted at the | early session. MT. Goldsmith made a care fully prepared speech on the subject, the | burden of which was unjust dscrimina- tion when at the same time he claimed that the state would lose in taxes by the new law. He claimed that it would re- ouire assessment on S75000,000 of mort gages in order for the new law to bring | in an equal amount of taxes with the old The committee had a substitute to | the bill increasing the tax to 30 cents on the hundred, which MT. Goldsmith want ed indefinitely postponed.
 Mir Benners replied to Mir Goldsmith | in rather scathing manner, being able. it | appeared, to so completely solve a ques- ton which had caused the governor au- ditor and ways and means committee to be so much at sea. He related the his tory of the adoption of the section pro- viding mortgage tax. He made an ex- tended argument on the case, and stated | very clearly how it was that under the | old system the home money lender had | to pay a tax while the foreigner got off | without a tax, and thus became lender | in the state that discriminated against | the local lender.
 MT. Benners NettIed.
 MT Lusk called attention to the read- | ing of the bill, which was to assess the | tax at 30 cents on mortgages for less than s1OO while on larger mortgages the tax | was to be 15 cents. MT. Benners became | a bit nettled over what he thought an | lnsinuation that he was unfair in his | argument and he insisted that it was | merely a typographical error. that the | tax was to be uniform at 30 cents on the | hundred, % cents to go to the state and | 10 cents to the county. He corrected the | assertion of Mir. Goldsmith that 1t would | take s75,000,000 of mortgages to keep the | ra,,enl1es LID to the present figures but