The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-20
Looks to the Formation of
 Greater Birmingham
MAY SUSPEND COLLECTION
sure Giving Governor Power to Stop Collection of General Taxes
 When Treasury Will Justify .a
 Passes the House.
BY HERVEY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery, July 19.- -(speeial) of the bills that looks to Greater Birming- hdm has been passed by the house. It takes care of the towns whose govern ment is left high and dry by the absorp- ton of the larger body.
 The Smyer bill will hardly come up bs- fore next week In the senate commit tee, as it has been held In committee to await arrival of Senator White. who IS out of the city.
 The bill to allow the governor to sus- pend the collection of general taxes when the condition of the treasury will justify introduced by Col. s. w. John and ap proved by the governor, was passed by the house and Is now on it's way to the senate.
 The bill to assess tn etaxes at 50 per cent Of the value of the property Was killed in the house after somewhat of a discussion in which both John and Urqu- hart took part in the opposition. The bill to allow the judges of the city i court of Birmingham to appoint the bail ifs. instead of the sheriff, as at this time. passed the senate and is now to be signed.
 Sunday Freight. That the governor and those members | of the legislature who are in favor of Sunday train legislation have not de- spaired was illustrated today when Sena l tor Overton introduced a bill to provide | that as quickly conditions can be made 1 to justify the railroad commission be al- l lowed to put into force a law regulat- l ing the freight train business on Sunday. 1 This would seem to be the idea of the | governor who has suggested that it pc 1 a development and not stopping of tho l trains at this time. The bill went to the l committee on commerce and common cal rers of which Mir Overton is chairman. Another interesting feature of the sen
 ate session was the favorable report of
 bill to submit an amendment to tha | constitution allowing the state to make
 interior Improvements, the idea Icing
 that of Senator Overton in his fight for
 the state to build roads, which, it las
 been decided, if can Jf now lesaiia do
 Senator Thomas hac bill to prcViia
 for monunents to Alabamas dead, and
 Senator Lusk had the code bills made
 special orders for the next lesislhtivo Gay | MT. Lusk also introduced resolution
 to recall the municipal code bill from
 the house which went to the committee | on rules.
 The bill to assess the taxes at 50 per l the late Senator Morgan in Statuary hall, 1 Washington, was approved by tho corn- 1 mittee. At about the same tlmo Ms. | Spraggins presented a petition from tho people of Madison county urging that | such a monument be provided for. Mir. 1 Moody asked that the resolutions Of the
 people of Tuscaloosa expressing confi-
 dence in the nsaae hospital he spread
 upon the minutes Mir. Thomas asked
 that the reports of the jail Inspector, as
 made to the governor, be transmitted to | the senate.
 House Work.
 In the house bills tO regulate tbe sale | of liquors on election days, provide for
 increase of ex-office fees of circuit clerks
 and administer on defunct municipalities
 were passed. Patents ,' Alabama m.n
 that protect human life are exenlp'e ed
 from taxes by the house. along with t.e
 adop5on of a law l,c .a1'ng school een-
 sus Ut is hoped n work out well fer | the Schools of the country.
 The house refused to increase the ap-
 propriati ton to the Negro Normal school
 at Normal. though Representative Rowe | fought for It. saying that W. H. Councill.
 the head of the school Is negro who
 is doing a great work for his people and | the building up of moral and material
 welfare of the negro. He has not taught i them social equality and has sought to make them good citizens. an effort in | which he has made much success. But l the bill failed by a small vote The house also passed the bill to change 1 the method of assessing the loan tax li- cense, about which there has been so 1 much talk, increased the license on sleep ing cars to 5000 year and passed the bills | exempting for ten years all plants for | the manufacture of lime and cement and | for the development of water power Epieptic Bill Passes. | Tn the senate pr. McWhorter secured | passage of his bill to provide for an epi- l leptie colony with appropriation of SO,000. l and the pharmacy bill passed through the | house by Dr. Lovelady passed the senate. | This bill will regulate and control the | sale of narcotic poisons. Dr. McWhorter thought the epleptic colony could be l made self-supporting after time. lie said the number of epilepties in the state 1 runs as high as $50 and that 15 per cent of them can be cured.
 In the discussion of the bill introduced | in the senate by MT. Reynolds to make | the trustees of the deaf. dumb and blind school appointlve by the governor, MT. | Spra9ins thought that the children of pa rents who can pay their way should mt be taken free. However. he did not insist. and the bill passed.
 The Merritt bill to provide for the voting out of dispensaries without waiting Tor two years passed in the senate with ease. It had the same quick sailing that has been given every measure that seeks to control the liquor business. There are d number of dispensaries that have been given the right prior to the assembling or the legislature to run two years without being voted out These will be reached by the Merritt bill if it passes the senate.
 Afternoon Session. Tn the senate this afternoon MT. Teasley presented bill to set aside 5000 year to pay expenses of the state Confederate re- union.
 MT. Leith presented by request bill to increase the fund for the Negro Nor nal school at Montgomery hill to change the boundary line be- tween Cleburne and Calhoun counties was passed.
 To amend the act for the law and equity court of Lee county TO reduce the number of justices of the neace in Montgomery county.
 The bill of MT Hammer to provide Tor insurance policies showing afrrmatively all contracts was postponed indefinitely
 The senate adjourned to noon Tues day.
 Jefferson Loses. The bill for the regulation of ex-officio