The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-09

1 Mr. Percy would not oppose the Dill were l it carried over
 MT. Percy thereupon took the floor. say 1 ing, "The gentleman is laboring under 8
 mistaken notion. 1 have never made such statement or promise or agreement | MT. Smith stated: Well, then, sir, l was mistaken"
 1 Representative Bush of Mobile followed MT. Smith in favor of immediate action l T do not desire to discuss this matter I from the standpoint of the corporations l and in my remarks I do not intend tt | criticize the corporations. l do not de- | sire to discuss this matter from the stand. I point of Montgomery. It is not a local matter It is a statewide matter, and | one in which every person of the state IS l interested. We should have mansion | for the governor. We should not hesi. I tate in appropriating such a small amount as $5O,000. We should materially improve I the capitol, too, the walls of which are 1 unsightly and the equipment of which IS | of the most unimproved type. We should not consider this matter, from the stand point of the present administration, II 1 is not for Governor O'Neal that we are acting. It is for the governor of the
 state and all succeeding governors Of the state" .e He made the. only calm, dispassionate
 argument of the session.
 1 Long and Percy l One of the most interesting features Of 1 the debate was the colloquy between MT. Percy and Representative Long of Butler. 1 Mr. Long, who is chairman of the com
 lnittee on appropriations, opened his arguments by stating that much refer ence had been made to his committee and to it's policy of making appropria- l tions until a revenue bill had been pre- sented and acted upon.
 aHowever," stated MT. Long, "I made I the remark some time ago that if any member of the house had a bill before the committee on appropriations, at the request of that member it would be acted upon Immediately
 MT. Percy then arose to ask ques- I ton, and he demanded of MT. Long if l. was not true that no appropriations would l he recommended until a revenue bill had | been acted upon, and if so, why was he advocating the appropriation of $5o,0Oo for mansion for the governor? He also
 wanted to know If MT. Long thought this matter of more importance than the ap- ,ropriations for the universities colleges and charities of the state. MT. Long replied: 'This appropriation l Is the only one on the calender of the house. All others will come when their l time arrives. And 1 wish to make the prediction that the gentleman fr6m Je1- l ferson (Percy) will be on the floor Tn | favor of every other appropriation ex- cent this one, which has to do With the rresent administration; that he will op- I nose the revenue bill, which seeks to eoualize taxation by making the corpor- ations pay proper amounts, and all other matters in which the administration is deeply interested
 MT. Long then remarked that he under stood it required more than s50,0O0 to fur- nish the home of the gentleman from Jefferson. Mr. Percy then requested per mission to ask another question: DO you consider 1t In good taste, aueried he, ito refer to my personal af- | fairs on the floor of the house of repre- sentatives?'
 This sally brought forth cheers rom tbe side of the -administrationists and the galleries.
 MT. Long retorted that hc did t1inx so' when the gentleman in question was op- posing the construction of a hone for | the governor of the state.
 The administration side cheered this re- mark
 MT Long. continuing his speech, stated | that last year the legislature gave the University of Alabama $iO,oOo; Auburn so26 GOO the Montevallo School for GIFTS, | S140.Coo, and the Boys Industrial school
 $6O,0oo.
 l ''Wherein is the wisdom. therefore, ne 1 asked, lin opposing an appropriat1on oi
 only s5o,000 for the construction of a man. I sion for the governor of the state l Temper Is Aroused
 Following MT. Long, Representative Thomas of Chambers spoke in favor of immediate action. His short speecf was one in which epigrams abounded | Salaries come and salaries go, he said. "but permanent fixtures remain 1 forever" In speaking of the condition l of the treasury he said: "As Senator Bankhead has stated, when the treas ury Is emptied 1t will fill up again I He urged immediate action on the bill and expressed his hope that il
 might pass.
 At about that time the temper ol the house began to assert ltself. Rep resentative Richeson of Franklin hay I ing read the handwriting on the wall
 moved that the house adjourn. A storm 1 of snosn sent him post haste into the depths of his seat.
 Representative Smith of Montgomery l then offered the amendment that in stead of an annual appropriation o1 s36O0 for the maintenance of the man 1 sion. the sum be S2000, and that the maintenance appropriation shall not be effective until the governor occu- | pies the mansion.
 l This amendment carried by prac- l tically unanimous vote,
 | MT. Richeson. one of the most per I sistent opponents of the bill, then of | fered an amendment cutting down the appropriation for the mansion to $25,- l O00 and for maintenance to 5000 pei
 annum.
 | The mos" again howled down the gentleman from Franklin. and his pro-
 posed amendment was smashed peiore l it had hardly raised its cad. | The administration faction was IT
 dead earnest and was determined te
 brook no immaterial interruption Rep | resentative Pegrams motion 10 ad' l iourn. therefore, met with a spirited | rebuff. l Vote on POstpOnement The time had then come for the bal loting on the motion of MT. Rice thai I the question of the governors. man | sion be carried over until the fortietr l working day of the session.
 | The motion was lost by vote of 6t | to 36.
 During the balloting the anti admin l istra tionists attempted to confuse by 8 process of explaining their votes. than | imous consent was granted 10 seVefa and then followed objections. Repre-
 sentative Sanders of Pike continued td | explain his vote even after Represen- 1 tative Williams of Barbour had ob- l iected. He refused to take his seal when so ordered by the speaker aiic Judge Almon was compelled to 1nstruc' | the sergeant at arms to seat the gen tleman. The carrying out of the in structions was unnecessary, however for the gentleman immediately seated
 himself when the instructions were is 1 sued.