The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-06
THE RECORD.
IN III SENATE.

The Legislative Expense Bill Passed-De-
bate on the Status of the Constitutional
Amendments.
FRIDAY, Jan. SO A. NJ.
Rev. DR.. Arthur s. Pierson. of the Second
Presbyterian Church of indianapolis, opened the
session with prayer.
Mr.. Bell called up the resolution offered by the
senator from Elkhart MI. White) yesterday, for
a committee to wait upon the Governor, and 1t
was adopted, Messrs. Bell and White being ap-
pointed on the part OF the Senate.
Mr.. Voyles introduced a bill rs. 81 requiring
county and township officers to have and keep a
cash-booR, which was read the first time and re
ferred to the Committee on County and Town
ship Business.
MIR. Van vorhis offered a resolution requesting
the secretary of the Young Mems Christian As
s%oclation to provide a minister of the gospel TO
opeu each days session with prayer.
Also, a resolution making 2 o'clock Wednes-
day, Jan, II, an hour for appropriate tributes to
the memory of Hon. George H. Chapman, late a
senator from Marion county. They were sever
ally adopted.
Mr.. Yancey offered a resolution for a special
on woman suffrage.
MIR, Bell moved to lay the resolution on the
table.
The motion was agreed tO-yeas 81, nays 81.
Mr.. Brown offered a resolution for the APP
pointmentO OF a select committee OF five, of which
the State Governor shall be a member, to report
rules for the government OF the proceedings OF
the Senate.
Mr.. spann made an Intellectual motion-yeas
4, navs 45-J0 lay II on the table. The resolu-
ton was adopted, and Messrs. Brown, Spann,
Graham and Bell were appointed as said COM
mlttee.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Mr.. Smith offered a resolution requesting the
Secretary of State to furnish a copy of official
records in his office concerning proceedings of the
General Assembly concerning the constitutional
amendments in 1881, and, also, in relation to
the Wabash Il Erie canal. and certify whether
the records in the adoption of other amendments
show that the constitution was compiled with in
this provision: ''Sucn proposed amendments
shall, with the yeas and nays thereon, be entered
on their journals and referred to the next Cen
eral Assembly.
Mr.. Willard made an Intellectual m~otion-yeas
%. nays 26-to lay the resolution on the table,
as, in his opinion. 1t proposes to interfere with
the rights of the Judiciary Committee. He
moved to refer IL to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. SMITH hope the resolution will not he
referred to the Judiciary 1 appre-
bend the Senate is as well qualified now to pass
upon the resolution as it VIII be after the Jul
dietary Committee shall have considered it.
This resolution was intended to be. and is
nothing else but a demand or request of the
Secretary of State to furnish certain facts, upOu
which we can act intelligeDtly and understand
ingly when this question shall be sprung upon
the Senate, as 1t undoubtedly will be. There is
nothing else intended except to procure this in-
formation from che Secretary OF State. appre-
bend that I occupy tine same position that other
senators do upon this hoOr-I am wholly ig-
norant of the acts of the LEGISLATURE on this
question. and we can only procure the informa-
i ton from the Secretary of States office, either
by passing this resolution or going to that office
and personally examining the records for our
selves. l cannot see why senators oppose
this proposition, especially as the informa-
ton sought for is necessary in order
10 act lntelliSently on a proposition that will, in
all probability, come before us in some. form.
concerning the proposed amendments acted
upon last session, and it is rumored that upon a
clerical error that matter is TO be defeated.
Mr.. BrOwn-I am opposed TO that resolution,
and will state one or TWO reasons why am or
| nnRR1 m n hDVR no nhlA ain tn ira Rninr !N
the Judiciary Committee If the Senate so please I,
but to INV mind the resolution is useless. All
that the Secretary of State can possibly do will
he TO hunt up the Journals of The two houses on
the days when the proceedings referred to in the
resolution took place, and send to the Senate a
certified copy of the matter printed in the jour
nails. Those Journals are open to the inspection
of every man, woman and child in the State, II
the Senator is ignorant about the matter 1t is
his own fault and nobody else's. Shall
we then put a duty upOn the
Secretary of State to send out that which is a
public record of the State aud lodged in the ar
chlves of every county in the Slater But, as
the Senator from Delaware tMr. Smith, has said,
it has gone out In the land that tins amendment
is TO be defeated upon some technical ground, [
will say that I agree with the Senator from Ma
Tion tMr. Van VOrhis) on this subject. The CON
I stitutlOn requires the proposed amendments TO
that instrument to be spread at large upon the
Journals. Is any man so blind that he cannot
see whether that has or has not been done by
taking up those Journals and examining them2
IA message from the House by Chief Clerk Ed
wins informed the Senate that the House WAS
ready u TtCtlNt me SeHdIt III JOiuJ convention
to hear the Governors message to the General
Assembly.
Mr.. Brown resuming) Now, on the question
as to whether the amrndments are legally on the
Journals or nor, the legislature is the exclusive
iudge-its decision il final. No court can review
it. If the Legislature decides that these amend
ments have not been entered at large npon the
journals. that is the END of II. IF the Legislature
decides they have, that Is the end of 1t. So we
shonld not attempt to run away from meeting
the main prop osltiOn us suggested by Liiis resO-
luton. And IL would he charging the Judiciary
mmlt with an unnecessary burden.
GSenators then left their chanher III "a body and
proceeded to the hall Of the House of Represent
atIves to hear the Gbverdor's biennial message. |
When tho senators returned to their cha mber
the Senete. took a recess till 2 p. NJ.