The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-21

be in order until consideration of the bill is completed.
 Representative Cunningham of J Affer- son has secured a favorable report upon his labor bill and he now believes that he can secure it's passage.
 THE HOUSE.
 The best part of the house proceedings came this morning, at the last, and after the clock had struck l. The house was proceeding by common consent to dispose of senate messages when the senate sub- stftute for the house osteopathy bill came up from the clerks desk for concurrence or non-concurrence. MT. Benners, author of the house bill, promptly moved nom concurrence, and there was an excited colloquy as to what was the proper mo- ton, the point being made that under the constitution the only motion was to concur. The speaker ruled otherwise, and MT. Bankhead moved to table the motion to non-concur. This brought on a test vote, and a call of the roll showed that the advocates of the house bill had lost their majority under the active work of the doctors the motion to non-concur be- ing tabled by vote of 4S to 39.
 Then Mir. Bankhead moved to concur in the senate substitute and MT. Ben ners moved to indefinitely postpone that motion. Many inquiries were made as to whether the adoption of that motion would not finally dispose or the whole matter and leave the law just as 1t s Mir. Simpson read from Roberts rules of order to show that the matter in- definitely postponed could not again come up at this session. The speaker evaded all requests for definite information as to how he would rule on the point should 1t arise. He would only say that the adop- tion of the motion indefinitely postponed the motion to concur. The opponents of the bill then voted dwn the motion to postpone by 51 to 40, and then the house adjourned with the motion to concur pending. MT. Benners moved to reconsider the motion by which his motion to in- definitely postpone was lost, and gave mo- tice that he will call it up tomorrow.
 At the opening MT. Fulton sent up a resolution reciting that there is much division on the stock law and asking that the farmers In the house be called to consider it immediately after the adjourn ment. The speaker referred it to the farm CTS of the house amid much laughter.
 Shall Receive No Pay.
 MT. Blackburn introduced a joint reso- lution providing that in event the legis- lature adjourns and goes to Mobile the members shall receive no per diem for those two days.
 A communication was read from Com missioner Poole in response to resolu- tion of inquiry from MT. Walden, stat ing that the total receipts this season from the tag tax have been S5S350. and from the license tax $585.
 The house went into committee of the whole on the revenue bill, MT. Lyons in the chair, and MT. Minge moved that the committee rise and report the bill fa- vorably to the house He was supported by MT. Rich of Mobile and opposed by i MT. London and MT. Lusk, and the com mittee refused to rise
 The pending question was an amend ment to strike out provision from sec tion six which provided that Alabama or United States bonds held by cor poration should be deducted from the valuation of their capital stock for tax ation. MT. Benners had moved to con- fine the deduction to insurance compan- ies. The whole fact was that the clause was put in to provide for the deduction in the case of two, insurance companies organized under the state laws at Mo- bile.
 Mp. Rich explained that these com panies must necessarily carry invest ments in securities easily convertible and having these bonds on hand in which their capital was invested to tax the stock was in effect to tax the bonds. and thus deprive the companies of the exemption provided by law for those securities. He was combatted in thB position by MT London who contended that there was no reason for this favor to insurance companies and who read from the auditors report to show that even now all the stock in the state is assessed at only a little over two mill lions of dollars. Pass this proviso and there will not be any. MT. Hoffman spoke for the proviso, and MT. Simpson, chair man of the committee in charge of the bill said it was only put there to guard against the indirect taxation of non- taxable bonds.
 The provision was then stricken from the bill on a viva voce vote.
 To Reduce State License.
 Mir. Maner moved an amendment reduc- ing the state license on express com panies from s400O to s3000. saying that since the addition of graduated scale
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