The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-07
THE HOUSE.

ner bill, regulating how commissioners courts may issue bonds for constructing roads, public buildings, school houses. bridges and the like. It came on as the unfinished business. The maximum of in- terest allowed on such bonds was fixed at per cent and an amendment by MT Ar mold was adopted requiring that where practicable one of the managers of the election on the bond issue shall be op- posed to 1t and one for 1t. It was also amended so as to include bond issues for debts already contracted for the ob- jects aimed at in the bill, this being put on at the instance of Mir. Leigh of Es- cambia, who said his county owed some $20.O GOO on it's new courthouse. Speeches were made for the per cent maximum by Messrs London, Bogart. Foster of Tus- caloosa and Werner, and for per cent by Messrs Wood. Lusk and Walden. The advocates of per cent as the maximum seemed to think that while money is now cheap, 1t may not always be so, and some times county may find it cannot float a bond at less than per cent The per cent advocates took the position that If 8 county cannot borrow money at per cent 1t will be good thing to pre- vent 1t from loading itself with more. This Is the first general bill providing for a subject prohibited as local legislation by the new constitution to get through the house, and 1t required part of three days.
 Capitol Improvement Bill.
 The real interest in the session. how ever. centered in the capitol improve ment bill, which was the special order for the noon hour. The committee reported a substitute which met some objections to the original bill. and NMessrs Strother and Ballard of Tallapoosa made mi- nority report The substitute carries the same appropriation with the bill S250000, and includes provision for purchase of the south part of the square either by pri- vate agreement with the owners or by condemnation. The minority report re- duced the appropriation to s25,000 and left out the purchase of any more ground.
 MT. Strother opened the debate by a speech advocating s25.OOO as quite enough for the present condition of the treasury. and read from the governors message to show the necessity for drawing in rather than increasing appropriations. He thought. too, the substitute was uncon- stitutional in that 1t had more than one subject in the title and the body of the bill.
 Mir. Starr read another passage from the governors message showing that not withstandng the enormous and unpre- cedented drain on the treasury, 1t has gained in the last two years.
 Lusk Approved the Measure.
 Then Mir. Lusk made the leading speech against the substitute or rather the ap- propriation of y250.0OO. He desired that whatever money is appropriated be ex- pended under the machinery of the sub stitute, but advocated s25000 as all the state and the people should be called on to expend at this time. In 1884 the state appropriated s25000 for the library exten- sion. and that increased the room by 50 per cent. The same amount now would add thrty-three and one-third per cent to the accommodations of the building. He admitted that more room Is needed, but that there was enough for the pre- . (contlnued on Second Paqel