POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.

The Polytechnic Institute, one of the greatest schools south of the Ohio river, has exceeded the expectations of its founders and friends, and today, expanded to the utmost limits of its capacity, is knocking at our door for more means, more room.

It is said that this school and the nine agricultural schools belie their names, that they have not made farmers, or have only made a few farmers. They have done better than that, they have fitted the farmers' boys for high places in the land and they are fast occupying them, and the demand is for more.

The foundation of these ten great schools has been thirty cents, meaning by that, the tag tax of thirty cents a ton on fertilizer. It is true that the first placement of this was on a misconception of who would pay the cost, unquestionably it was a class tax, yet it has grown into our system and the wisdom of its use cannot be doubted. This thirty cents has now multiplied into many thous ands of dollars and will continue to multiply, and should be used exclusively in the outbuilding and upbuilding of these great institutions. Any prejudice against them that comes from the statement that their pupils either at the beginning or on graduation do not furnish farmers and developers of the agriculture of the State, but go out into other business, is no criticism, because no matter what business they go into, they go into it with the foundation of character and learning imbedded at these schools, and it is more than worth the while and cost to the people, and I would suggest that never again should a dollar from this fund, this thirty cent foundation, though it may swell into hundreds of thousands of dollars, be diverted from the great cause to which it was dedicated, and to which it should be exclusively applied. If it is more than the polytechnic institute and the nine great agricultural schools can use, then enlarge the institute and found ten more and yet ten more agricultural schools as long as the fund will expand.

The Polytechnic Institute is asking $226,000, or about $56,000 a year for four years, to erect new buildings and to properly equip same, and it should have it. I will call your attention that the State owes the fertilizer

fund quite a sum of money, which has in previous years been turned into the general treasury; but aside from this the State owes it to the farmers of the State and to those who want an agricultural and technological education to give an ample sufficiency of the general fund, if necessary, for buildings and equipment, and ample further equipment of managers and teachers to extend their expansion as the necessities of the case demand.

THE UNIVERSITY.

The University, once the pride of the State, was burned in 1865 by supposed military necessity. Rebuilt, it is true, but that rebuilding was like the restoration of the temple and walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, Ezra and Zerubabel; when the work was completed and compared with the old Jerusalem, they sat themselves down and wept.

Alabama has been very negligent of the University, recognizing in the most meagre way the State's debt to the school, arriving by some strange vagary of conclusion that it was right to compromise the State's debt to this, their own institution, having by the State's own conduct lost the independent trust funds of the University, making a settlement somewhat like that of an impecunious debtor-fifty cents on the dollar. As a result the University stands today a beggar struggling with inadequate means. The University is asking for $25,000 a year increased appropriation to meet necessary repairs and expenses, and they are also asking for $100,000 a year for the next four years for increasing buildings. It looks to me that these are reasonable requests of this body and that you could make no better investment. No State can build higher than its school system, and any State that fails to satisfy the aspirations of its young people for even the highest education, and fails to take such young people into its commensurate care, then that State has failed in its duty. When Daniel at Babylon prayed each day with his face towards Jerusalem, he paid the highest tribute to the great advantages that Jerusalem had given him in mind and heart expansion, and Alabama should

fulfill with its facilities the requirements of the worthy ambitions of its young people, and make Daniels of its youths, tethering them to the home school, creating an adequate alma mater in our own midst, with all of such youths, not only offsprings of our schools, but going beyond that and creating a great alumni of citizenship bound to the State by that principle of early association and ingraft into them that great principle of love of the old school grounds, love of the old college mate, love of the old faculty, and twice hallowed, the love of the State that furnished these great opportunities.

As a boy in the spring of 1865, a student of the University, I saw the smoke of the consuming fire, and as a man, having gone from my State to a foreign college, I feel and know the necessity of a home university and cannot too highly recommend to you the care and keep of it as a valuable heritage to last forever devoted to the upbuilding of the youths of the State, preparing them to become citizens of the State, citizens imbued with love for the keep and care of the State, a love which best comes to a citizen when his alma mater is in the State. The university should be built and built and built, no limit now or ever as far as the economy of the State will allow.

And to sum up on all our schools, while not mania struck on education, yet I regard it as the most successful foundation for the future of the State and unhesitatingly recommend that all of these great systems of school, the foundations of which have been so broadly laid, will create an alumni of citizenship making them feel proud that the highest merits of their citizenship, they owe to the school system of Alabama, then Alabama will be endeared to them, and this alumni of citizenship will be our greatest bulwark and they will be found in line to protect the State in any and every danger, and they will be found the strongest workers and leaders in the future fight, not only for the future education of the State, but any and every upbuilding and protection of the State.

On our labors, jointly and severally, as faithful servants of the people, humbly I invoke the blessings of Almighty God.

(Signed) B. B. COMER. Governor's Office, Montgomery, January 15, 1907.

GENERAL LAWS.

No. 1.)

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION.

(H. J. R. No. 12.

Preamble.

election of U.

S. Senator.

Whereas, the Legislature of the State of Alabama which is now in session is the legislature chosen next preceding the expiration of the time for which the Honorable Edmund Winston Pettus was elected a senator to represent the State of Alabama in the congress of the United States. Be it resolved by the house of representatives, the senate concurring, that the house of representatives and the senate of the legislature of Alabama shall meet in their respective halls on Tuesday, the twenty-second day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seven, the same being the second Tuesday after the meeting and or- Fixing day for ganization of said legislature and that they proceed separately to vote for a senator in congress from the State of Alabama for the term of six years beginning on the 4th day of March, 1909, when the present term of the said Edmund Winston Pettus as such senator from the State of Alabama shall expire-such proceedings in either house to conform to the statutes of the United States providing for the election of senators to the congress of the United States. And that on Wednesday, 23d day of January, 1907, at the hour of 2 p. m., the members of the senate and house of representatives convene in joint assem bly in the hall of the house of representatives, and then and there read the journals of each house, and declare the result so as to conform to the statutes of the United States.

Approved January 28, 1907.

Preamble.

election of U. S. Senator.

No. 2.)

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION.

(H. J. R. No. 13.

Whereas, the Legislature of the State of Alabama which is now in session is the legislature chosen next preceding the expiration of the time for which the Honorable John Tyler Morgan was elected a senator to represent the State of Alabama in the congress of the United States. Be it resolved by the house of representatives, the senate concurring, that the house of representatives and the senate of the legislature of Alabama shall meet in their respective halls on Tuesday, the twenty-second day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seven, the same being the second Tuesday after the meeting and organizaFixing day for tion of said legislature and that they proceed separately to vote for a senator in congress from the State of Alabama for the term of six years beginning on the fourth day of March, 1907, when the present term of the said John Tyler Morgan as such senator from the State of Alabama shall expire-such proceedings in either house to conform to the statutes of the United States providing for the election of senators to the congress of the United States. And that on Wednesday, the 23d day of January, 1907, at the hour of 2 p. m., the members of the senate and house of representatives convene in joint assembly in the hall of the house of representatives and then and there read the journals of each house and declare the result so as to conform to the statutes of the United States.

Approved January 28, 1907.