The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-07
QUESTION TO BE PASSED
 ON BY PEOPLE OF STATE
Senator Jones Leads Fight for Own
 Measure.
Hot Rnnnins Debate On Prepssea Lese Before It Is Pat ThroasA--wuI Amend rhs Organic
 Laws of Ais-
 sana-

to amend the Constitution 90 that tho Legislature of Alabama may meet every two years instead of four.
 The bill received exactly tho vota required for a constitutionai amend ment bill. and no more. The constt- tution demands that such bill shall be voted for by three-ffths of the sen ators present The vote yesterday was 2i ayes. is nays One more nay vote would have defeated .'.~ measure. But the friends of the measure say one ov more nay votes would have been changed. if this had been necessary, to save the bill.
 The light for the bill was led and won by Senator Jones. The biil waa his. and it was pushed through she Senate over great obstacles. Tho sofn- mittee on Constitutional Revision waa in record against this and similar measures.
 The bill first had to be taken frona the adverse calendar. When this had been done. senator Jones succeeded ln having the bill set down as spsciAi order. Then. the biii had to get three- afths of t..s votes of the senators pras- ent and voting.
 The bill. because ft seaks to amend the constltutiop, must not only Ree three- nsths Of the members cg the House, but it must be voted upon by the people of the state after t has passed the House.
 The central ldea Of the bill is simply that the people of Alabama may vote For biennial sessions of the Legisia- ture," or Against biennial sesaions of the Legislature
 The bill as drawn by Senator Jones provides the machinery for the sub mission of the proposed amendmsnf te the Constitution.
 The election at which the fate nk the bill will be decided will be held in November, 1908. Of course no new members of the LegisistHre can be s9- lected at that election.
 Senator Jones began the long diacus~ sion of the bill The experiment. or four year session. Senator Jones said. had proved failure It had been { handicap upon the development and progress of Alabar~l. It had removed the people from close contact with their governmental affairs.
 Senator Wilson declared for tho bill
 T am for the bill because I believe the people wanted il"
 The bill was opposed by Senator spragins. He had heard no call from the people Tor tho passage of the bill MT. Spragins. who was member Of the Constitutional Convention. recttsd some of the convention history In ref- erence to the provision to the Con- stitution establishing the quadrenniaI sessions of the Legislature.
 Composition to the measure was ex- pressed by Senator Reid. He depreca- ted the suggestion that the senators should vote for the measure on the floor of the Senate and oppose 1t in the election.
 Let The People say.
 MT Merritt declared the Senate could not refuse to let the people say wheth- CT there should or should not be bi- ennial sessions of the Legisiaturb. The bill meant notuing more than that He reminded his hearers they were not deciding finally the question.
 Senator Lowe advocated the measure. The people had never oeclared for a four years session of the Legisiature- The State progress was hampered hy A condition winch could not be met. with the Legislature meeting only once In four yearS.
 Senator Hamburger advocated the measure as one which meant a great deal to the state Aiabama's devel- opment was the most rapid of that Of any Southern State. Senator Hammer and Senator Barbour both advocated the measure.
 Senator Thomas declared the sena- tors who had heard the call Of the people for a two years session of ths Legislature had the advantage of him He hal heard no such call. He spoke humorously of the number of people who might have expressed their views to the Senator from Blount, and 10 the Senator from EtOwah. It occurred to the Senator from Barbour that the Legislature met quite often enough for the welfare of the State.
 senator Thomas was subjected to a running fire of questions. The Senate was diverted by the questions and the replies.
 Senator McWhorter eompilmented ,ha address of the Barbour Senator ara SaiinItated the Senate on his selection as President pro tenn. The Colbert senator, however. was firm In the onInIon that the people wanted two vear sessioss of the Legislature and bis vote would be cast to give them an opportunity of expressing themselves Tine vote on the measure was:
 Yeas--Barboar, Boyles Gum, Jones, teith Lowe. Lusk. Merritt. Miller, Moody. Mcwhorter. Overton Reynolds. Strother. Teasley, White Wilson, Wim- berly--2l.
 Nays--B -Blaekmon. Davis. Doster. Tor, rester, Gardner. Glenn, Heacoelx. Hor- ton. King, Reese. Reid. spraefns. Thomas--1S.
 The opening prayer was offered by