The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-01

reported favorably, and the Committee reports adversely to this resolution only l Tor the reason that Its subject matter
 is fully covered by the resolution of
 Mir. Neal. Said resolution No. S2, in-
 troduced by Mir. Oates, reads as fol- lows:
 | Resolved, That the present Consti-
 tuition shall be the basis for action by
 this Convention and sll of it's provisions
 which are not abrogated by repeal nor
 amended shall be and remain parts of
 the new Constitution.
 The Committee reports favorably to
 resolution No. 76 introduced Dy Mir.
 Proctor of Jackson, and recommends
 its adoption by the Convention. Said
 resolution reads as follows:
 Resolved. That the reading each day
 or the Journal of this Convention be
 dispensed with unless the same is de-
 manded by the Convention. The Committee reports fayorably to
 resolution No. so, introduced by MT.
 Reese of Daitk,s, and recommends it's | adoption by the Convention. Said
 resolution reaos as follows: l Resolved, That Ruls 27 be and is
 hereby amended as follows. by adding
 at the end thereof the following words:
 Provided, that any vote taken on
 the last day of the session of this Con- vention may be reconsidered on same day."
 The Committee reports adversely to l resolution No. 50. introduced by MT.
 Henderson of Pike. and recommends that 1t be not adopted by the Conven- ton, for the reason that Resolution l No. fl, introduced by MT. Altman of Sumter, covers the same matter and has been favorably reported. Said res- | olution reads as follows: 1 Resolved. That 300 copies of ,the present Constitution be printed for the | use of members of this Convention. The said resolutions hereinabove re- ferred to are herewith returned to the Convention.
 MT. Pettus-It seems to me that the | resolution reported by the Committee | on RL. es and offered by the gentleman from Lauderdale, MT. O'Neal, is very | important, and as do not fully un-
 derstand it, should like to have that | part of the report read over again or
 l would call for division of the report | so that l can vote separately on that | proposition.
 The President-which do you want?
 MT. Pettus-I call for the reading | first.
 The clerk read the part of the report referred to.
 MT. Blackwell-I would like to ask a question. Is not the present constitu- | ton. the Constitution of the State of Alabama until we make a new one without adopting resolution to that effect.
 The President-Does the delegate ask | that question of the Chair? MT. Blackwell-Yes, sir. The Presidential the opinion of the | Chair, the constitution now in force VIII continue in force until it is repealed
 or new constitution adopted. MT. Sollie-But for the fact that side issues are being brought in I would not make the point of order, am about | to make. We axe proceeding with the
 roll call of members for the purpose
 Of the introduction of ordinances, reso-
 lutions, etc., and the reports of com | mittees, either standing or special are I out of order.
 Mir. Wilson (Clark. .)-Under the
 rules, the Committee on Rules can re- | port at any time. I desire to offer a
 substitute for the proposition of the | gentleman from Lauderdale and I ask | that it be read.
 MT. White-May inquire MT. Chair
 man if I had not the floor. The President-The Chair had recog- nized the gentleman from Clark. MT. White--I understand that, but I
 understood only for the purpose of
 making point of order MT. Wilson, rose before the gen.
 tleman from Dale interposed a point
 of order and I rose to offer a substi- l ute.
 l The President-When the Chair 1 recognized the gentleman from Jeffer-
 son he supposed the gentleman from Clark had taken his seat, but found
 that he had not.
 The substitute offered by MT. Wilson | CClark) was read as follows: | Resolved by the convention that each | committee report to the convention the | article or section of the present consti-
 tuition which it is proper for said com-
 mittee to consider as to which no
 amendment has been proposed and which in the judgment of the committe having charge of the article or section | should not be amended. The President-The question is on the adoption of the substitute. MT. Wilson (Clark)-I favor the | reason for the resolution proposed by the gentleman from Lauderdale, but it has occurred to me that his resolution | was not certain enough to enable the convention to decide as to what mat ters in the judgment of the convention
 
 not be. It seems to me the only direct way to get at the matter is for each committee to take up the matter of which it has jurisdiction and consider the article and report back to the con- vention all of the sections in that article as to which no amendment is pending and as to which in the judg- ment of the committee no amendment should be proposed and report that matter back to the convention, then leave us to consider such matters as the committees think should be con sidered and such matters as gentlemen have proposed amendments to. That was my purpose in offering the substitute for the resolution.
 Mir. White-I much prefer the sub Stitute to the original resolution, but I am not prepared to say that I shall support that. It looks like now we are going to complicate ourselves very seriously by the adoption of this reso- lution or possibly by the adoption of the substitute. When we once adopt that, then that is the constitution, not by virtue of the fact that it is already the constitution but by virtue of our action in adopting it. Then we cannot amend that constitution after having so adopted it unless we suspend the opera tion of that resolution and we can only do that by giving notice of a.motion to reconsider it today and reconsider it tomorrow. In other words, it seems to me We tie our hands when we have once adopted that resolution; then the present constitution becomes the con- stitution which we are to adopt or it is