The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-03
SOLL|E-LONG BLOC MEETS DEFEAT BY. VOTE OF 6O TO y.
Opposition Insists On Know ing Contents Before Ap-
 proving Measure
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU l
 THE AGE !
Mnntpnmery. AIa. Amr. 2 1

After a spectacular battle which continued during a greater part of the day, the house of representatives Thursday afternoon passed the Mer- Till bill adopting the code tf laws prepared by Judge James J. Mayfield and approved by the recess code of laws prepared by Judge James J. Mayfield and approved by the recess code committee. The vote was 60 to 37. It marked a further defection from the ranks of the bloc organ ized by Judge Mike Sollie of Dale and J. Lee Long of Butler, which was effective in preventing the cCnsid- eration of the code adoption bill last week.
 The battle came suddenly. The rules committee reported a resolution making the bill adopting the code and the bill providing for its publi- cation special orders for considera- ton at noon. Opponents of the. adop- ton of the code without printed re- port showing what changes had been made started their fight in opposi- tion to the resolution. They soon realized that a majority was deter mined to dispose Of the issue during the day. MT. Long then moved to Ll0ke the DlllS SpeCldl .OTueTS TOT m mediate action. This motion was adopted.
 Brandon Urges Action.
 Before the rules committee TO- ported its resolution Governor Bran don sent to the house special mes- sage, In which he urged the legisla- ture to adopt the code at the earliest possible moment, stating that If any serious defects develop before he haA issued his proclamation making it effective he will call a special ses- sion of the legislature if necessary tC correct them.
 the code adoption bill and the com panion measure, surrendered the gavel at the beginning of the fight and took the floor in favor of i'm mediate action. He charged that those opposing the code were not so yor of the punishment of the code committee. He assured the house that no substantial changes had been made in the law, that no salaries had been increased, that no new offices had been created and that the draft of the code contains no more than that already promulgated as law by legislatures of the past.
 Strike Pass Privilege.
 I1S ultullOutu IudL ln6 COu6 com mittee had held a meeting since the issue was raised last week and had stricken the provision which per- mitted members and employees of the state tax commission to ride on rail- road passes while on official busi ness. This was the main objection to the code voiced when an effort was made last week to force the printing of ai changes.
 Representative Sollie, who led the fight in oppostionvto the. passage of the bill declared that members of the legislature should know what changes were made before they vote for the adoption Of the code. He said he had great respect for Comlnis- sioner Mayfield, but expressed the opinion that inform ation regarding his work should be brought to those who are called upon to approve it.
 He said the changes made in the code of 1S96 were printed and placed on the desk of members before the adoption bill came up. He also de- clared that in three hours last Sat- urday he read all the changes which were made when the previous code was being rewritten in 1907. He of- fered to pay all expenses of the work if he failed to prepare all changes in this code within a week after he had been commissioned to do SC by the legislature.
 v V Q
 Long Argues.
 Representa- tive J. Lee Long fol- lowed Mir. Sollie in an address in which he insisted that the informa- tion regarding the changes is easy to get. Vote down this code" he said to the members. You'll have another opportunity later to adopt it. It will be adopted before we leave here, but we should refuse to adopt it until We know what is in it."
 Speaker Merrill took the floor again and charged that the opposi- ton to the adoption of the code is largely personal and is directed against the code committee.
 Speaker Merrill sail Governor Brandon had .lade a thorough in vestigatlon and had reached the con- clusion that it would not be possible to make a report of all tie hanges in the code without long delay. He declared that the suggestion that the changes ooulI be put in printed form in six days was mere childs play"
 Representative F. M. .ai1es of Houston, >.ppealed to the members to defeat the de- declaring that every man, woman and child In l.labon!a, will be ffected b. law placed in the code and that the members of the legislature should know what is in the code.
 Charges "Peanut POlttics.o
 Representative D. T. Ware of Ran- dolph, on question of personal priv ilege,> charged tha. pc ut polllics" was played on tho floor during the consideration of the bill and that an effort was made to use gag rule in passing the bill he was opposed to it. He criticized Governor Brandon for his message urging the adoption of the code by .aying: 'II an effort has bee, made to use the Governor in this affair. serve notice now that 1 am a free born American citizen and will vote as 1 see fit"
 Representative Grady Tiller of Geneva, in opposition to the bill said the statement that fie opposition had a personal grudge was untrue.
 Representative Travis Williams of Franklin. urged the members to pass the bill, saying that the objections were hypercritical.
 Representative Fred Fite of Jeffer- son, also declared that the code com mittee should be trusted. He said members of the legislature did not know what is in the code of 1907. that lawyers who have need of the code at all times do not know what Is in it, and that even if the draft of the code of 1923 were printed the members could not know what was in it.
 Representative Will o. Walton of Chambers, said If no ot. CT reason were given for the adoption of the code he would vote for 1t since he knew the character of the men who spent the recess of the legislature in reading it.
 Representative James M. Parker of Coosa said he had no personal feel ing against the de committee, but preferred to know what is in the code before voting for 1t.
 Representative J. P. Hall of Bull lock, R. H. Powell of Walker, and Indora SolIie nf Dala aIan na1a ad-