The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-24
SENATE KILLS :
 THE CLUB BILL Prohis Slay Their Late Pet.
 AFRAID OF ITS PROVISIONS Night LegaIize Sale of Whiskey
 in Existing Clubs. Original Friends of Measure Are the Oaes Who Finally Determine
 It Would he Unwise to Pass
AFRAID OF ITS PROVISIONS

l They decided the bill went too far They feared. moreover, that by accept ing the amendment proposed by the opposition to the bill they s>~would lesalize the sale of whisky fn those clubs which were already chartered This wasfthe big reason which moved them to kill the bill
 Senator Merritt, one of the prohibi- tionists leaders. moved the indefinite | postponement of the bill and amend ments as soon as the Senate met yes l terday. The bill goes too far" said Senator Merritt, If 1t should pass, it would under my construction legalize the sale of whisky In clubs chartered be- fore the passage of the bill. That is sufficient reason for defeating the measure"
 It was seen the prehibitionists had had conference over it when senatof Senator Merritt. He held that the general prohibition bill already passed dealt sufficiently with clubs He was impressed by the statement that the Club Bill made membership in club crime and he was impressed furthermore with the claim that the bill as amended would legalize the sale leaving well enough alone. the motion of Senator Merritt ought toNprevaii.
 Miller Opposes it.
 Senator Miller was also for the death of the bill
 T am for instance a member of the Country Club of Birmingham" said Senator Miller we have two or three hundred members who play golf or tennis. Each of these men has a lock CT in which he keeps his clothing. No other person than he has the key to that locker. I could not get in one of those lockers if I wanted to.
 Yet under this bill. if one of, those members kept a bottle in his locker, I. who never saw the inside of it and who never saw his key. could be prosecuted and made liable to twelve months sentence: Such legislation is too drastic"
 So when the motion was put the Sen ate voted unanimously to indefinitely postpone the bill and It's pending amendments. Tn this action it sus. fained the contentious of those who had been opposing the measure ever since 1t came over from the House,
 The bill had the most wonderful ca reer D measure ever had in the Sen ate. It came near .disrupting the Leg isIature. It came near compelling the extra session toecontinue over into this week. The rules\ of the Senate were all but overthrown that the biH might F-~SSs ioSSuOHt was destroyed that the Senate might vote upon the meas ure.
 It was adversed by the Temperance committee, but so strong was the wish of the prohibitionists for the bill that they were ready to overturn rule. pre- cedent and custom to pass 1t. And at iast when 1t was squarely before the De passed. its own friends stood up and slew it. p
 The question arises. what is now the status of the clubs under the nev prohibition law? Nobody seems able to say with authority.
 Many Senators believe that the cIub provision of the general prohibition toxicating liquors In clubs Other Sen ators do not agree with them. It Is generally agreed however, that the law will not permit the wholesale or ganization of clubs to evade the pro- hibition act.
 :. Vhe question is one of the most in- tesesting that the Legislature has yet left to the future to settle.
 When the days session began thera were only twenty-two Senators pres ent.
 The calendar was not large. and the Senate started in to rid 1t of every bill
 Only Two Votes Against It.
 The first up was the bill to repeal the act taxing foreign compan nies lend ing money in Alabama. Only two votes were cast against the mea sure
 The quick disposition of the repeal ing bill was in direct contrast with the scenes which attended the passage of the act at the winter session. The measure would never have been passed except for the Governors insistence. The minority Senators at that time protested vigorously against the bill and prophesied it's evil effects. But the bill was one that the Governor wanted.
 The bill passed yesterday repeals all taxes on foreign money loaned ip Ala bama for the development of the State.
 The local bills containing important legislation for Houston County were passed without discussion. The first abolishes the Court of County Com the second creates Board of Revenue in its stead.
 Some Prohibition Bills.
 The Pickens County prohibition bill as quickly as the roll could be called.
 The Senate was by no means through with prohibition legislation. It was ready to pass any prohibition bill upon the calendar. The next up was the
 
 of whiskey or any c. O. D. order in Alabama. The Senate approved 1t inn 
 stnl the Senate was not through with Demon Rum. One of Speaker bills was up and 1t was regarded as an important measure It the method of procedure in the prosecution for violation of the laws. Under the bill. can be made by affidavit and an indictment Is not necessary, as under the present law.
 The McDuffie bill, amending the Ala bama practice Act, was next called up | and passed. It remedied one of the sections of the new code which con- tained one of the numerous surprises of that Code.
 After the Code had passed and 1t was found out what the Code contained, it was discovered that University of Alabama law graduates would have to stand an additional examination before | they could practice law. The McDuf- fie bill restored the old law. It was passed by the Senate.
 Killed But Revived.
 The bill allowing clerks of courts certain fees aroused a discussion. Sem 1 ator Lusk attacked the bill He de- | cIared that it opened the doors of the | treasury to the court clerks of Ala l bama. It was a dangerous bill, he | said, and ought to be defeated.
 The vote on the bill was I2 to ', | which did not give the bill the re- | uuired constitutional vote. Senator Barbour demanded yerification of the vote. But Senator Luck objected. l