The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-02
GRANTED A FRANCHISE
BUT A STORMY COUNCIL SESSION
 PRECEDED IT.
Montgomery Street Railway Gets Au- thOrity to Lay Double Tracks on
 Highland Avenue---Tart Talk by Aldermen.

The Montgomery Street Railway will double-track its line on Highland Ave- nue from Forest Avenue east to the I city limits by special franchise of the Montgomery City Council granted last night at the regular meeting of | that body.
 Although thirteen of fourteen votes were cast for the granting of the fran chise, 1t looked for a time as if there would be no end to the deliberations on the question.
 Alderman A. G. Forbes, as acting President of the City Council. perhaps had the most gruelling experience that has ever come to the occupant of the chair After the discussion of the franchise problem had been well un- der way, 1t became a common occur renee for more than one Alderman to attack what was termed virtually arbi- trary methods of the chairman. He was accused by Alderman Gunter of running things according to his own ideas and over all precedents."
 To Alderman Gunter. Acting PreSi- dent Forbes extended bow and biting thanks. At another time he informed the same Alderman that 1t would be a great favor to the chairman and the Council if he Alderman Gunter) would take his seat and keep 1t. Alderman Gunter took his seat, but did not keep 1t. For over an hour on this same franchise question several others did not keep their seats. On the other hand, disregarding the steady advances of the hour hand to the midnight hour, the Aldermen bounced up and down with repeated queries of the chairman of words to the effect of What does the chair mean?'
 Once the chairman calmly told these gentlemen that he had already explain ed his ruling on foregoing points and like the inimitable Shakespeare, l do not care to repeat"
 Alderman Kohn for three times at least asserted his determina- tion to appeal from numerous decisions of the chair He declared as often that, by what were intimated to be un- parliamentary methods of the chair man, he had been deprived all the night of voting intelligently on any ques- tion.
 In the midst of these addresses to the chairman and interrupting others rising to what they believed to be points of special privileges, Alderman at-Large J. Kirk Jackson, the chair man of the joint Committee on Fran chises and Streets. moved them all out of order.
 Almost Invariably the chairman of the committee was sustained in his motion. This resulted for a moment in a cessation of the turmoil It was only for a moment, however, as Alder men Kohn, Gunter, Roemer Strauss, Holloway and Acting Mayor Mcintyre alternated in protesting against these procedures of the man with the gavel.
 The whole disturbance was caused by a misunderstanding on the point of whether the previous question or the adoption of the substitute ordinance was under consideration, The various Aldermen named professed to make distinction between the previous ques- tion" and the question of tho adoption of the ordinance as read"
 The chair put the question indis- criminateIy and held that there was no difference. He hastened to get vote on the adoption of the ordinance. The ordinance was that which had been read early in the meeting substituted for an ordinance submitted to the joint committee and providing for the fran chise under certain conditions and lim- ftations.