Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-01-23
WILLIAMS.
aENERAL wmL1AMs' oPINIoN.

"PoRTLAND, Or, Jan. q, 1877.
sHoN. JOSEPH SIMON, Salem, Oregon:
'fYour telegram received. Gao only
give you Off-hand impression, which
| is, that to effect permanent Organiza-
tiOn Of the house, IL Is necessary that
two-thirds OF the members elected be
present. Section 2, article Of the
constitution defines house by fixing
number Of which it shall consist. L
suppose. therefore, that word house
elsewhere in the constitution means
, as 10 does ia this section. Doubtless.
| where there is no other rule the ma
jOrity OF body constitutes a quorum.
! But il any other rule IS fixed in the
constitution governing the body, such
rule Of course prevails. Light Is
| thrown upon this question by proYls-
| ion that II quorum being in atten-
dance, either house shall fall 70 eHect
organization within five days there
after members Of house 80 falling
shall be entitled to no compensation.
IL seems TO me that quorum here
means twO-thirds OF the members
elected TO the house failing To organ
ize. | believe in the thirty-seventh
congress, when some OF the southern
states refused TO elect representatives,
| 10 was decided that a majority OF the
members elected TO the house shall
constitute a quorum within meaning
of the constitution OF the United
States. have no knowledge OF any
other precedent upon the question IN
congress, otherwise than i know that
whenever A call is made in either
house, and IL is found that majority
Of the members are not present busl-
ness is suspended for want Of a quo
rum.
geo. II. WILLIAMS" a"
WAS IT A FORGERY
The Statesman this morning
printed the following:
Judge Geo, II. Williams has modi-
fed his opinion as delivered by Mr.,
Rlddel in the house. Mr. Williams
now says.
PORTLAND, Or, Jan. 2l.
"HOn. II. l., Benson, Salem, Or.
"My Judgment is that under the
twelfth clause, article four, OF the
constitution, smaller number than
two-thirds OF the members elected
| have a right to take such steps as are
necessary in their judgment 20 compel
the attendance OF absent members:
the constitution provides no mode of
i proceeding for that purpose and
| therefore the members present have a
right TO adopt such proceedings as
they think proper and If the election
| today is necessary for that purpose
then in my judgment the members
present had a right TO make such
election for the purpose OF bringing
IN absent members"
GEO. II. WILLIAMS" "
STANDS BY HIS OPINION.
Supporters OF Mitchell in Salem
were circulating the statement, upon
| the alleged authority Of telegram
! from Mr.. Sol. HirSch, that Judge Will
liams had reconsidered the opinion ex-
pressed In his telegram to Mr.. Simon.
Last night this report was brought TO
the notice OF Judge " illiams, VINO fur
nlshed the following signed statement
OF denial.
PORTLAND, Or, Jan. 2l.-lTU the
/ Editor. l-Sir: In answer to your in
quiry whether i have changed or mo-
| dihed my opinion wired TO Mr.. Joseph
Simon tOday,I beg TO say | have not,
and do not expect TO, because | am
convinced the invention and the letter
OF the law are as Ithere Indicate; but
| am OF the opinion that less num-
Der than two-thirds OF the elected
members of the house may compel at
tendance OF absent members, and take
such reasonable steps as in their judg-
ment, expressed as deliberatiye body,
may be required, TO enforce the law.
In answer To a telegram from Mr.. Ben
son, / wired him 70 this effect, and
have given no other opinion.
GEORGE III. WILLIAMS.