The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-12
SUPREME COURT
 HOLDS THE STAGE
Last Weeks Decisions ConSld-
 cred Very Important
COURT HOUSES IN DOUBT
St. Clair and Shelby County conten. tions Are Attracting Much in. terest-other Matters Dis.
 cussed at the Capital.

cusSeo al the Capital.
 Montgomery February 11-(Special)- The week closing today has been fairly strenuous at the Alabama capital,
 though not so much so as 1t might have been if there had been better weather. As has been the case for some time, the 1 action of the supreme court on leglsla- tion adopted at the last session of the general assembly, has had the center of the stage. The most important case, in that it is general in it's scope, is the find ] ing of the law taxing labor and emigra- tion agents $500 year, and imposing fine of $5o0. with imprisonment if the court elects, in each violation good.
 It had been feared that the statute would not hold water. but the court finds that 1t is within the perview of the priv ilege to exact license for occupation, as held by the supreme court of the United | tSates, and Is not in violation of any section of the constitution. The effect will be to keep agents from securing the 1 labor of the farms and industries, al- l ways a scarce article, and running 1t off | demand at such other points. It is not hold by the court that the statute inter- 1 feres with making contracts along the | line of other states but to reach what sometimes becomes pernicious practices the enticing away of laborers by en- | thuslastic agents who are sent out to gather them up for so much per head.
 Court Houses in Doubt.
 | It was thought that the cases involving | the right of the constitutional conven- | ton to establish double court house sys- tems in St. Clair and Shelby counties would come down this week, but for some reason they were delayed. There | is the greatest interest in these eonten- tions. In the St Clair instance the con 1 vention attached a "codicil" stipulating that there should Ee established in ad- dition to the court house at Ashville. | another county house of record and i equity at Pell City, the reason being that the people of the Pell City part of the county were cut off from Ashville, which | Is a country town, by a high and long drawn out mountain way. and t.. it was like taking a long journey tc get there On the showing thus presented 1 the makers of the fundamental law stepped aside into the prercgatl9es of the legislator and made the St. Clair county seat twins. There has been fuss | rom the tune II went Into eject. iiit l Ashville side of tie house said it had been robbed of prestige and revenue, and 1t would be forced to journey to Pell City often in addition, and it did not like the arrangement a little bit. Pell City pro- poses to fight for the rights given us by the makers of the constitution, who certainly knew what they were about" Calcis, in Shelby county, is presenting the same kind of case. The constitu- l seats putting Calcis at the north and leaving Colrmbiana at the south. and both sides are determined to fight.
 That Revenue Law.
 But perhaps the most widely q scussed question that has it's solution promised in the near future. Is the revenue law under whose provisions the state secures 1 the money to keep house. Charles Jones' representing certain contendinS railroad corporations, argued yesterday and the day before before the Hon. William H. Thomas, judge of the city court of Mont | gomery, that it was not properly passed and has no right to a place at the Ala bama judicial iiresde. lie says it was not dove-tailed in by the two houses that if 1t was it violates section 121 of the constitution; and that if 1t does not do this, deeds of trust given by railroads to secure mortgages are not included In l per $l00 of value Attorney General Mas sey Wilson, after an absorbing search of records for several days declares that l MT. Jones has gotten the whole thing wrong, and that heought to be well enough posted to know that the measure bears the marks of the Alabama brand Ing iron, and that they are not counter | felt. Judge Thomas has not told ;he pub | lie yet who he Is roing to believe, and until he does judgment will Le suspend cd" If Judge Thomas holds with the | views of the attorney general and the supreme court says that Judge Thomas knows whereof he speaks, there will be l avoided a session of the legislature and the presence in the city of the men who made such q poor job of passing laws two years ago-but let that pass. The new constitution was too new then to ad- init of close acquaintance, as indicated ! by the many failures of statutes and the fundamental law to ''jibe'
 Nunnellee's Stunt.
 The Hon. James Nunnelee of Selma, presented leading features of the cap | ital vaudeville this week, in his kick on | the appointment of member of the | Board of Revenue of Dallas county. s. | Nj. Kirkpatrick resigned and the govern- or, accepting the suggestion made by number of leading citizens, appointed | Julian Smith to the place. MT. Nunneilee took the precipitate manner in which the matter was attended to seriously and l fired message to the executive, In i which he wanted to know if the state l of Alabama "is Alabama or Russia. The officials were at loss to l.now for moment, as the question had been raised so unexpectedly, but decided ilnal- | ly that so far as had come to light rcd | dy had not let the Czar in on eTen th-s | roof let alone the ground floor. MT | Nunnellee was told that the appointment l was asked by Col. H. $. D. Mallory | chairman of the state democran' com | mittee; Probate Judge Pitts; sherin, tax collector, tax assessor and circuit clerk; | other members of the Board of Revenue the chairman of the county democratic committed. and the president Of the Dai- | las County Bar association. Taking eV- 1 erything into consideration the governor seems to have thought he had a pretty good crowd of advisers and acted In | accordance with their expressed Ideas.
 Politics in Montgomery.
 The municipal campaign in Montgon- cry Is warming np and there i5 every l prospect of being a lot of fun before the end comes at the democratic primary Tn April The primary settles 1t. Like all | good democrats the voters Of Montsom- cry let up when the party nomination IS made. The candidates for mayor are A. C. Forbes. who is the choice of the cit izens' committed; W. M. Te|ste' WHO h lie nNHFn