The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-16
O'NE|LL' COURT
 BILL IS PASSED Percy Chief Opponent In
 the House NEW HIGHWAY BILL House Passes Measure As Amended in Senate-Public School Bill
 Tabled Because Inn
 properly Drawn
By BERRyMAN G. BETTY

in Jefferson county in lieu of courts of justice of the peace passed the house to- day by a vote of 3S to 35. The chief op ponent of the bill was Walker Percy of Jefferson county, who declared that he favored the establishment of one inferior court for Birmingham with four or five judges MT. Percy said one of his chief objections to establishing more than one court was the fact that they would not be self-sustaining. The Jefferson repre- sentative made strong effort to defeat the bill. which was only passed by ma jority of votes.
 The Almon state highway commission bill, with the Beasey amendment, passed the house this morning without opposi- tion. This bill was returned to the house yesterday with an amendment by Senator Beasley which was offered as a substl- ute. The Beasley bill does not differ ma terially from the Almon measure, the only changes being of a minor nature, one of which Is a reduction in the road com missioner's salary from s50O0 to s4oOo per annum.
 The Richeson bill providing for an in crease in the public school fund of the stato from $350,0O0 to s125,000 was called up in the house again today. the measure having previously been debated, and de- ferred until another time. After some dis cussion on the bill today, the measure was tabled on the grounds that 1t was not oonstitutionally prepared. It was an- nounced by MT. Merritt of Macon, on whose motion the bill was tabled, that he would offer to amend the bill reported yesterday by the appropriation committee providing for an appropriation of $oy0,00O to public school purposes, so as to include the provisions of the Richeson bill mak- sx.<~ +1.@t fa1 -f tlN -l<. $7250O0.
 The bill by MT. Walden of Morgan coun- ty to appropriate s15OOO0 additionally to the old soldiers fund passed the house by a vote of 73 to l. the measure passing the house without debate.
 The Smith bill, providing for an appro- priatior of nearly s7000 to the Montgomery and Chattanooga Railroad company, was postponed until next Friday morning.
 House in Detail
 The first bill taken up in the house this morning was MT. O Nelrs bill to establish inferior courts in precincts 10, 34 and 46 of Jefferson county. in lieu of courts of justices of the peace. Mir. ONeill called up this bill and made Il speech in favor of the measure. He said the people of Birmingham were greatly interested in the establishment of these courts, and that they wanted ms Dlli to pass.
 MT. Percy said that however the measure might be decided he wished to go on record as being opposed to the bill. The Jefferson representative said the bill was unwise, declaring that the establishment of this court was unneces- sary. a
 "The gentleman from Jefferson," sad MT. Percy, "is great claimer, and among the things he claims Is that this ,59.t xyin ha coli Ia inf, ,cy'
 Mr. Percy declared that he thought he was in little better position to discuss the courts of Jefferson county than his colleague.
 He referred to the Ensley court. stat ing that that tribunal had run behind $27o0. If this court ran behind to that amount what reason has the gentleman to say that this new court would be self-sustalnirg asked MT. Percy.
 The speaker declared in favor of one inferior court of Birmingham, with four or five judges. whose duty it would be to hold courts in difefrent sections of the city.
 Instead of gratifying the wishes of one particular candidate, or section, let us have one inferior court for the whole city of Birmingham, with four or five judges"
 MT. Mcdonald said he did not know where Mir Percy stood. He declared that the Jefferson delegation had been wait ing on MT. Percy for three or four weeks and that he thought they had waited long enough
 Donald. "and if we are blamed we are willing to take the 'cussin when we get hack home'
 Captain Mcdonald was followed by MT. Jenkins of Baldwin, who favored the bill.
 MT. Jenkins compared Mir Percy to bird that befouls it's own nest, and charged that MT. Percy had held the matter up too long already.
 The question was then put to the house. with the result that the bill passed by vote of $ to 35.
 After the passage of the Birmingham inferior court bill. Speaker Almon called up his state highway commission bill, which had been amended in the senate by Senator Beasley.
 The speaker of the house declared that the Beasley bill had been offered as substitute for his bill. it was nothing more than an amendment to his bill, as 1t did not differ materially from the bill which he had introduced. Speaker Almon said that his bill. with the Beasley amendment. represented the cream of all the state highway bills that he had seen He said he had given the subject considerable thought and study during the last 12 months, during which time he had conferred with Senator Bankhead, Congressman Underwood and other distinguished men throughout the state, and that they had all declared that the bill was one of the best they had seen on the subject.
 The bill passed by vote of 63 to o.
 Educational Bill
 MT. Sanders ot Pike called up MT. Richeson's bill to provide for the better maintenance of system Of public schools of the state. The bill provides for an in crease in the public school appropriation of S325OOO annually, being an increase of one seventh to the present educational fund.
 Mir Sanders made an earnest speech for the children of the public schools of the state He said he was in favor of giving the lower schools just as much as the state could possibly afford, even though it might be necessary to cut down the appropriation to the high schools and colleges of the state.
 Mir Pitts of Dallas said he did not think the bill was constitutionally pre- pared, which was the same objection he had to find with the substitute bill which had been offered. In addition to the fact that the bill was not prop erly prepared, the Dallas representative said the state could not afford the extra appropriation. He pointed out that the legislature had already donated liber- ally to the educational interest of the state.
 Mir Milner of Lamar offered an amendment to the bill to cover the in captin0 If