The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-31
CIGARETTE BILL
 PASSES THE HOUSE Prohibits Sale or Giving Away
 of the Papers MIR. LONDON OPPOSED 1T Notwithstanding the Efforts of Some of the Leaders the Measure Passes.
 Plenty of Excitement In
 Both Branches.
MIR. LONDON OPPOSED IT

Montgomery, January 0.-(Special.) Ut would be impossible to overstate the de- lightful smoothness with which things move on in the house since that cumber- some body has been freed from the in- cubus of local legislation. There is no flood of bills introduced on roll call, nor another flood reported from committees on that call. The calendar Is reached In a short time, and the bills are discussed briefly, but enough to make sure noth- ing is just slipping through. The calender does not grow day by day by the dozen of pages.
 This was the best day yet had in the house. It's feature was, of course, the pas sage of the anti-cigarette bill of MT. Byars of Blount. It makes a clean sweep of the whole cigarette business, stops the sale or giving away Of cigarettes and cigarette papers, and leaves the smoker to the sole device of shipping them in from abroad. After he gets them here he must smoke them himself. He can't treat around. MT. London opposed the bill, and even moved to table it, and he was backed by MT. Poole of Clarke, but the house wanted the bill, and passed 1t with whirl by vote of 6l to 35 num- Der of strong men in the house voted against the measure, not being able to reconcile this sort of prohibitory legis- lation with those tenets of democracy in which they had been nurtured.
 Debate Over Widows Pension.
 An interesting debate sprang up over a bill to provide for taking the names of widows who marry again from the pension list, introduced by MT. Lowe of Lawrence. MT. Thomas of Chambers of- fered an amendment raising the amount of property which a pensioner Is allowed to hold from s400 to $500. He explained that this would let in only a very few more than come in now, and he knew of some cases that ought to come in under it. MT. Goldsmith of Lowndes opposed the raise in the limit, and led off on an argument which the house took for its own that the restrictions around the pen sion roll should be made stricter Instead of looser MT. Starr of Dallas said that he wore a cross of hcnor and he opposed any such relaxation as this. Mir. Killen of Lauderdale, an old soldier, said 1t was hard enough now to keep the rolls free from men who ought not to be there. and Mr. Kelley of Choctaw said he knew men who had given away their property to their children just to get on the roll. MT. Byrne of Baldwin and Mir. McCluskey of Lamar both supported the raise in the limit, but it finally went to the table by vote of 45 to 27.
 Then MT. starr of Dallas offered an amendment providing for purgins the lists of such pensioners as come into pos session of more property than the $4Oo after they have gotten on the roll or whom subsequent developments show 10 have gotten there improperly MT. Wal den indorsed this amendment and 1t was adopted by vote of 90 to 0. The bill as amended then passed without opposition.
 To Levy on Ungathered Crops.
 A bill by MT. Foster of Pike to allow mortgagee to levy on an ungathered crop was passed, but 1t gave rise to quite discussion as to whether 1t would do any good. The doubt on the subject was raised by inquiries from Mir. London and MT. Walker, and MT. Werner of Tusca- loosa was quite positive the sheriff's charges for gathering the crop would be exhaustive. It is a new remedy for the enforcement of crop liens. and the house seemed willing for the farmers to try 1t.
 The house made MT. Goodwyn's bill for improving and enlarging the capitol ana grounds the special order for next Thurs day. It carries an appropriation of s25o, 900, and the orators are expected to turn themselves loose on that day. Many want to speak, and as the subject is an easy one and affords fine scope. and as the ladies of Montgomery will fill the gallery. brilliant day Is anticipated.
 Among the bills introduced today, by far the most important. if not the most important of the whole session, is Mf London's bill to tax the franchises of all corporations. This has never been so much attempted by any bin before an Alabama legislature, and yet the principle embodied is one that Is consuming the attention of tax officers all over the cour- try. The franchise of a corporation as contemplated In this bill is the difference between its tangible property, taxed as