The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-04
THE HOUSE..

The house had. really good day. The bill to fix the pay of probate judges for making out the list of registered voters for filing in the office of secretary of state, came up as unfinished business the pending question being an amendment by MT. Simpson of Lauderdale to make the pay one cent per name. It seemed to have been agreed over night by all concerned to let it go at two and half cents as the committee had fixed it, and the Slmp- son amendment went to the table and the bill passed at two and a half cents.
 The railroad commission sent in it's an- swer to the Lusk resolution calling for information about the roads, and stated that all the information In its posses sion was embodied in It's annual report, which is now in the hands of the printer, and over which all the other state re- ports had preference, which had caused delay. It will be out. however. now in a short time. As to the call for informa- ton about free passes, the commission has no information to impart. No law requires the roads to give any reports on that subject and the commission Is charg- ed with no duty in that connection
 At Il o'clock the general appropriation bill came on as the special order. An amendment was put on providing for the mine inspectors, their salaries having heretofore been paid under the act creat- ing their offices No change was made Tn the amounts of the salaries. The clause fixing the governors pay was changed from $3000 to 5000 and the printing ap- propriation was raised from $15,0O0 to 5zo,- GOO. There were no other changes ana the bin passed
 The rules committee reported favorably the joint resolution providing for a joint ff1- of the judicial circuits and it was adopt. ed. There has been some hesitation about this matter. the resolution having been introduced some time since.
 County of Houston.
 The real feature of the house proceed ipgs, however, was the passage of the bill to create the new county of Houston As it came from the committee 1t was to be called Liberty, but MT. Mcdonald of Barbour promptly moved to amend by calling the new county Semmes, after the great admiral MT. Fulton or DeKalb moved to amend that by calling the new county Rodes, after the great general of that name. Both made short but eloquent speeches in behalf of their favorf-,, names The Rodes proposition was tabled by a vote of 47 to 23
 7 hen MT. Goodwin of Montgomery came forward with an amendment to make the rame Houston, after the great governor. and there was a ripple of applause. He spoke briefly but strongly and the amend ment was adopted by vote of 52 to 26. Evidently the name of Houston is one to conjure with. A good deal of comment has been made over the silence of the Mobile delegation on the question. It real ly. seemed that the house did not care much as between Semmes and Houston and speech from Mobile would have stemmed the tide of Goodwyn's elo- quencc.
 MT. Mills of Geneva offered an amend- ment striking from the bill the two pre- cincts which are taken from his county to form the new county, and supported it with petitions from the people concerned Geneva had no territory to spare
 MT. Epsey of Henry went over the long familiar ground showing why the new county was needed, and the house had already made up it's mind anyway. and no argument was needed. The Mills amendment was tabled. only MT. Mills voting against it, and the bill then passed by vote of S5 to 1.
 May Be Another Fight Over Name. It is not at all certain that there will not be a renewal of the contest over the name in the senate. The advocates of Semmes are far from satisfied with the situation as it is.
 Among the bills introduced in the house are some of importance. Chief among them is that of Mir. DuBose pro- viding for county text book uniformity. MT. DuBose is here as the special repre- sentative of the school teachers. and un- doubtedly is coming forward as the champion of county as against state uni formity he represents the state depart ment of education and also the major portion of the prominent teachers of the | state. The state uniformity champions are ready for the fray, and only today received from Tennessee an express pack age containing a sample of every book in use there under state uniformity. They have secured these to answer the great stock argument of the county uni formity men, that under state uniform ity and cheaper books in Tennessee the books themselves are mere trash and wear out in a few days. thus making 1t more expensive in the end. The books themselves are now here to tell their own tale. The members who are thus prepar- ;.-~ for &l.z <~I~ froN