The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-19
WHITE HOUSE BILL PASSED
Interesting Debate on Elective
 Railroad Commission.
Appropriation for Normal Schools Got Through With Not a Vote to Spare-At Night Law
 makers Discussed
 Stock Law.

Morning, afternoon and evening ses- aons of the House of Representatives were held yesterday and two measures of paramount importance. the elective Rail- road Commission bill and the general revenue bill. came before the House. Their consideration was not completed when the days work was ended. In their unfinished state much of the debates on the bills of such widespread interest, re- mains to be heard.
 There has been no appreciable hurry In the promotion of either measure. The House has appeared to take its time in considering both bills. The House made haste slowly yesterday when the bills same up on their final passage
 The House substitute for the general revenue bill came up at the morning ses- sion. The substitute is similar in many respects to the original revenue bill pre- pared by the Governor, the Auditor and the Attorney General. The Committee on Ways and Means in preparing the sub Btitute, however, made the old revenue code of the State the basis of the bill rather than the measure prepared by the State officers, although nearly all the suggestions of changes in the Code sub- mitted by the State officials are embodied In the substitute.
 Revenue Bill Considered.
 The House yesterday completed only the first section of the revenue bill. It killed an amendment proposed by Mir. Hoffman of Mobile to make all build ings occupied by the Masons, Knights of Pythias and other benevolent organiza- tions exempt from taxation. Mir. Hoff- man addressed the House in favor of his amendment, but the House would not have 1t.
 The principal fight was made on that sse.sep of the present ecsss s,firN- e-- snspts pig iron and cotton, temporarily held, from taxation. An earnest and de- termined effort was made to have that exemption provision stricken from the new bill. The remarkable feature of the fight was that it was made by Represen- tative London, who comes from the min eral district of the State where the prop osition would be of most material bene- fit.
 The Jefferson Representative made a strong showing for his proposition to cut that feature of the exemption from the bill. He declared that if 1t was left out 1t would add $25,00oOO0 to the taxable values of the State" He argued that the section had been put in the bill in 1889 by combination of the agricultural inter- ests and the mining interests of the State. Out of this trade MT. London de- clared the farmers had gotten the buzzard and the mine operators had gotten the turkey. He argued that there was no valid reason why the wealthy corpora tions owning millions of dollars in pig iron should be exempt from taxation for this property. Anybody, Mir. London de- clared, could evade taxation by putting their money fin pig iron.
 The morning session ended before MT. London had completed his remarks on this section of the bill.
 White House Bill Passed.
 The White House bill. in which the ladies of the White House Association have been so deeply interested was, after much tribulation, passed the House yes- terday. There has been no outspoken op- position against the bill but in some way the friends of the measure found 1t extremely difficult to get the bill before the House for a final vote. It seemed to be quietly held up by some unseen power. hut yesterday 1t was put before the House and triumphantly passed.
 The hill as amended and passed, pro- vides that $2,5OO shall be appropriated for the erection of a building which shall contain the relics of the Confederate army and navy now in possession of the la dies of the White House Association. The building is to be erected on lot adjoin- ing the Capitol grounds and the whole property is to be deeded to the State as soon as the structure is completed. The appropriation is to be paid in annual in stallments of $650.
 Filibustered in Afternoon.
 The opponents of the elective Railroad Commission bill at the afternoon session of the House successfully flibustered against that measure. An overwhelming majority of the House went on record as favor1ng the bill, but the minority, in control of the House machinery as 1t was. succeeded in eluding final vote of the measure. he minority talked against time and won. It attempted to shackle the bill with amendments and each amend ment offered another opportunity for delay.
 The majority found itself impotent in the face of the fact that the machinery was in control of the opposition and that the session was only an hour and a half long.
 The friends of the elective Railroad Commission bill endeavored to get the session prolonged but they were blocked by parliamentary points of order. AS one opponent of the measure would take his seat another would be recognized and the friend of the bill who wanted the session heightened would try in vain to get his motion before the House.
 The majority sat quietly in their seats listening to che arguments on the amend ments and voting them down. The only vote which could be construed as a test vote showed that "A members of the House was in favor of the substitute which was before the House, and 1A were opposed to it.
 At night the House wrangled good hu- moredly three hours over general stock law and adjourned at Il o'clock without having accomplished anything.
 HOUSE MORNING SESSION.