The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-16
Strikes at the Practice Of
 USury. VICTORY FOR MoBlLlAN
In Pace of odds Snatched
 Measure from Defeat.
House Displayed Intolerance for Stock Law Legislation and Killed General Bill After
 Lengthy Debate.

bile, won his protracted fight for the passage of his money lending bill in the House of Representatives yesterday, hav- ing performed the remarkable feat or snatching victory from defeat.
 Fighting to the last he secured re- consideration of the vote by which the House killed the bill Monday, and accom- plished the passage of his bill by an overwhelming vote.
 Although the House had defeated the bill the day previous. MT. Hoffman se- cured its passage yesterday afternoon by a vote of 46 ayes to 13 nays. It was personal victory for the Mobile represen- tative. He was the author of the bill and stood sponsor for it in it's various vicissitudes, in fair weather and foul The bill had checkered career in the House At one time it would appear to have the friendship and confidence of the House, and at another time 1t would appear that the House would be satis- fled with nothing but the death of the measure.
 Considered it Three Days.
 The House occupied the greater part of three days in the consideration of the Hoffman bill. It was more than once on eve of passing the bill, but final action on it was postponed until the House was in the humor to put the measure out of the way.
 A strong lobby was about the Capitol to encompass the defeat of the bill. The money lenders of Birmingham. Mont eomery and Mobile grew alarmed. They called to their assistance some of the most influential workers among the leg islators, and able lawyers were in evil dence in the lobby.
 In spite of this assistance the bill passed yesterday afternoon with many votes to spare.
 Mir Goodwyn, of Montgomery opposed the measure from the outset. At the finish yesterday he was found protesting against reconsideration.
 The bill is aimed particularly at men who lend small amounts taking house. hold goods and uncollected wages as se- curity. It only affects loans of less than $2O. The bill provides that the lender shall give the borrower copy of the contract, which shall set out the rate of interest and charges.
 Provision of Bill.
 It declares that the rate of interest shall not exceed per cent. and the pre- mium shall not be more than 10 per cent. per annum. The bill further pro- vides that the fee charged for the in- spection of the goods shall not be more than 50 cents. and that the charge for preparing the papers shall not be more than $1.
 The penalty provision of the act de- clares that any loan made in violation of the act shall have it's principal for feited and that the violator may be sem tenced to a term of imprisonment in the county jail or be subjected to a heavy fine.
 Stock Law Defeated.
 The defeat of the general stock law bill was finally accomplished yesterday but it's opponents died hard. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the bill was lost will be made to-day by MT. Thompson of Bibb. and the advocates of the bill are hopeful. Another stock law bill will be introduced by Mir Wilkinson of Autauga.
 The stock law bill has been one of the livest wires of the Legislative session of 1903 It divided the House during the winter session and it has been sub feet of discord and discussion in the Sep tember session. The principal division was on the question as to who should build the fence, the insiders or the "outsiders."
 The Senate Recess Committee prepared bill which placed the burden of building the fence on the county. The bill was approved by the Committee on Local Legislation, and by a large number of the House members.
 
 evidence that a majority of the mem bers did not want a stock law of any shape, size or kind An effort was made to have a substitute adopted for the Senate Recess Committee bill. declaring that no domestic animal or live stock should be permitted to run at large. but the House was intolerant of any stock law legislation.
 The Senate bill. which was under con- to1, IaI tn c1a h ter yesterday left the stock law ques- tion largely to the county commission CTS It provided that upon the petition of twenty-five free holders, the Court of County Commissioners could order a stock law election.
 Wanted no Stock Law.
 If a majority of the voters wanted a stock law the fence should be built by the county.
 An amendment offered by Mir. Arnold provided that every county could vote on the bill before it should become oper- ative The bill appeared fair enough. but the House wanted no stock law, fair or unfair.
 A strong argument for the bill was made by MT. Scale of Sumter. The com mon law of England he said. forbade one mans stock from depredating upon another mans field. Such was the law in most EuTOpSdn countries ana ne pre- dicted 1t would be the law in this coun- try when it had become thickly settled.
 T can warn a man from trespassing upon my field" said Mir. Scale, but can't keep his stock from overrunning it. can tell him to keep out, but I can't keep his stock out
 Mir. Killen of Lauderdale, wanted to know what the people in the border counties would do if the bill became a law. His county. he said bordered for about seventy miles on Tennessee. How was his county going to keep out Ten nessee stock?
 MT. Scale replied that a man from Tennessee was not allowed to come into Alabama and violate the laws of Ala bama and the stock of Tennessee had no more rights than the men of Ten nessee. If the Tennessee stock violated