The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-10

ton was granted an indefinite leave OF
| absence because of sickness in his family
| On motion of ]. Lee Long of Butler, the
| house proceeded to the election of the
| caucus nominees as follows: w. L. Mar
| tin, Montgomery, speaker; C. B. Brown
Birmingham clerk w. F. Herbert, Ma
rengo, assistant clerk; ]. V. Denson
Chambers, enrolling clerk; f. A. Gamble
| Walker engrossing clerk Robert Hasson
| Etowah, doorkeeper; T. W. DeYampert
Montgomery, assistant doorkeeper
| Mr. Martin made short speech, in
| which he thanked the members for the
| confidence shown him and assured all
| that he would do all possible to give the
| house just that administration best for
all the highest interests of the state
| Committees were raised to notify the
| governor that the two houses were In
| session, to notify the senate that the
| house was In session and to provide for
| a Joint committee to look after the In
auguraton of the new governor. Messrs
Wolf of Marengo and Arnold of Calhoun
| were named on the house committee &c
notify the governor. Gunter, Kirby, Kor-
negay and Norville were named on the
| Inauguration committee.
A Joint resolution was passed to as
| semble in joint session tomorrow to count
the vote of the state officers.
! The message of the governor was re-
ceived and read by Robinson of Madison
| 1t was ordered that 1900 copies be printed
Mr. Foster presented a resolution tc
! the effect that when a local bill Is intro
| duced 1t be accompanied by three copies
| of the bill On motion of Haley of JEFF
ferson this went to the committee or
rules.
The house then adjourned to 1880 Thurs
| day.
New Problems.
The present session of the legislature
| will be up against a great many new
| and partially new problems and the
members are approaching their duties
along legislative lines with care and eau
ton. Perhaps the proposition of Repre-
sentative King of Jefferson, to put the
| county officers on a salaried basis instead
| of allowing them to be compensated by
| fees as at the present time, Is attracting
more attention than any other measure
! generally discussed. 1t is an open secret
that at the meeting of the Sheriffs' as
| ISOLATION this week this bill was discussed
| and preparation made TO fight 1t before
the legislature.
The jefferson county members have a
number of laws which they hope to see
| passed but they will not be able to get
| at them before later in the session, for
| the reason that they have not been adj
| vertsed in time to come to passage with
in three to five weeks. Representative
Haley remarked on this feature of the
| situation and expressed regret that a
number of things desired by his county
| could not be worked out until the as
| sembly has pushed Its work with a num-
| Der of propositions from other sections
of the state. State Senator ~ L. Miller
| says that he will have a very busy time
with bills which win be of especial in
terest to his county and anticipates no
real trouble in landing most Of the things
| regarded as essential
judicial Laws.
| Senator John A. Lusk of Marshall
| county who has made fame by having
| his name attached to a judiciary law
| which failed to make good with the SUI
preme court is preparing TO re-introduce
measures providing for practically the
| same things in the laws which failed to
pass muster. He will probably have a
| bill almost identical with the Lusk bill
| of the last session which created several
new circuits. In addition to that there
| will be another bill which will undertake
to provide for special features of the
| court situation in many sections OF the
| state.
II am not quite ready to discuss the
details of these bills" said Mr.. Lusk
| yesterday However l am working on
them and | hope to be able to get them
out in such shape within the next Few
days that | can tell you something OF
the features. 1t has been my intention
| all along to undertake to remedy the
| short comings discovered by the courts
in my last efforts along this line, and
| hope to be able to secure the passage
of such laws as will bring about better
| division in our court SltuatlOn
| Mr. I,usk has the assurance or AID
| along this line from number or the
counties, especially those which nave In
the past few years seen their litigation
| grow beyond all ability OF the local courts
to take care of them.
Gray-Thomas Fight.
The contest between Lieutenant Cover
| nor GRAY who will be the presiding officer
| of the senate, and Senator Thomas, pres
ident pro tenn, was one of the prettiest
fights that has been seen in Alabama
| politics for years. The controversy grows
| ont of the Importance attached to nam
| inc committees of the senate. the men,
| hars If which will have much to do with
! the shaping of legislation in the upper
house and will be potent influences in
| carving out the ideas or contrarywise
defeating the ideas of the administration.
1t is held to be all important by Gov
| ernOr Conner. anu NiAot VIM nave bttil
with him In the effort to enact into laws
| certain issues which he has supported
F, for years, that they be able to control If
| possible both houses of the legislature.
| Consequently the fight to bring the senate
around to Mr.. Grays way of thinking
was in truth an administrative fight and
if it had been lost the first blow to the
| ambitions of the present state officers
would have been received, and without
| question would have had much to do with
| the legislation of the session.
| From a sentimental standpoint at least
| the failure of the senate right in the be-
| ginning to line up with Mr.. Conner would
| have been disastrous to a number of
1 things which he hoped to put through,
| and it is an open secret that the full
| power of the powers that be, brought
| into play to carry Mr.. Gray's ideas into
/ effect.
A large part of the politicians seem to