The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-11
WILL CONFER
 ON THE BILL President Will Hear 0b- jections to Court Bill. WILL MEET COLONEL WILEY Other Representatives of Local Bar
 to Be Present. For the First Time the Opponents of Unjust Measure wilI Be Heard.
 Many Protests Are

The contest which has been carried on between Alabama Congressmen in
 Washington over the Underwood Fed eral Court bill, for the last two weeks, Is expected to come to head today, when conferences will be held between Representative A. A. Wiley. Represen- tative from the Second District; Attor- |ney-General w. H. Moody, and Presi- dent Roosevelt. in the White House. According to a reliable source. 1t was learned last evening that these con- ferences have been arranged for, and will positively be held today, and upon the results of these meetings. it may be assumed, will depend the fate of the bill which Representative Underwood of the Birmingham district so shrewdly hurried through both Houses of Con- gress last week.
 Seldom in the history of the State has there been a measure affecting Alabama introduced in Congress which has been the subject of more heated discussion, and the occasion of such strong opposition from nearly every part of the State. as the present Under wood bill From the time 1t was first preached by the Birmingham Congress- man, it has been opposed, and at every step it has been fought through both Houses of the National Legislative body
  rushed through the House. however. that the opposition developed It's fullest strength, and 1t Is considered more than an even chance that when the confer ence between President Roosevelt and Representative Wiley shall have been concluded, the Chief Executive will re- fuse to put his signature to the bill. As soon as 1t was reported that the Underwood bill had passed, Bar Asso- I.fn ah hA tof hcI6 pNA r. ings, at which resolutions were passed. opposing the bill. and in order that the sentiment of the legal profession in this State might reach the President before the bill should come to him for approval these resolutions were sent to him by telegraph, In addition to this, President George P. Harrison of the State Bar Association. sent long letter to the President in Washington, outlining the case and the effect the Underwood bill would have upon Fed eraI administration of justice in the State
 To supplement these efforts. however. representatives of the bar in Mont gomery were sent to Washington to unite with Representative Wiley in his efforts against the bill. and to lay the case before the President
 That a hearing at least IS to be granted seems apparent from informa- tion received last night. When the | bill came before the committees of the 1.-two houses, no opportunity was given to lawyers from the districts of Ala bama, other than from Birming gham, to present their views Late yesterday.
 however, 1t was learned positively that
 an interview with the President and
 Attorney General Moody has been ar
 ranged for this morning Congressman
 Wiley, who has been indefatigable in
 his efforts against the bill from the
 start, 1t was stated, had held a con-
 ference with the Attorney General,
 with the result that the latter had
 taken up the matter with the Presi-
 dent.
 This morning, then, MT. Wiley and
 the gentlemen from Montgomery who
 are with him, will call at the White
 House and present the claims of the
 greater portion of Alabama in opposi-
 tion to the measure '4'' FF
 Whether President Roosevelt will
 reach a decision at this mornings meet
 ing is problematical. The bill was
 passed through Congress on the 9th
 of the month, so that he has until Sat-
 urday to consider the matter and de-
 eide whether he will approve or veto 1t.
 As this is the first opportunity that
 representatives of the Alabama bar,
 outside of Birmingham, have to be
 heard, however, the conference may
 be regarded as having great potentiali-
 ties, and 1t Is more than possible that a decision on the matter may be reached
 before tonight. which will have the
 effect of killing the bill which has be-
 come so objectionable to the majority
 of places in the State