The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-26

4H1&<UNtT more tuuu3trlouH. more con- 4cfsntlous. and not much more intel I<tt><al any where In this country. No body has been more conscientious than <h1s body: not more industrious than <1{e body. anl because of the great UuD>bef Of ordinances snd resolutions that have been introduced is why so Few articles have been adopted, hMeanse of the difficulty of re- ctnciling the different views of tHe delegates, and because of the Importance of the questions that have been submitted. When said lit- <le had been accomplished, had refer ence merely to the completion of par <icular articles. and not to tho fact that <Hzs body has been exceedingly and en- tf6etically industrious in the perform Mnce of their duties. I hope. therefore, gentlemen. that you will not now un- Herfake to silence the Convention. Many men have changed their views after able arguments, that held differ ent opinions when the arguments be- gam I know 1t has been said by a great man that he has heard arguments that changed his opinion, but no argu- ment ever changed his vote. but that is not true of this Convention. I have mo doubt that the arguments made by some of these gentlemen upon the Question which has just been decided, affected very materially the vote that has been given. It would have gone probably otherwise but for the discus sion. I dare say you have arrived at wise conclusion. We should not si- fence men upon questions which may not be discussed any more for twenty flve years. It Is all important that they should be heard. I am in favor Of Limitations. I do not wish to speak for hours or have men to speak to me for hours upon immaterial issues. but upon questions of importance, let .xhe discussion be free, full, learned. able. argumentative. everything that caa convince the judgment of our peo- pie- hope. therefore. that the reso- hutton of the Committee on Rules will be defeated.
 Afr, White-.I It does seem to me that there Is no necessity to adopt this rule at this time. The five minute rule Is sometimes adopted in legislative bodies that meet annually. or at shorter periods than body of this kind meets.
 Mr. Pettus-I would like to ask the gentleman question
 Mir. White-Certainly.
 Mir. Pettus-lHave you ever known the i've minute rule to be adopted in legislative body except in the last three or four days of the session?
 Mir. White-That Is true, so far as have heard it Is not done except at the close of the session.
 Mir. Robinsen-will the gentleman pernuit question?
 Mir. White-Yes, sir.
 Mf. Robins,,n-If 1t takes two weeks to adopt one Article of tn eConstitu ton. how long will it take to finish khe work
 Mx. White-I will answer that. l think the gentleman from Chambers has talked about as much as any one else ca that Article, and leave it to him to say how long he will take on the others.
 MT Robinson-I am willing to stop
 Mir. White-But there are lot of us who have not talked any who don't want to stop.
 Now I want the members of the Con- vention to think for moment. We have here the previous question, that will cut of debate whenever a ma 3ority Of this Convention desire to stop it: we have the right to move to lay on the table, which will cut off debate whenever majority of the Convention so decide. Any member of the Conven- ton can bring into operation either one of these provisions. and We will not then tic our hands, and not t1ke up ial- p0rtant measures which ought not to be discussed, and let them so undis- GUE8EQs
 Now the question that has just been before the House illustrates the point and illustrates it well. Here was a proposition that was carried this morning by about eighty to fifty votes. but after full discussion of the ques- fion the result was absolutely reversed. We were either wrong this morning and are right now. or else we are right now and wrong then, (laughter), or we are wrong now and were right then.
 one of the gravest questions coming up is on the report of the Committee on Taxation, Questions of the gravest importance are coming up on the re- port of the Committee on Municipal Corporations, and might mention al most every committee, and therefore. think, Mir. President, and gentlemen of this Convention. that 1t would be ex- ceedlngly unwise and nasty to adopt this rule now.
 M-. Oates-I wish to say I have not observed any case where any gentleman has abused the privilege accorded to him under the rules. by making too long a speech. They have generally been brief and to the point. The abuse intended to be corrected by limiting speeches, is to save time where they have a great many things to pass on. and some men are long -winded and disposed to consume too much time in speech making. l entirely concur with the gentlemen who have preceded me in saying that according to my obser- vations, the discussions have been use ful here. In fact, fin my own case. there are some questions have heard discussed here upon which I confess have learned some things I did not know and every gentleman should know everything important connected with the making of a Constitution. Now until the fact develops and I do not believe that it will, that gentlemen are disposed to consume too much time in making speeches, do I See the ne- cessity of this rule, and without in tending auy disrespect to my friend from Lee, who introduced the resolu- tion. or to the Committee who have reported it.. and without intending to cut of any remarks by any other gen. tleman if he desires to make any, move that the report of the Committee be laid upon the table; not voted down, but be laid upon the table where it can be taken up by the Convention and adopted whenever necessity occurs.
 The President-The gentleman from Montgomery moves that the resolution reported by the Rules Committee be laid upon the table.
 Mr. Harrison-L ask the gentleman from Montgomery to indulge me for a moment to make a statement.
 Mr. Oates-Certainly I will.
 Mr. Harrison.-Before we commenced the consideration of the first report,