The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-23
SPEECH BEGINS AT NOON
House Passed the School Re.
 diStricting Bill.
Measure tc Increase Appropriation tc Negro School at Mon -gomery Caused Debate and Result
 ed in a Tie Vote.

Hon. John T. Morgan, senior Senator From Alabama, will address the Legisla- ture today at noon. A joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate will be held at 12 o'clock in the Hall of Representatives to hear the distinguished Alabamian.
 Senator Morgan has been in Montgomery since Saturday afternoon. Official notice of Senator Morgan's presence in Mont gomery was taken in the House yesterday morning when Representative R. T. Good wyn of Montgomery. offered joint reso- lution extending an invitation to Senator Morgan to address both Houses of the Legislature. The resolution provided for joint committee of three from the House and two from the Senate to wait upon Senator Morgan and personally extend the invitation. The resolution was unani- mously passed.
 On the committee were appointed from the House, Messrs. l.. T. Goodwin of Montgomery E. S. Starr of Dallas and J. F. Thompson of Bibb; from the Senate Messrs. w. B. Craig of Dallas and w. T. Smith of Clay.
 Committee Saw Morgan.
 The committee immediately waited upon Senator Morgan who accepted the cordial invitation.
 Upon the committees report arrange ments were made for a suspension of bus iness at 12 o'clock today in both Houses for the joint session in the Hall of Rep resentatives. The gallery of the Hall will be open to those of the public who may desire to hear Senator Morgan.
 But two general bills were passed yes- terday by the House. The two bills which came up for consideration, the educational bill redistricting the school districts and the bill increasing the appropriation to the State Normal School for Negroes of to ha at which a wide diversity of opinion existed. On both bills the takers of the House de- manded the time and attention of their fellow members.
 Error Made in a Vote. An error in the vote on the Normal School hill may deprive its advocates of an apparent victory. The bill which in- creased the appropriation t. the Normal School from g, ,5Cj to $100O0 was passed by the close vote of fl t. 8. After the vote had been announced it was discovered that Mir Hammer of Etowah had been record ed as voting aye on the bill when he had voted nay. The error wi'l be rectified this morning. The vote by which the bill was passed will be reconsidered and the error will be corrected.
 The changing of MT. Hammers vote will leave the total vote a tie, 40 to 40, cir cumstance which may result in another warm fight over the bill.
 The negro problem was dragged into the consideration of the normal school bill. The wisdom of education for the negro, high and industrial, was dlscuss- ed There was a manifest disposition on the part of the House to treat the negro eauitably. The bill placed the negro nor maj school on the same basis as the white normal schools of the State. It's support by a majority of the members of the House was evident. but some of the economists of the House voted against the bill in fear of deficit. It was un- fortunate for the measure that 1t came up when economy had become a policy of paramount importance.
 Wood of Macon Spoke.
 Representative J. R. Wood of Macon went to the forefront in the fight against the bill. He stood opposed to education for the negro in any form
 Representative R. T. Simpson of Lau- derdale argued for just and equitable treatment for the negro, treatment that would uplift the race. He deprecated any such issue or campaign as had been raised in Mississippi
 The important educational bill, endors- ed by the State Department of Educa- tion was passed by the House. AS pass ed the bill provides that the teachers ir the public schools should be employed by the trustees and not by the county Board of Education created in the bill.
 The bill briefly stated provides that the arbitrary township lines shall be abolish ed and new districts created upon the basis of population and natural bar rier. Districts trustees are provided fol in the bill as at present.
 The chairman of the district trustees select County Board of Education o four members with the county superin tendent as secretary. The county board has complete charge of the school affairs of the districts.
 The bill was attacked for this very req son. It was declared to be undemocratiC in that 1t gave the county board tho right to hire all the school teachers. Thi: provision was attacked several times witt different amendments At length perse verance was rewarded and the power O the local trustees to employ teachers wa retained to them.