The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-17

 covery.
 MT. Reese--I move the suspension of the rules so that resolution be placed upon its immediate passage. The motion to suspend the rules was carried.
 MT. Reese--I move the adoption of the resolution by a rising vote. The resolution was adopted unani- mously on a rising vote. rN The Presidcnt-The next order of business will be the special order which Is consideration of the report of the Committee on Legislative Department. Mr. Oates-The Committee on Legis- lative Department considered making the present Constitution it's basis, and considered all of the provisions care- fully and well, and saw proper to add some new sections.
 do not think 1t is necessary for me to consume time to explicitly notice all these changes, in as much as the report and the proposed ordinance has been printed and in the hands of the delegates an ample length of time for everybody to have familiarized them. selves with them. Every delegate here Is supposed to be familiar with the de- fects in the provisions of our present Constitution admitting of abuses. in the matter of legislation. Of course every one knows that this department of the State Government is first in in- portance. the legislative, the medium through which the people of the State have laws enacted bad laws repealed. and defective laws amended. and in order that there may not be any abuse Of this power, it is essential that these statutes should constitute rules ot pro- ceeding which will carefully guard against any wrong or reckless and nasty action upon the part of the Leg islature or any member thereof, from the vast accumulation of local legisla- tion. We heard on yesterday, or the day before from a gentleman who has the honor of being a member of the House of Representatives. and also . delegate upon this floor, my learned young friend from crenshaw as to the maaner in which local measures were passed, especially towards the heel of the last session. With but a dozen of the members present. the roll called rapidly, the names of the whole mem- bership for their aye or their no vote, and that 1t was very rare that any enc answered aye or no. and yet the bills were decided to have been passed by a majority vote. Such things ought not to be. and leads to inextricabls confusion, and affords opportunities of getting measures before the country tho authority of which is doubted by people interested. We had an exhibi- ton on yesterday with regard to one | or these local measures. Others may Dc equally defective. It is very much to the discredit of the General Assem- ply or Legislature. whichever you see proper to call 1t, and ought in the fu- ture to be avoided. Now. sir, your Committee endeavoring to remedy these things have made changes and tight ened up the Rules of Procedure. so that as far as can be done these things will be prevented in the future. As | It will become necessary as we go | along considering the ordinance, Sec | ton oy Section to explain each In its turn, shall not dwell or undertake to l do that here, and I want to say fur therfnora that this Committee consist Ing of eighteen members besides the Nhalrman, as rule are men of expe- rlence and learning, and most of whom LOOK an interest in this work, are not Tn harmony on all the proyis!o !ons of the report. They differed in opinion. The report, MT. President, is simply the
 way that the majority voted. Some points the Chairman is not with the, majority. but with the minority, and the course propose to adopt is thai when reach such a provision, having explained it, to call attention of that | member Of the Committee who took l the lead on the other side, and let him
 take the management of 1t where I could not, and ought not, being op- posed, to undertake to manage 1t when my desire is to change 1t. Then. again sir, l wish to state to the del- egates here. impress upon them I. as the Chairman, am not going to pursue course of doggedness, I will endeav or to fully explain to this body the
 reasons for the changes made from every point and to respectfully answer any question which any delegate de- sires to ask. and then If this Conven- tlon seej, proper to refuse and set aside the recommendation of the Com
 mittee, that~is your work, I will have discharged my duty when I have pre- sented it to you fairly and in a man. 1 ner which you cannot fail to under stand. Now, Mir. President, without consuming any further time, I move
 that the ordinance be taken up and | considered Section by Section. 1 Mfr. Dent--I second the motion | MT. Robinson here took the Chair.
 The President pro tem-The gentle man from Montgomery moves the con- sideration of the report Section by l Section.
 And upon vote being taken the | IliOtAUA pESNdHcu'
 The Clerk then read Section 1 as fol-
 lows:
 An Ordinance to create and define the Legislative Department.
 Be it ordained by the people of Ala bama in Convention assembled. That
 Article W. of the constitution be stricken out. and the following Article
 inserted in lieu thereof:
 ARTICLE -.
 Legislative Department.
 Section l. The Legislative power of the State shall be vested in a Legis- laturc, which shall consist of a Sen
 at. and House or Representatives.
 Mi. Oates-The gentlemen will dis
 cover change made in this first Sec
 tion. I wish to give the Convection
 the reasons why the Committee has
 thua recommended:
 | You will see in the present Consti-
 tuition that this first Section Is that the | legislative power of the State shall be
 vested in the General Assembly. which shall consist of a Senate and House | of Representatives. The words Gen. l eral Assembly are stricken out and the
 word Legislature recommended by the Committee. In this age of brevity and
 hurry to accomplish the tasks of life.
 we do not wish to use words unneces- sarily The cd style used in constitu-
 tom touching this point were. many | of them. very cumberous; and 1t is only | In the more recent years that changes | haVa been made I wish t0 call the f.