The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-29
OFFIClAL REPORT 'OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF
 THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF ALABAMA

| might adopt that report and regret 1t | afterwards, but think 1t we'll to hold 1t in hand where the Convention can have recourse to 1t if we find that too much tlrne is being unnecessarily con- summed. make, the moton to lay the | amendment and substitute on the table. I do not make the motion If any one desires to speak.
 Mr.l Graham (Taliadega)-I have but a word to say. came back here with. the view ofstrying to get back home. l and if were to condense the messages. that have received from my constit-' uents and number of them. at least. while at home, it is this: Go back to 1 Montgomery and adopt what you have already done. and then come back to us as soon as you can, and we will ratify your work. T believe that is the pre- vafling sentiment in this State. and kthereforc hope the report of the ma jority of the committee will prevail and that we will proceed to ratify what we have done.
 Mr. Sanford (Montgomery)-I hope these rules will not be adopted--- MT, Burns-I want to ask the gen. 1 tleman from Talladega . question. MT. Graham (Talladega)-I have as- ready yielded the floor. but I do not object to answering the question if can.
 MT. Burns-I want to know if he has accomplished what he was sent here to do If he has disfranchised the negro tn 1 the State of Alabama.
 MT. Graham-I do not know whether | we have or not. We will have to wait and see about that in the future. The President-The Chair will recog- nize the acting chairman of the conn., mittee the gentleman from Mobile. Mir. Sanford (Montgomery)--I was up before he arose.
 The President--Does the gentleman from Mobile yield to the gentleman from Montgomery.
 MT. Smith (Mobile)--Yes sir.
 Mir. Sanford (Montgomery)-I was going to say that hope that this re- port would not be adopted. because, under Rule 5S. many members of the Convention have waited until the fnal report to make some suggestions or amendments. Rule 53, which has been h vogue three months, says that on the final report of the Committe on
 Order. Consistency and Harmony of the Constitution, amendments may be
 made, and if amendments were made that the ycommittee should reconsider what they had done, and prepare a proper report for the consideration of this body. Under the rule introduced by the Committee on Rules, 1t Is im-
 possible to do so. It cuts off all
 amendments. It cuts of ali debate. and under the amendment otmy friend
 from Pike, do not see why he should
 want any debate at all, because by tho
 time the President gets his watch out
 and begins to time. the speaker and
 some gentleman asks question. his
 time is at an end. and the discussion
 amounts to nothing. l agre with the
 gentleman from Macon that we need
 not get in hot haste in the very con-
 cluding hours of this Convention. All
 evils come from hasty legislation. in
 Congress, in the Legislature. in Demo-
 cratic conventions and 1t may be In
 this very constitutional body, and
 therefore I hope you will proceed un-
 der the same rules. No man will make
 many amendments. I myself do not
 intend to make but one. and that Is
 upon a question of taxation in regard
 to which wish to appeal to this body, but with that exception + have no proposition to make. Itrust therefore
 that this rule will not be adopted.
 There are gentlemen here in the same
 condition am, and out of respect to
 them hope no rule that will exclude all amendments, that will shut off all
 dFscassion, and that will keep silent
 men who wish to-talk to the people will be adopted by this Convention. I
 make no threats, but know what will be the effect of 1t. Mir. Smith (Momile)--The Rules Committee had no idea in recom- mending this rule to encourage nasty legislation. On the contrary it seemed to us that the rule is to protect the Convention against nasty consideration.
 We have considered the Constitution now under all the safeguards that are generally deemed requisite for the ma ture and deliberate consideration of the questions that are te be presented Co the people for ratification. These ques- tons have been referred to the com mittees. and those committees nave In
 each instance, believe, given time, investisation and patience to .he con- sideration of the questions that nave
 been presented to thls Convention uhe Convention has tken had every Gppor- tunity to review the action of the com. mittee, and step by step, through each provision that is found In this Con- stitution the questions there have been deliberately discussed. voted and passed on by this Convention, and we nave now formed Constitution, not Tn naSLe, DuL uShOSAGNSiA5 looking forward to but one purpose, and that was to the accomplishment CT a good, enduring and wise instrument. It Is now completed and we have re- turned for the purpose of consum-nat- ing the work. Almost every delegate
 has anticipated q delay of but few
 days. The people, as has been said, have become somew hat restless at
 the time we have consumed in this
 work and the expense we have im-
 posed upon them. They have thought
 and felt that we have almost been too
 deliberate in our work, and they
 have understood that we have come
 back practically to adopt this Consti-
 tuition unless there be found some rad
 icaI mistake in its provisions, and l
 believe they expect us to adopt 1t, and
 not reopen the matter to meet every
 question that may be raised by dele
 gates who may have met some adverse
 criticism from one or two of his indi-
 vidual constituents. If there is any
 matter that is glaringly erroneous, cer-
 tainly that can be demonstrated to the
 satisfaction of two- thirds of the mem-
 bers of this Convention. If there is
 no such matter. then submit that we
 ought not to again reopen our work
 and consume any more time of the
 people in the consideration of these
 matters. I believe, MT. President, that
 we have considered them all fully, and
 that there are no such glaring errors,
 and that to open these questions by
 majority vote will raise a number of