The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-27
STOCK LAW BILL GETS A BLACK EYE Has No Chance of Passage Be-
 fore September TEXT BOOK BILL B0BS UP Blackburn Attempts to Force the Com. mttee to Make Report on It-ln-
 ferior Criminal Court Bill
 Passes the Senate.
TEXT BOOK BILL BOBS UP

railroad bill The one irreeoncilable diff ference was over the question as to whether new districts should be required | to fence themselves in, and the bill as passed did not contain that requirement. During the night many of the members who were vitally concerned in the matter made personal appeals to the city mem bers and others from counties not spe- ciaIly interested saying that they dared not go home if bill passed that did not require fence. and the first thing this morning the house, on motion of MT. 1 Williams of Marengo, voted to recon slider. Then, after some sparring, 1t voted down an amendment by Mir. Smp- son requiring a lawful fence around all new districts, and to get rid of the sub ject decided, by vote of 56 to H. to postpone the whole thing 10 the third day Of the September session.
 l Mr. Blackburn moved that the commit tee on education be required to report the senate state uniform text book bill, known as the Johnston bill, to the house at the afternoon session. This precipi- tated a discussion on a question over 1 which trere has been some soreness. MT. 1 Werner said he was a member of the 1 committee and desired to defend the committee for failing to meet in the re- cent past, as it could not get a quorum. But he was for the bill. and wanted to see the house get behind It and pass it,
 Arnold Protests.
 Mr Arnold chairman Of the committee l on education, protested against being | called on for a report at such short mo- | tiee. The committee had tried to get | quorum and have a meeting last night, l but could not get excused from the sit- ting of the house. This was a matter of stupendous importance to the state, and | he received many letters from many men protesting against the bill in it's present | shape Eminent educators desired to be heard and If the bill was to come back l in the afternoon they would not have the l opportunity. The question was of too much importance to be hastily dealt with. 1 MT Thompson, who had introduced bill almost on the first roll call, said the committee had had bills on this sub l ject before 1t for six weeks and still there 1 was no report. He thought that was | time enough. What the house wants is action. It wants the bill reported this afternoon so that it can be passed before recess and lecome law. Delay meant that the book trust would hold its grip on the people for another year. The mem | bers have their minds made up He l moved the previous question which pre- | vailed, and MT. Blackburn closed the dis | cussion.
 Meant No Reflection.
 He meant no reflection on the commit tee or it's chairman, but had followed in | his motion the exact language of the l rule provided to meet just such case. | If the committee cannot get a quorum he wanted the house to get behind 1t and force a quorum and if the committee failed In Its duty, then the house could adopt such measures of censure as 1t | desired. The particular bill on which his motion called for a report had gone | to the committee on February 16. That | was ten days ago, and yet there had been | no meeting of the committee in all that | time. The bill was born amid storm in the senate. It rode the waves of ad- versity till it got to the committee on l education, and there like an infant 1t has been put to sleep.
 MT Arnold said the committee was to meet this afternoon, and urged further l time.
 Mir Blackburn asked if he would | promise to bring in a report this after | noon Mir. Arnold said the hearing might I be prolonged and report might not be l ready before tomorrow. MT. Blackburn in l response to promptings from members 1 all about him, declined to yield. The | house Is determined to have this bill be- 1 fore it this afternoon and to pass a l uniform text book bill before 1t adjourns.
 Mr. Blackburn's motion then passed by 4s to 24.
 1 Mir. Joiner called up the senate bill ap- propriating s45O00 to the deaf and dumb | school. and it passed by GO to 8. 1 MT. Rich called up the bill reducing the l tax rate to 65 cents, and it passed by o7 | to 0.
 l MT. Byrne called up the senate bill | nroviding for the removal of county sites | by a vote of the people, and 1t passed. The bill increasing the salary of the | private secretary of the governor from s165O to $24OO per annum was called up l and passed without discussion by vote | of 51 to 29.
 | MT Brown of St. Clair called up the | hill to ratify and confirm the election of county commissioners and superinten- dents of education at the last election, and it passed.
 resolution was introduced by MT. schaffer thanking the citizens of Mobile for their hospitality on their late visit, and 1t passed Unanimously
 The house adjourned to 3:So p. m.
 Afternoon Session.
 At the afternoon session the house 1 passed a bill amending the roao ia" oi
 Walker county.
 It then took up and passed portion or the Hall series of corporation Difis Whlcn have already passed the senate.
 When the bill authorizing the consolida- ton of corporations other than railroads came on MT. Goldsmith protested against
 what he said was an attempt 10 New
 Jerseyize Alabama.
 If this Is a democratic house 1t should stand by it's principles, and not proceed
 here to foster and build up trusts. Under
 this bill every corporation in the state can get together and form one gigantic trust. We had as well go over to Mark Hanna's view at once and say with him. | There ain't no trusts"
 | Mir. Foster of Tuscaloosa defended the bill and said 1t was the purpose to put l home corporations on as good footing | to do business as foreign corporations. Ii | they can't get charters here they will go | elsewhere. An amendment passed with 26 noes, although there had been only b l against the other bills. The bill passed, l 4S to 3s.
 l A call was made for the report on the | text book bill which the committee on | education was In the morning directed to | make in the afternoon. Objection was l made. and the speaker ruled that 1t l would require a suspension of the rules | to allow the committee to report, | MT. Curry moved a suspension of the l rules and the house refused to suspend | MT. Bankhead raised the point of order | that a suspension of the rules was not necessary to enable a committee to obey | and carry out the instructions of the | house.
 Later on MT. Thach, as member of the