The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-23
LEGISLATURE WILL MEET SEPTEMBER 1 Interest in Approaching Session
 is Very Great MUCH WORK TO BE DONE It Is Feared That Twenty-two Days Will Not Suffice to Finish All
 Business and Extra ses-
 sion Is Discussed.
MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
BY. E. E.. KERSH.

| terVenlnB untll the IedSSSilpiiHS oA ehO legislature of Alabama, public interest is concerned as to the work left for dis posal at the September term. Both houses of the legislature will, according | to adjournment in February, assemble at noon on Tuesday, September 1.
 | Since much of the legislation made nec- essary by the new constitution is yet to be enacted, the approaching adjourn ed session is almost without parallel in | it's importance to public welfare, espec- iaIly when it is considered that there | will not be another session for four | years. The makers of the constitution. foreseeing the importance of the pres
 ent session, provided that 1t could sit | for sixty working days, future sessions
 being limited to fifty working days. Thirty-eight of the days allotted were consumed at the January February term. leaving twenty-two days for the Sep tember term. While splendid work was done at the first term 1t cannot be de- nied that there still remains more im- portant compulsory legislation for the | short term than was enacted at the first. The members seemed disposed to push | through first such general legislation as | has heretofore been customary, little at | tention being given to legislation nec- essary to make statutes enacted by for mer sessions conform to the new con- stitution.
 Question of Time.
 The question that now perpexes the 1 leaders in both houses is how will 1t be possible for the legislature to get through | with so much important work in its al | lotted time? This question has been gen. orally answered with suggestions of an extra session. Prominent leaders who have been here within the past few weeks have almost unanimously declared that additional time is imperative if the allotted work is properly and fully ac- complished. They assert that the gov ernor should, at the expiration of the regular session. issue a proclamation convening an extra session to sit for such time as may be required to finish the work-say twenty days. But those leaders who expect Governor Jelks to take such action are most assuredly reckoning without their hosts for the governor is very emphatic in his posi- ton that there Is to be no extra session.
 This position he has frequently made known to enquirers
 | With all hope of assistance from the 1 government dissipated, the legislators will. therefore, have a hard task for the sWeltering September days. Triple ses- sions will, of course, become necessary, and long ones at that. As a matter of course it will be impracticable to begin the triple, or even the double sessions, for the first week or ten days, in order that the various committees may have ample time to get through with the flood of bills that will surely come in for the first two or three days. The present legislature has formed the correct habit or transacting business to a large extent In the committee room, and the conscien- tious hard-working committee member Is thus given most unenviable task.
 Object of Recess.
 The recess from February to Septem- Der was taken in order that these mem bers could have time to ponder and study the questions upon which they must act, the senate even going so far as to ap- point special committee to sit during the recess, and frame such bills as in it's Judgment were necessary to make old and new constitutions harmonize. It was originally intended to have a joint com mittee from the two houses but they became crossed as to the size of this committee. the senate preferring to name its committee of nine members rather than agree to the house resolution pro- viding for a committee of three from the lower house and two from the senate
 The senate committee, under the leader ship of its chairman President Pro Tem. Goldsby worked faithfully for several weeks performing the work for which 1t was created, and it Is understood that some dozen and a half bills have been framed to cover the ground. This com mittee will convene again next Tuesday. August 9, to draw up it's final report for submission to it's creators. If the work of this special committee shall prove ac ceptable to majority of both houses. the action of the senate in creating this com mittee will, indeed, be lauded
 Two Factions in Senate.
 But here is where the rub comes There are two distinct factions in the senate known as the Goldsby and anti Goldsby factions. Lined up with the brill iant young Mobilian are such strong young men as Senator Morrow of Jeffer- son, Blackman of Calhoun, Hpp of Gull man, Craig of Dallas Among their strong est opponents are Senators Rogers of Sum- ter Harrison of Lee, Spraggins of Madi- son, Frazer of Bullock Johnston of Tus- caloosa and others. The antiGoldsbys opposed the recess committee, claiming that the members individually could ac- complish equal results without cost to the state. With this condition of affairs, 1t is not at all improbable that the oppo- nents or the special committee will fight the work framed by it, offering bills in dividually drawn as substitutes It can be easily seen that this condition of affairs makes possible the waste of much vaIua- be time Then, too. the lower house must be reckoned with when these special com mittee bills are being considered There has been known to exist in legislative bodies such things as Jealousy and sel- fshness. With so many strong men, some looking possibly, for higher honors, as are found in the present house. all of the important bills that are yet to be enacted will not bear the names of senators Some of them are sure to take the name of some brilliant house member.
 Necessary Legislation.
 In recounting legislation yet to be en- acted, 1t Is an individual opinion to say which measure should be placed as first in importance The constitution makes it the duty of the legislature to provide general laws to cover thirty-one subjects that are | now forbidden in the class of local legIs- l lation." This list. included in section 1O4 | of article four, is as follows:
 1. Granting a divorce.
 2. Relieving any minor of the disabill- | ties of homage.
 3. Changing the name of any corpora tiou, association or individual.
 4. Providing for the adopting or | legitimizing of any child.
 Incorporating a city. town or vil-