The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-10
Auuusr 10, 1901.

a suspension of the rules
 Mir. Wilson--The gentleman I think does not properly appreciate the effect of putting matter upon the table. The purpose is to temporarily lay it aside. There is a motion to reconsider Section 6 before the Convention, but the Con- vention peremptorily laid 1t aside. Now that does ot contemplate the final dis position of the question. If it did you could debate 1t, it is simply that the Convention will not a present consider 1t, will lay it aside temporarily. If you have any order of business under which 1t can be reached, whenever you strike that order of business you can move to take from the table. There is no such standing order under Rule 2, but under Rule 30 you can when a certain matter Is reached, or at any time the Convention may see proper. It would rot thwart business, but aid business, and thereby permit the Convention to expedite its own business. which un- derstand to be the purpose of the rule.
 Mir. Ashcraft-Section 57 of Roberts rules of order, an old edition. says:
 Instead of postponing a question to a particular time, 1t may be desired to lay it aside temporarily until some other question is disposed of, retaining the privilege of resuming it's considera- tion at any time.'' -s
 Section 2 in the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order. speaking of the motion to reconsider, says:
 When debatable, it (the previous question) opens up for discussion the entire subject to De reconsidered and the previous question, if ordered while it is pending, affects only the motion to reconsider. It can be laid on the ta- pie, in which case the reconsideration. ike any other question can be taken from the table, but possesses no privi- iese. The motion to reconsider being iald on the table does not carry with 1t the pending measure"
 In Section 1270 of the unabridged work of Cushing on the Law and Prac- tice of Legislative Assemblies, the principle is laid down that The mo- ton to reconsider. though relating to the same subject already considered. ls' Tn a parliamentary sense. a new one eotn rom motion to rescind the Iormer vote and from the subject of 1t"
 Mir. Wilson (Clarke)-Do you contend that under Rule 30 that a new matter may not be made the special order for any hour.
 MT. Ashcraft-I contend under Rule 50, without a suspension of the rules no motion can be made that will su- persede the special order. He under takes to take from the table a motion to reconsider which is entirely new matter. It is not in order because |, IS not matter before the Convention. It IS not matter on the Presidents ts- nle' and therefore until he can get to omat polnt. Rule 30 does not apply to it. Ihat Is the point, and the reason of the rule and why a motion is made to reconsider and lie on the table ia ex- blamed in the same section of Robert's Rules Of Order as follows: "In Con sress It Is usual for the members in charge or an important bill as soon as It passes to move it's, reconsideratio ana at the same time to move that tba motion to reconsider be laid on tbe +o- pie. If the latter motion is adopted if !s deemed finality, as the nu,rber op oills on the calendar precludes ifs ever oeins taken up except by a two-thirds vote. But this Is not so in an ordinary society"
 1nat IS exactly what we have here.
 ne seeks oy indirection to suspend the rule and get new matter before this convention which he admits is mt in order by the very device of sa ayInp r VIII make motion today to make mat ter which is not before this Conven- tIoh the special order for tomorrow mat IS the point which I hope I have peen able to make clear
 MT Wilson CClarke)-In answer to that which he read from Roberts Rules or Order the President will see in Reeds Parliamentary Rul: that Reed says that that is anomaly in the House ct Representatives; that is, a motien to reconsider a motion to table cannot be taken from the table
 
 Congress-
 MT Ashcraft-Cushing says that 1t Is peculiar to all legislative assemblies; that there is no reason for 1t in certain other classe of societies, but as 10 legislative assemblies, 1t Is a necessity in the natural order of things.
 The President-Tne Chair will sug- gest this to the gentleman from Lau- derdale: When the report of any of the standing committees comes before the Convention. the report of the Commit tee on Suffrage and Elections, for instance. the regular or der would be for that report to lie on the table, and be printed and have in the practice of the Convention entertained the molten that reports of these committees should be made spe- cial orders. w hen the report of the Committee on Executive Department came in, the Chairman moved that 1t be made the special order for consider ation immediately after the call of the roll of standing committees. The same practice was pursued with ref erence to the report of the Committee on Legislative Department and other reports of standing committees.
 MT. Ashcraft-I am sorry I was not able to make myself understood by the President. These are matters on the Presidents table, and matters in the GUS tody of this Convention and provid- ed for by Rule 30. But take this illus tration: Suppose while the House had under consideration a report of a standing committee, that 1 should pro- pose an ordinance. and the point was raised that the introduction of the or dinance was not then in order, because the House was then considering the re- port of a standing comm ttee, could then evade the rule and be heard to move that I be allowed tCs introduce the ordinance tomorrow? My proposition to introduce the ordinance does not make it matter before the House, and Rule 30 does not attach to the effort The proposition to introduce and the motion to fix time when I may in- troduce are both out of order, because the regular order is under considera- tion, and 1 would have no right to dis place the regular order with either mo- tion. because it is not a matter be- fore the House. Whenever any reso- lution or ordinance gets on the Pres tdent's daSk ar in n, ffer words has