The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-09
Final Action on Twenty
 one Bills.  MAY WORK AT NIGHT
New Cause for Divorce
 Speedily Defeated.
Committee Reports Favorably Repre- sentative Walkers Municipal
 Code Bill, Which Was Made asps
 Special Order for Friday. Its Provisions.

t 4
 With a maximum amount of work and minimum amount of talk. the House oi Representatives yesterday made deep in roads into it's calendar.
 The day was more fruitful of results than any legislative day of the Sep tember session. Eighteen bills were pass ed and three were defeated. All the twen- ty-one bills upon which final action was taken were general measures. No local bills were considered.
 The House held two sessions but the day was filled with work. The law makers worked methodcally and system atically. and the House orators were but little in evidence. Argument against a pending measure was made by questions aimed at the bills sponsor.
 Divorce Bill Defeated.
 Special interest centered in the consid- eration of the Walker divorce bill which ultimately resulted in it's defeat This bill was prepared and introduced by Representative R. w. Walker. of Madison. It gave one additional cause for divorce to the six now enumerated in the Code of Alabama. To the sixth cause, habitual drunkenness, was added the habitual use of opiates or narcotics. The bill authorized the securing of a divorce, if one of the parties was habftuated to the use of morphine, opium or other mar cotics, as it may now be secured for drunkenness.
 The House immediateiy displayed an intolerance of any further divorce legis- lation. In fact, a number of the mem- bers went on record as opposing divorce for any reason. The bill stood no chance whatever and it was quickly disposed of by an adverse vote.
 The Walker municipaI Dill was report cd favorably by the Committee on Mu- nicipal Organizations. 1t was upon the suggestion of it's author, Representative R. W. Walker. made the special order for Friday morning. There are now two bills embodying municipal codes before the Legislature. The Senate Recess Com- mittee prepared a bill on that subject, which was introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Municipal Organizations. The House committee re- ported favorably the Walker bill in pref erence to the Recess Committee meas ure.
 Classihcations of Cities.
 The committees report brings before the House one of the most important questions which will engage the atten- ton of the Legislature. The question is briefly stated is to provide a general municipal code, classifying all cities in the State and providing municipal laws for all classes of cities. It Is a question upon which there is a wide diversity of opinion, and out of which protracted de- bates are confidently looked for.
 It was said yesterday by a prominent senator that the Senate would pass the Senate Recess Committee bill while the House would adopt the Walker bill. This would of course result in a committee of conference, which would endeavOr to reconcile the views of the two houses on the municipal code.
 It was declared by the senator that the chance for Montgomery to secure a Board of Police Commissioners. whose constitutional existence would be un- questioned would arise in the conference with Senator Screws opportunity to at- tach the police commission bill to the Conference Committees report.
 It is confident yexpected that the Walker bill will be passed by the House.
 Walker Bill Provisions.
 The Walker bill divides the cities of Alabama into three classes. One of the classes will include all towns with less than 2,5O0 inhabitants Another class contains cities which have between 2.5OC and 25,000 inhabitants The most impor- tant class embraces cities having more than 25,OO0 inhabitants. Only three cities are in this class, Mobile, Montgomery and Birmingham.
 For these cities the bill makes pro- visions for Board of Public Safety, to consist of the Mayor and two or four members elected by the Council. The board Is to have charge of the police and fire department. It will classify the men in these departments including the chiefs, who must ue selected from the men of the departments
 The bill provides for Board of Pub UAv.lyf. two members, who are to be elected by the Council. This board Is to have charge of the streets. the sewers and the water works. The salaries of the members of both boards are to be fixed by the Coun- cil.
 The bill fixes the salaries of Mayors in cities of this class at 25OO.
 It is believed that the life of the Walk CT bill depends upon the support accord ed 1t by the delegations from Mobile Montgomery and Jefferson counties The Mobile delegation is said to be evenly divided, half supporting the Walker bill and half supporting the Recess Com mittee bill
 Birmingham is said to be well satis- fled with its present charter It is said that no movement looking to a change of the internal government of that city will meet with popular favor
 The friends of the Walker bill claim for 1t that it gives to the three largest cities in Alabama a metropolitan munic- Ipal government. The opponents of the bill say that therein lies the defect of the measure. It provides, they say. a municipal government for cities much larger than any In Alabama
 The bill is aid to have been originally drafted to meet the conditions existing in larger cities than Montgomery. Mobile or Birmingham. It is said the bill was modelled after the municipal code of one of the large Western States
 Representative Hoffman of Mobile yes terday introduced a resolution providing for night sessions of the House The resolution was referred to the Committee on Rules and will probably be reported to-day.