The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-25

| 1t to show the anxiety felt as to the nature of the arguments which may be advanced.
 Third-The majority claim that a knowledge of the fact that every word is to be recorded, will lend dignity and solemnity to the discussions. This does not comport with my limited observa-
 tions of men. If there are any who are rash or light minded, they are, of all and lightly rush in, while those who
 are conservative and conscious of the | weight of responsibility hesitate. be-
 lieve this full report will repress dis
 cussion by this latter class, and will increase it by the former class. If auy such are members of this Convention.
 While I am satisfied that the ar-
 rangement planned py the ~ommit zee is the most advantageous which can
 be had, do not believe the proposed investment is the best use that can
 be made of the money for the good of the people.
 With the profoundest regret, am, for reasons briefly stated above, com pelled to differ from the able and pa-
 triotic gentlemen who compose the ma- 5ority, and to report that I do not be- lieve that it is expedient for this Con- vention to cause a stenographic report | incur the expense thereof.
 | John T. Ashcraft, l Member of the Committee. l MT. Ashcraft-I move that the minor ity report be substituted for the report of the majority.
 MT. Cobb-I move that this matter be taken up on Monday next directly after the reading of the journal.
 A vote being taken, this motion was I a vnfa ho {xrfc 29 years. 82 nays.
 Governor Oates-The report of the committee was unanimous with the one exception. I believe that a correct report of the proceedings of this con- vention will be important in many re- spects. and it Is in keeping with the times. Nearly all conventions and many legislative bodies in this day and time have stencgraphic reports of their proceedings. It seems that my friend, the delegate from Lauderdale. is fear full that some gentleman will. in the course .of debate, say something un- wise or criticizable. If any gentleman does that the responsibility Is with him as an individual. There never was a deliberate body in session for any length of time that some one did not give utterance to sentiments that were not acceptable to majority of the body polite. That Is human nature, because men differ Men see things in different lights. Then is this conven- tion prepared. because my friend is ap- prehensive that some one may say something that. it were better to leave unsaid-are they going to undertake~to hide our proceedings? Why, sirs, ours Is government of the people. We are here as their representatives, and they wish to know the business We transact and the views of the different members | upon the different propositions. My friends position that much that is done here ought to be transacted in private | is applicable to the committees, for | the committees, as rule, sit in pri- vate and consider all these grave | questions. When they make their re- | ports, those reports are to be considered by the convention in public; and every gentleman has the opportunity of pro- posing. amendments to such reports l and of expressing his views thereof. And that is consistent with every we'll informed gentleman's idea of a free and full discussion that every delegate | should be allowed to express his opin- ion of everything before this body and | to conceal nothing. And I think I but | utter the sentiments of every member of your committee except my friend. and 1t seems to me that in this view he | is certainly mistaken. We have, sir, | the reports taken in extenso and accu- | rately of a large majority of the Con- stitutional Conventions that have been held within the last twelve or fifteen | years, and nobody has suffered by tha. l or anything in them, unless it be some | one who saw proper to utter some thing he had better left unsaid. Ours being a government of the people, and our people being capable of passing upon everything, I don't think any gentleman should be apprehensive of anything that possibly may may ut tered by any delegate to this conven- tion. whether 1t be under review in the Congress of the United States or before the Supreme Court of the United States. ay friends apprehension seems to be that whatever constitution | is framed here will have to undergo the ordeal of passing the Supreme Court of the United States. l do not concur in that view. I have confidence in the wisdom and the learning of the gentle men composing this convention to be- lieve-in fact. to know that r faey or % a. east passups ose plsnk tns of eai it that was adopted. put nothing into the new Constitution in conflict with the Constitution of the United States. and that, therefore, there will be no necessity for our new Convention to undergo that ordeal. I have no idea that 1t will be so framed that any one can claim that 1t is in violation, or any provision of it. Is in violation of the Constitution of the United States, and. therefore. it could not come before that body. think my friends appre- hensions are not well founded, and be lieving that the delegates composing this Convention are intelligent gentle men l would like to preserve the ar guments and reasons given in support of or in opposition to any proposition that may be presented. believing tt at with the small expense incurred Le- cause the proposition of Mir. McSadley the acceptance of which the CoInmit- tee recommends Is remarkably ress on- able, very low. in fact, l, had not thought it was possible that we could have gotten the reports made and printed so cheaply. Believing thus, think the Convention is certainly pre- pared to adopt the report of the Com mittee and will, therefore, vote down the proposition of my friend to sub- stitute his minority report for the re- port of the Committee.
 MT. Sollie-I rise to favor the report of the majority of the Committee in this case. This Convention is enter ing upon a history making event in Alabama. We have something ap- preaching the population that the country had when the first Constitu- tion of the United States was framed. Alabama continues to grow in import