Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-01-18
HOUSE, FRIDAY. JAN. II.

1tOOSEs FIJI LA JAN IL
A great number of resolutions
were offered, some of them of i'm
portance, which will be considered
when legislative measures come up
based upon them. One resolution,
however, with the debate upon it
demands insertion here:
House ioirt resolution to submit
the settlement of the State debt to
the people for ratification or reiec-
ton.
Mr.. Bryan moved to lay the reso-
luton on the table. Lost. Ayes,
80; noes, 50.
Mr.. Bryan said: 81 moved to lay
the resolution upon the table because
| deemed it premature and unnec-
essary, and am now opposed to it
for the same reason. Such a plank
as indicated by the resolution is in
the State platform, and having been
elected upon that platform | expect
to vote in favor of submitting any
compromise or adjustment of the
State debt, that may be agreed to a
vote Of the people. But, sir, L am
free to say that | have always
doubted, and still doubt, the policy
of such course, because, in my
Judgment, it has no warrant in the
Constitution of the State, or in the
practice of legislative bodies. | am,
therefore, opposed to further COM
hitting myself to a policy which
seems to be ill-adVised and uncOn-
StitutiOnal."
Mr.. Gardner thought the people
ought to be consulted and that the
settlement of the debt should be
ratified by the taxpayers. He ia
vored the adoption of the resolution.
Mr.. Beasley said: ~ am opposed
to the adoption of this resolution.
| The government under which we
| live is a republic, and not Il demOc-
racy like some of those in ancient
/ times. All legisl tive power is
vested in the General Assemly.
! Representatives are presumed to
know and reflect the sentiments of
/ their constituents on all public ques-
tons, and these Representatives are
/ required to take an oath to support
| the Constitution of the State, and
not an oath to support the platform
of a political party which IS gene
! rally gotten up bya few and adopted
/ without discussion. The resolution
| before the House is unconstitutional.
| 1t is also unwise and ineXpedient.
! II we abandon the Constitution in
! this instance, how long will it be
! before we will be urged TO abandon
/ it again 2 Never before in the his
tory Of the State has resolution of
this kind been adopted. The policy
which it proposes is foreign to the
genius of our institutions, and eStab-
fishes a precedent which is danger
Gus to the liberties and welfare of
the people"
Mr.. Buchanan believed the prop
OsitiOn should be submitted to the
people. He understood that the
question was first to be submitted
to the people, and then a law passed
making It binding. He favored
the adoption Of the resolution.
Mr.. Shelley offered a resolution
that no law passed by this General
Assembly shall become binding be-
fore having been submitted to the
people for their ratification at the
ballOt-bOX. Laid on the table.
MI. AAtallOASg llAONSO W lhlStiNa
by authorizing officers who may
hold the election to examine each
ticket when presented, to report
how each man votes. Tabled.
The resolution was then adopted
by the following vote:
Ayes-Aimison, Alexander, AL
stOn, Anderson, Andrews, Ballafant,
Brickell, Brinkley, BrOwder, Blu
chanan, Burnett, Cain, Cunning
ham, Dining, Driver, Duncan,
! Gardner, Gregg, Hall, Harwell,
Haynes, Haynie, Hearn, Holman,
Jones, Ledbetter, Lester, League,
Lowery of Bradley, Lowry of War
rem, Lytle, Maccabe, Manson.
Mathes, McQuary, Nixon, Ogilvie,
Pickett, Reynolds. Roark, Samples,
Stovall, Shute, Snodgrass, Sugg,
Tyson, Warner, Watkins, Yancy,
York, Speaker Fowlkes-5l.
Nays-Baker, Bearden, Beasley,
Bryan, Butler, Garden, Duggan,
Dyer, Hawkins, Lewis, Mah0ney,
McGaughey, Ordway, Pearson, Pos
ton, Ramsey, Rosa, Shelley, Smith,
Trent, WiHse, Wright-22.
DIR. Gregg moved to reconsider