Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-12

time, under rule 46 of the House all
matters, petitions. memorials, bills and
resolves are introduced during the
morning hour in the regular order.
Practically everything is thrown upon
the clerks desk. \ little later in the
session, when matters are coming in
more rapidly than now. there is likely
to be each morning anywhere from 20
TO 40 or so matters on the clerks desk
To be introduced. The clerk has no
time to classify these according to the
committees to which they are to be re-
ferred so that necessarily they must be
presented in somewhat of Il confused
manner, that is. he is not able to
classify ana divide them into commit
tees so as to save time in their pre-
sentation. Now il is proposed that the
members having matters To introduce.
bills, petitions. resolves or anything
of that kind. shall simply deposit them
i'll the box which is already there in
front of the clerks desk al any time
before ) o'clock. For instance, all mat
terS that are deposited there before 3
O'Clock today. will be taken from the
box by the clerk and classified accord
ing to the committees to which refer
ence is desired, and introduced and
presented on the following morning. 1t
is simply for the facilitation of bust
ness in the House. AT present We have
plenty Of time. but later. after the COM
mitteeS have got to work ana reports
are coming in hero ana the first. sec
ond ana third reading OF bills is in or
der oar morning session will neces-
sarily be long. and everything that can
be done to facilitate the business should
be done.
Now as to the second amendment. As
You Will know tile present rules Of the
House with regard to the second read
ing OF resolves appropriating money.
which is rule Is OF the rules of the
House. provide that all resolves ap-
propriating money ur lands shall have
their second reading on Wednesday of
the week following that Of their first
reading. Now let me say ut the out
set the committee DO not intend to Sug-
Sest by this proposed amendment. nor
do they deem it wise, to hasten in any
way the second reading Of resolves APP
propriating money. But the rule works
in actual practice in this way. When
a resolve appropriating money al any
time this present week takes it's first
reading, il must 20 over until WcdneS-
day of next week. for it's second read
ing. OF course you will observe that
resolves which take their first reading
in the early part of the week. for in
stance Monday. would have 10 days be
tween their first ana second reading.
and all resolves taking their first read
ing, this morning, would only have
from now until next Wednesday about
half the time What is the result ?
Later in the session when tine work is
| well advanced and the committees have
| reported these various resolves. we find
| on the calendar of the House for their
| second and final reading on Wednesday
| morning, anywhere from 10 to 20 re
| solves. perhaps more sometimes. re
| solves which are in order for their sec
ond reading or their final reading and
passage by the House. Among all
| these are matters upon which more or
| less debate occurs. and the first one is
| taken up and perhaps an hour may be
| spent debating that first resolve. The
result is that there is not time to prop
! erly consider on that Wednesday, all
! these resolves which are in order. In
| other words it is too much in one day
| and very many resolves are rushed
| through the latter part of the morning
| session on Wednesday, without proper
| consideration and without the House
| duly understanding and properly I'M
| derStanding the measure. This amend
| ment is for the purpose Of distributing
| the second reading of these resolves
appropriating money through the days
| of the week, and for no other purpose
| whatever, SO when u resolve takes its
| first reading, any day that the House
| pl"ases may be assigned for the second
reading. but il must be day subsc-
| quent To that Of the first reading
trust have made myself clear The
| object of the amendment is simply to
| distribute these matters through the
different days of the week so they MAY
( be more fairly and carefully consider
| ed. and ii is for no ether purpose
| The question being on the accent
ance OF the report of the committee,
the report was accepted, and the order
| then received 4 passage as amended
Mr. PLt MMER of Portland: I would
| like To inquire if it is the intention for
this box to be open to the public or to