The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-12
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF
 THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF ALABAMA

stood that 1t related to the ordinance. The report has been printed with the ordinance.
 MT. Malone-I rise to a point of in- oriry. I am not familiar with the rules and there Is one section of that Arti- cle which was reported to another Committee. and that Committee has not made a report. Therefore 1t :s ordinance. Now the inquiry l want 10 make Is whether it will take 7s votes to pass that section or not?
 The President-The Chair would rule that 1t would not.
 | Mir. Malone-Notwithstan 1t has been adversed by another Committee?
 The President-1f the gentlemen com posing that Committee wish to impress their views on this Convention Is can be offered in the form of an amend ment. when that section is reached. Mir. Brooks-l would like to ask the Chair if am correct in understand ing that the motion made by the gen. tleman from Jefferson. Mir. White, was in the first instance to suspend the rules. in order that this ordinance | might be taken up out of its regular order as a special. order for today. and he thereupon moved that the Conven-
 
 | Now. then, sir, the Convention has acted upon that and we proceed to the consideration of the ordinance. I now | move that we consider it section by section. and under that I presume that every Delegate on this floor has a right to offer amendments. I cannot con- ceive how we can pass an ordinance to a third reading and prescribe the right of any gentleman to offer an | fn nan hn at tion of the Chair to Rule No. 47. MT. Jones CMontgomery)-Will my friend from Mobile permit me to in terrupt him one moment?
 MT. Brooks-Yes. sir.
 MT. Jones (Montgomery)-As the Chairman of the Committee, l desire briefly to present the views of the Committee on the general amendments to the Constitution. If I had attempt ed that. after the Article was taken up section by section, some young man, learned in parliamentary law, or who had served in Congress, would have made the point of order that the Chair man was not speaking to the question before the House. Therefore. I stated in order to escape these darts of par liamentary law, that the Chairman of the Committee would move to order | the bill to a third reading, and when he had made his remarks he would then withdraw the motion, and move to pass upon the ordinance section by | section. It is certainly not the de- sire or the wish of the Committee in any way to interfere with amendments or the freedom of debate.
 Mr. Brooks-I understand that MT. President. but I wish to read this Rule A.
 | Rule 47.-When any ordinance is in- troduced 1t shall be read at length and be referred by the President without a vote being taken. unless otherwise | ordered by a two-thirds vote of the Convention. to the appropriate con- mittee. No ordinance shall be reported back from any committee until after the lapse of one entire legislative day. When any committee shall have re- reported to this Convention any article 1 or section of the proposed Constitu- tion. said article or section shall again be read at length and 300 copies thereof printed for the use of Delegates; and | such article or section shall lie on the table at least one day and until in regular order it shall be taken up for consideration by the Convention.
 Now. this Ordinance has laid over under that rule for one regular day, and it is now here for consideration, in any manner that the Convention may see fit to adopt, by sections for in | stance. or otherwise; but I do not zee how you can preclude members of the convention at any stage from introduc- | ing amendments. As he gentleman from Montgomery is perfectly willing, he says. to take this up section by sec- tion. I will withdraw my motion for i the present In order that he can make his general remarks.
 The President-The gentleman from l Montgomery has the floor, as the l Chairman of the Committee on Execu- | tive Department. and he made the mo- | ton that this Convention order this | Ordinance to a third reading, and has | announced to the Convention that, up- on the conclusion of his remarks, he would withdraw that motion and move that the ordinance be taken up sec tion by section. when it will be open for amendment. The gentleman from | Montgomery has the floor.
 MT. Jones (Montgomery)-Mr. Presi- | dent, the Committee on Executive De- partment have maturely considered not only the numerous ordinances which have been referred to the Committee. but have heard. in some instances, volunteers; and as the result of their lakors have presented a complete | article on the Executive Department. The first change proposed by the | Committee IS the creation of the office | of Lieutenant Governor. I shall not enlarge upon the reasons which make | the creation of such an officer deSira- ble. There is Lieutenant Governor in nearly all of the older States. In event of any calamity requiring the intervention of an officer other than the Governor to administer the powers | of the office, the new officer would oer- tainiy have more moral influence and the people would be better satisfied, if he is one whom the people, in contra distinction to any small body of men, have selected to discharge those im- | portant duties.
 MT. Cobb-Cannot the gentleman take better position, turn around | and let us hear speak louder. MT. Jones-I will talk louder, but I suspect that the fault is as much in the gentleman's ears as in my voice.
 MT. President-The gentlemen from | Montgomery will proceed with his re- | marks.
 | Mir. Jones-I submit it would be en- tirely out of order for a member who is addressing this convention, to turn his back upon the Chair in order that at some time in the debate his back will not be to some member who is seated behind him.
 The next change reported by the 1 Committee is a chnage in the name | of the office of the Commissioner of Agriculture. That, as we all know. is a statutory office. It is now made d constitutional office, and in recogni- | tlOn of the fact that A Ia hama i.. m