The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-18

November II, 1884. the legislature
known to the constitution as the gen
eral assembly," chosen at the August
election. assembled. That department of
the triune state government had been
known to each of the f1ve state con
stitutions as the general assembly
the style changed in the sixth, the con
stitution of 1901, TO the Legislature
where 1t now remains
A remarkable body of men was this
congregation of law makers. In both
houses 1t was seen the public had
selected from their best.
A remarkable government 1t was In
its personnel in all departments, legis-
lative, executive and judicial On the
roll of the senate stood r. T. Simpson
of Lauderdale, who died a member of
the supreme court; E. H. Moren off
Bib, the lieutenant governor whose
election in 1874 on the Houston ticket
had sealed the fate of military rule. ).
*. McSpadden of Etowah, later chan
cellor; w. H. benson of Chambers; rep
resentative in Congress, Willis Brewer
of Lowndes, editor of remarkable in
fluenee, historical of incalculable benefit,
state auditor with hardly a rival in ef-
fciency representative in Congress. A
G. Davidson of Perry. representative in
Congress and citizen of the best in
fiuence; r. c. Jones of Wilcox, presi
dent Of the university; w. ]. Sanford,
political redeemer, representative in
Congress and governor; Daniel S. Troy
of Montgomery, political constructor
and captain of industry. There too sat
Thomas seay of Hale, among the young
er class. destined to success Immediate
ly to the place of chief executive Other
senate were r. II. Sterrett of Shelby, |
Jefferson Faulkner Daniel Smith, Ira
F. Foster.
Senator seay was chosen president
without opposition. w. L. Clay of Madi- |
son was chosen secretary without OPP
position, and Thomas H. Clark of Mont |
gomery assistant by the same vote.
The membership of the house of rep
resentatives was not less distinguished. |
On the roll there stood the names of C. |
c. Shorter of Barbour d young man of
rare promise, later speaker; Thomas ]. !
Judge, later of the supreme court |
Isaac Grant of Clarke, veteran editor,
Sumter Lea and Sam Will John of Dali
las, Augustus A. Coleman of Hale Judge
of of the circuit court, scholar and sol
dier, come with a message to the state;
Samuel Earle Greene of jefferson, judge
of rare eminence; Henry Clay Arm
strong of Lee, James A. Bilbro of Ma
con, Edwin T, Talliafero of Madison,
Thomas j. Jones of Montgomery, son
of justice of the supreme court. Will
ham A. Gunter and Ariosto A Wiley of
MONTGOMERY, the latter dying a MEM
Der of Congress;sA. G. Hargrove of Tus-
caloosa Mcqueen of Greene Lawson of
toof Il of No.
Mcdowell of Perry, Hill of Talladega,
Frank Baltzell, famous editor of Pike,
were other earnest and efficient men
on the floor.
Without oposition Henry Clay Arm
strong of Lee was elected speaker, ID.
w. McIver of Macon was elected clerk
and Horace Hood of Monroe, assistant
clerk.
The city of Birmingham had now
grown to some 10000 population. The
Sloss furnaces. the Alice furnace and
the rolling mills, with coke ovens We're
in full operation. Population and indus
try had so increased that the legisla-
ture created the city court with all
| the jurisdiction and powers which now
are or which may be hereafter con-
ferred on the circuit and chancery
courts of this state" OF this court, q
young lawyer from Morgan county, II.
A. Sharpe, was made Judge.
Early in January of the session the
body was called on to consider from
another standpoint the evidence of mu-
nicipal growth in the mineral empor-
fum. Birmingham had contracted a
heavy Indebtedness. Mr.. Chambers Nc
Adory of Jefferson introduced joint
resolution to amend the constitution of
1875 that Birmingham might raise rev.
enue by increase of the tax rate to
meet interest.
Be 1T remembered t1rat 'reconstruc-
ton" did not terminate in Alabama, by
the election of Houston in 1874. De-
Ispite President Grants position and also
his indirect influence, white supremacy
was attained to by that victory at the
polls, but with limitations awaiting ulti-
mate removal. The constitution of 1875
was most daring scheme of relief
1t was by no means perfected remedy
From beginning to end. the trainers of
the instrument were burdened with the
presence of a semi military occupancy
of the state by the government at
Washington The same Trainers or their
peers had made the most admirable
constitution of 1865. written in every
paragraph to adopt the organic law to
the result at Appomattox. That noble
work had been ruthlessly cast aside and
military rule put in its stead. What
would the government at Washington
now do, 10 years later?
So the trainers of the instrument of
1875 felt themselves reduced to the
ing1Orious necessfty of cumming with