The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-12
HOUSE PASSES WALKER
 MUNICIPAL CODE BILL

bill Mr. Blackburn said. Every member who wanted a dispensary could get 1t. All he had to do was to introduce a bill and show that his people wanted it.
 This bill, he said, was local measure affecting only twenty-nine counties of the State. It was, he declared. the unfairest measure that had been presented to the Legislature. It proposed to give 25 per cent. of the voters a chance to plunge the county in a whiskey campaign and election. It allowed the people living in the county to say to the towns and cities that they should have a diepensary There was no demand for the bill, he said. Could any member name a man from his coun- ty who was here demanding the passage of this State dispensary bill?" he asked. MT Blackburn contended too, that the constitution settled the question in de- claring that the Legislature should regu- late and have charge of the liquor traffic.
 Walker Municipal Bill.
 While MT. Blackburn was speaking the hour of Il o'clock struck and MT. Walker of Madison. raised the point of order that the hour for the consideration of the spe- cial order, the municipal bill, had ar rived The point was sustained and the municipal bill was taken up.
 MT. Walker offered a number of minor amendments to the printed bills, copies of which had been placed upon the desk of members. These amendments in the main affected only the wording of the bill.
 An amendment to the bill was offered by MT. Callahan of Morgan, striking out the section of the bill which provided that the city should pay for the street Improvements MT. Callahan in his amendment sought to have the abutting property owners assist in the payment of the improvement.
 MT. Hoffman opposed the amendment, and MT. Walker briefly stated the effect of the provision of the bill. The Calla- han amendment was lost.
 Amendment of Starr.
 MT. Starr proposed an amendment by which towns of less than 5000 inhabitants to require immediate payment of an im- provement tax or allow it to be paid in installments. The amendment was adopt ed.
 MT. Hoffman of Mobile, offered an amendment requiring railroads to bear a share of the expense of putting in storm water sewers on streets on which their lines were operated.
 The House adopted the amendment.
 MT. Davis of Etowah, offered an amend ment providing that a prisoner charged with an offense punishable by hard la Dor could upon trial in municipal court be sentenced upon conviction to hard la- bor. The House endorsed the amendment. Limit on License Tax. An amendment proposed by MT. Simp- son of Lauderdale, limited to S10 for each l,o00 inha bitants, the license tax that any city could charge for any business. MT. Simpson declared that there should be some limit to the amount of licenses which councils might charge and this limit he thought was reasonable enough. Mir. Walker opposed the amendment saying that 1t would not be effective ii adopted as any city or town could evade it. He asked that the amendment be defeated. The House compiled with his request.
 The bill which was ninety-two pages long, was read at length.
 It was passed without dissenting vote The House adjourned at o'clock.