The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22
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BY HERvEY w. LAIF

Montgomery. August AZ
After warm fight, in which MI
Dallas charged front, the sena
the John jury bill, with provisiI
governor to name the commiss ss
number of prominent lawyers w -
lobby, and to save the bill an
fight that might have been
Mr.. Reese withdrew his opposit - L. IIs
governor making the appointments, and
though others took the opposition to 1t,
the bill passed as it came from the house
to all practical purposes
The fight for the provision for the gov
ernor making the appointments was led
by Mr.. Merritt, and he was supported
by Mr.. Reid. Mr.. Hamburger and Others.
Mr.. Blackfnon was against this, and Mr..
Hammer, who fought most of the measure
as whole The contest made up the
only interesting fight of the day, as both
the house and the senate took 1t rather
easy before that time. The jury bill was
prepared by the Bar association. and in
indorsed in all its essential features by
that organization.
Senate Session.
United States Senator John II. Bank
head was an early visitor to the senate
chamber today He said he had nothing
to give out. and was only here to see the
boys. He is looking exceptionally well.
The fight for the trading stamp act was
transferred to the senate with the report
Of the bill from the committee Several
prominent Birmingham merchants were
here for the measure. The effect Is to
tax the trading stamp business out of
existence.
The talk about excessive fees to sheriffs
and other officers in the house did not
find expression in action on the new
sheriffs' bill presented by Mr.. Reese and
passed in the senate. This bill would
have materially reduced the income of the
sheriff of Jefferson, whose attorney,
Hinds Peevy. of Birmingham, secured
reversal by the committee of the house.
Mr.. Miller was for the bill in the senate.
House Disasrees.
The house disagreed on the amend
ments to the civil code. adopted by the
senate on yesterday. Messrs. Blackmon,
King and Barbour were named a commit
tee on conference. The house committee
was composed of Gunter Tunstall ana
Arnold.
The differences of the two houses on the
code bill are so wide that there is little
prospect of getting together without gen.
eral concessions on both sides.
Bills were passed for relief of ]. It.
Farris of Franklin county. and to pro-
vide new system of books for the tax as
SCISSORS.
The amendment to the bills vacatlng
charters of towns absorbed in Greater
Birmingham, agreed upon by Senator
Miller, Secretary Babb of the Birmingham
Chamber of Commerce and Representa-
tive King. author of the Birmingham
bill. provides that the bills shall not be
effective until January l. 1910, and in
event of the Greater Birmingham bill be-
ing declared void by any competent court.
the. acts vacating such minor charters
shall be void and of no effect. This is
more to protect the smaller towns in case
the Greater Birmingham bill should fin-
ally fail.
A bill to prevent candidate running
blem was passed
Jury Bill Called.
The John Jury bill was called at 1880
O'Clock and amendments read
Mr.. Reid opposed the amendment chang
ing the selection of the commissioners
from the governor to the judges. He
said the argument for appointment by
the governor was TO take the selection of
juries entirely away from local politics.
Mr.. Lowe stood for the bill and feared
the effect of the appointment by the gov
ernor He was supported by Mr.. Reese.
Mr.. Reese urged that the referee system,
by the present governor
would after all, secure selections OF men
not even known by the chief executive.
He cited q case OF Dallas county. where
a man was appointed to an office to
which he was not in any sense fitted.
Mr. Reese spoke of the appointment of
sheriff and solicitor In Montgomery and
said that he had heard that the gov
ernor row felt that he had perhaps made
a mistake. He did not think the solici-
tor was so environed as to indicate that
he would carry out the wishes of the gov
ernor along the line OF enforcing prohi-
bition laws. He said that his opinion
Just here did not apply to the sheriff, -
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