Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-15
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES.

| IniS Otate Shall receive, Wnlle IN Office.
either directly or indirectly, any gift,
: gratuity, fee or reward, from any person
or corporation.
, Return and report the same back with
an amendment, adding, after the word
'treward," these words: COR reward of
any kind" and so amended, they recon-
mend its adoption.
Mr.. Gibson moved to lay the report on
the table, and that 200 copies be printed.
Mr. Baxter-I understand that the an
thor of this resolution OR. MARTINI mere
ly. intended to indicate his idea of a
principle, and left it to the committee to
put into shape. But, instead of doing
that, they have reported back in an
amended form, and recommended its
adoption. But if we adopt an amend
ment to the Constitution here, it should
be in constitutional form, not in the form
of resolution. The report should be re-
committed for amendment in this particu-
lar.
MIR. Gibson withdrew his motion.
Mr. Tuner would state, for the ben
eft of the gentleman from Knox, (Mr.
Baxter that no method has been indica-
ted here IS to the Ehape Of questions to
| come before the Observation-Disclosures we
shall take up the Bill of Rights as a whole
and pass upon it by sections, or consider
| the various amendments in the order they
come up from the committees. | think,
myself, that it would be proper, perhaps,
Tor the various committees, in reporting
back the resolutions, to indicate the part of
the Constitution where the resolution
should come
Mr.. Kirkpatrick-With due Difference
to the opinions of the gentleman from
Knox, (Mr. Baxter desire to say, that
as l understand the rule of procedure,
the proper course to pursue, and which
has been pursued here, is to order the re-
port to lie on the table and be printed.
As to the particular form of the PROPOSE
ton, that is for the Committee on Ar
rangement and Revision, and we of the
Miscellaneous Committee can only act
upon the material proposition, without
giving 1t any particular form. think |
this was the understanding of the Com
mittee.
MIR. Baxter still insisted that it would |
facilitate business to recommit the report
Let the committee consider the idea and |
the form OF constitution, and then
orlng IN their report proposing measures |
in such form as should receive or action |
Then the Convention would take them up, |
one after another, and give them intelli- |
gent and definite action. Otherwise, when |
we shall have done with all our business.
we shall have it all to do over again. It |
Tor that reason alone that ask, of this |
particular resolution, that the committee |
may present it in proper form to be adopt
ed into the Constitution.
The President-The Chair would state
that the language of the resolutions for
standing committees is That they sshall /
be appointed to report whether any, and
II any, what amendments" shall be made
to the particular branches of the Consti-
tuition referred to them.
Mr.. Stephens-It seems to me that it
was not incumbent upon committee to
report the form of the resolution; but. as
suggested by the gentleman from Knox
CMr. Baxter), they should have condensed
the sense and substance of it and put it
into the form in which it should be put
into the Constitution.
Mr.. Jones, of Lincoln-I concur with
the gentlemen from Shelby (Mr. Stephens).
For example, it is for the Committee on
the Bill of Rights to consider all the pro-
positions before them, and then reDort
what alterations, if any, they propose to |
the Bill of Rights. Any proposition re-
ferred to them may be rejected by the
committee. Propositions do not 90
before them with any particular
authority from the Convention. NV
understanding as to the mode of |
preceding by this Convention was, that
when the committees had matured their
amendments they would propose them to
their several particular branches of the
Constitution for the action of the Conyen-
ton; and when that might be done, we
could take up some other report upon
another branch, and feature that, and so
finish our work in each particular branch,
and not go over the whole business again.
And when we get through with the labors
for which we have assembled-if we
should ever be so fortunate as TO do So
then we will have the Constitution en-
rolled and submitted for ratification.
MIR. Heiskell-I thinkthe subject before
the house is a matter of great Importance.
We are sitting without anything from the
committees before us. And the commit
tees are coming together and endeavOr-
ing to mature business for the house.
Now, II these committees have to sitwith-
out any communication with the house
without any means of feeling the pulse of
the house, or of testing the sense of the
house-until they have matured all their
plans and their reports are completed and
submitted, then when their reports come
III, perhaps no part of them will conform
TO the sense OF this body, and the labor of
crluclslng and celebrating their reports
VIII all be lost. The house in the mean
time VIII be waiting, and the time of the
whole body will be lost. | consider the
duty OF the committee TO be this: That |
by reporting ideas TO the house-not as
articles, but simply as resolutions-thc
mouse can examine and pass upon their
general merits. And then they will
go back TO the committees. In |
TINS way the committees will |
consider themselves instructed to put such |
propositions into proper form. If the
house reject their PROPOSITION, then the
committee will be relieved from its further |
elaboration. Now, l regard this-and l |
hope gentlemen will pardon ma for urging
lt-as matter essential to the harmonious
and efficient working of this Convention.
The most important thing, perhaps, is TO |
pfoceed.ln such a manner as to save time |
and avoid confusion. If the committees |
can come before the house, and test the |
sense of the house upon isolated propo- |
sltlons, the committees can work in aC- |
cordancc with the views Of the house
But if they go on and perfect their reports
before they know the sense of the house,
their labor will be lost. And |
therefore, ii seems to me that we ought |
now to settle this matter with due deliber-
alton. And | think we might take up
this proposition simply as it is, without |
our order TO print. When it shall come
in, in constitutional form, then will be the
time to print. And for the present, it |
seems to me that it would be well for us
to dispose of it by adopting rule that
shall govern in such cases.
Mr.. Brown, of Davidson-That is the
point to rule. / have resolution. The I
gentleman urges that the committees,
while at work. should be in some sense in
with the house to asccr- Z
tain its sense. Now, think the object of !
the committee is to report changes re-
CURED in the Constitution. 1t should ,
mark the outlines The commit Z
Tee should ascertain the princi- :
pie that should be changed, !
and state it in form 'tas follows" giving >
what is tho cnnsa of fhp CoD vapt;op ,ror1 |