The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-06

office of the Board of Revenue who are pledged to put the convlcts on the road, and to cease to cater to the fee ring who want all the money thrown into that fine and forfeiture fund, which is the curse of the country
 How the Law Reads.
 The contention of Mir. King to the effect that should the convicts be put on the roads no money would have to be paid from the road fund into the fine and forfeiture fund is borne out by state law creating the fund In it there Is no clause which makes 1t mandatory that the county hire the convicts, but simply provides that when they are hired the money shall go into the fund
 Here is the law which regulates the ''damnable' fund:
 ''Sectlon l. Be 1t enacted by the gen. eral assembly of Alabama that all fines and forfeitures collected by any officer in the counties of Jefferson and Monroe, all money received by such officers for the hire of convicts sentenced to hard labor for the county shall be paid over to the treasurer of said county within 60 days after the same Is received by said off, cer, to be placed by him to the credit of the fine and forfeiture fund.
 Section g. Be it further enacted. that the proceeds of the hire of convicts in Jefferson county, sentenced to hard labor for the county, shall belong to and con- stitute a part of the fine and forfeiture fund of said county, and shall be pay able in lawful money of the United States, and nothing else and no officer whose duty it shall be to collect the hire of convicts sentenced to hard labor for the county in said county shall receive in payment Of sthe same anything but lawful money of the United States.
 Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, that from and after the passage of this act all fines imposed and forfeitures declared in crim- inal cases in the courts of said county shall be payable either in money or in claims against the. fine and forfeiture fund of said county, after they have been proven and registered in the man. ner herein provided; provided that this act shall not be so construed as to allow any person to pay fines in county claims in such cases as a general law requires specifically that 1t shall be paid in money.
 "Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, that the treasurers of said counties shall keep a book In which they shall register all claims, when presented, against the fine and forfeiture fund, showing the date of claim, what amount, and on what account accrued. and the date of its reg istration, and no claim against said fund shall be paid or in any way received until the same shall have been so regis tered. and said claims shall be paid by the county treasurer in the order of their registration.
 Sec. B. Be it further enacted, that state witness tickets, solicitors, clerks and sheriffs claims, payable out of the fine and forfeiture fund shall be receivable for any fines and forfeitures due the county at the value expressed by said tickets and officers claims. and when the same is paid said treasurer shall mark on his registry of said claim that the same is paid and to whom.
 Sec. 6. Be 1t further enacted, that all claims against and payable out of the fine and forfeiture fund shall be registered with the county treasurer within F months from the time they become pay able, or they shall be forever barred and shall not be registered nor receivable for any debt due said fund.- provided that all claims against said fund now out standing and which have been payable for longer time than 12 months may be registered within three months from the passage of this act and when so registered must be paid as provided by other claims.
 Sec. 2. Be It further enacted that all claims due solicitors, clerks and sher- ifs, payable out of the fine and forfei- ture fund shall be itenlized and sworn to by said officer before the probate judge of the county before the same is registered as herein provided \
 Sec. 8. Be it further enacted that an act entitled, An act to provide for and regulate the fine and forfeiture fund In the counties of Macon, Monroe, Wash ington, Jefferson and Randolph so far as the same relates to the counties of Jefferson and Monroe. be and the same is hereby repealed" Passed February 23, 1883