The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-08

l vide for the enforcement ol AiS soiie.
 By MT. Thomas: To provide for th' time of signing bills of exception in ap
 peals taken in behalf of the state to th' supreme court in the habeas corpus cases.
 By MT. Hollis of Choctaw: To amend section 1734 of the code of Alabama. 1907.
 By MT. Almon To appropriate the sun S25, 600 for the erection of a modern schoo building for the Sixth Congressional Dis trict Agricultural school, located at Ham llton, the present building having be' | come inadequate for the necessities of the school.
 By Mir Mulkey: To amend section 420s of the code of Alabama, 1907. l By MT. Judge: To provide and create a board of election commissioners for the l government and holding of municipal elections and to establish same in all cities of Alabama which now have ,oi may hereafter have, a population of as much as 100000 people according to the l federal census, or any such census which | may hereafter be taken; to regulate the selection and election of such commls- l sioners and their terms of office; to fix l their powers, duties and compensation; to annul any law or any part of a law that conflicts with the duties of the commis- sioners of this board, and otherwise to provide for the creation and maintenance of said election commission board.
 By Mir. Avery, notice and proof: To pro- hibit stock from running at large in Beat Il, Randolph county, Alabama. and to provide for the assessment of collection of damages for depredations committed.
 By Mir. Waddell, by request To amend sections 757, 759 and 7e7 of chapter 22, article 1, of the code of Alapama, 1907.
 By MT. Stollenwerck: To amend section 13o of the political code of Alabama
 By Mir Crapford. To fix the time of holding the circuit courts in the coun- ties of Walker and Winston, composing g the Fourteenth judicial circuit of the state of Alabama.
 By MT Cranford: To fix the time of holding the Walker county law and equity court in Walker county. Alabama.
 By MT. Cranford. notice and proof: To appropriate the sum of s43. 10 for the year of 1910 to Mary Snow, the widow of James Snow, ex-Confederate soldier. as a Con- federate pensioner for said year. her name having been enormously omitted from the list of pensioners for that year. s By MT. Cranford, notice and proof: To appropriate the sum of s43 10 for the year of 1910 to Mrs. M. M. Wise, the widow of T. B. Wise, an ex-Confederate soldier. as Confederate pensioner for said year. her name having been enormously omit ted from the list of pensioners for that year.
 By MT. Wright: To amend section esso of the code of 1907.
 Serious Condition
 Representative Martin of Jackson coun- ty declared that the convict situation in Alabama constituted a serious condition.
 Are you going to destroy the man In order to get vengeance for an offense for which he has repented?" the representa- tive cried. Tt is now time that Ala bama should stop the pernicious system We should hold out some hope to our prisoner-give them an incentive to live the correct life in the far-reaching flu ture"
 NIT. Martin plead eioquently for the bill, citing in his imagination the horror of the present convict system which sep arates man from his family. and which then deprives the family of means of making a living. The representative called attention to the dying wife, who starves in an heroic effort to save her children from the same fate He then turned the pages to the concluding chap ter, when the convict in his prison stripes receives a note from a friend re- minding him of the death of his wife and the dispersion of his family. The speaker stated that his bill was calculated to put stop to much of this misery by provid- Ing SuStenance for the family.
 He said that every dishonest dealing in the world is due to a need of money, the root of all evil. He also called at tention to the endeavors of the Interna- tional Prison Congress an organization which had recommended just such legs- lation as he was attempting. to get through the house.
 Mir. Martin said the people of Alabama did not oppose the bill that he had heard from numerous people all over the state in advocacy of the plan, and that he be- lieved the bill should pass.
 Pegram's Amendment
 When Mir Martin concluded his speech Mir. Pegram of Marengo sent up an amendment to allow the families of con victs 25 per cent instead of 5O per cent of their earnings. The bill was also amended by MT. Pegram so as to ex- clude all families of convicts from receiv- ing p per cent of their earnings, except those who were absolutely dependant for support upon such earnings. and who were in indigent circumstances
 MT. Martin said be would be glad to accept the proposed amendment
 MT. Pegram then said that MT. Martin had anticipated him in introducing a bill to provide for the relief of families of cOilNlClS, as ne HaI cOHlefnpfdIcQ lnITO- ducing Q similar measure. He said he considered the question a humanitarian one, and that he thought the matter should appeal to every member of the house.
 MT. Pegram said he thought the bill one of the most meritorious that had been introduced this session, and he urged that the measure be passed.
 Smith Opposes Bill
 MT. Smith of Mont gomery opposed the bill, declaring that the plan of MT. Martin was Ethiopian" that the bill had been introduced out of the goodness of his heart. but that the measure embraced provisions which were altogether impracticable.
 MT. Smith declared that the bill would take several hundred thousand dollars annually out of the sthte treas ury. He declared that the large ma jority of the state convicts were ne- groes. and that if the bill were passed 1t would be a fruitful field of litiga- tion for the lawyers
 MT. Smith said he would support a bill to establish a home for the wifes and children of convicts, but that he would not support any measure to give to the families of convicts 25 per ceN of their earnings. He declared that the operation of a law as provided for by the bill would work an injustice rather than an advantage.
 MT. Pegram again took the floor in defense of the bill. and declared that he did not believe the law would be abused more than the pension laws.
 T do not see" said MT. Pegram, how any man with the warm southern blood running through his veins could op- tn