The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-13
MT. Sanford ( PIke)-rt occur. |

| aas in that connection that the same rule would apply 10 the @..ole re- pot as would apply to any sectlon that l was being considered section by sec- ton. The committee proposes an en- tire report, the minority or the commit tee proposes an amendment to the ma Jority report or the report of the com mittee, and the gentleman from Jeff rerson proposes a substitute for the en- tire repor.. That being the case, 1t 1 would De proper, 1t seems to me, for the Convention to consider, first, the substitute, then the amendment, and | then the report unuer our ruIes. MT. Harrison--I submit in the ab- sence of a rule, the general parliament tary law applies There was a minor- ity report. The majority have a right to perfect their report 50 the Conven- tion could judge between that report perfected and the minority report.
 MT. Rogers (Sumter)-What would become of the substitute?
 Mir. Harrison-After the original re- port has been acted upon, that will be acted upon.
 Mir. Rogers-If the majority report Is perfected, as he says, there would be no necessity for a substitute.
 l The Presidcnt-The general parlia- mentary rule Is that the friends of the measure have right to perfect it by l amendment before substitutes for the entire Article would be in order.
 Mir. Oates-I rise for the purpose of concurring in the statement of the gen. ] tieman from Lee with this exception. l 1t is owing to the nature of the amend | ment pending by way of minority re- port. Suppose it is in hostility to the majority report; it could not be said a perfect measure, and 1t is only where it offers an amendment to a portion of l 1t, to a part, and that is for the pre- siding officer to decide. whether it goes .l to the whole or not. If only to DOT tion of it, I concur with him; If not, then a substitute for the whole thing would be in order.
 MT. Cobb--It does seem to me that there is no possible difficulty in this matter. As stated by the chair. 1t is a universal proposition of parliamentary law that the friends of the measure have the right first to perfect it before anything is allowed to attack tt-espe- cially when that comes from the con- mittee of the body. Now,in order to perfect this matter. you have to dis pose of the original report and. the amendments to that original report. All must be disposed of before the meas ure can be said to be perfected, and my friend from Montgomery is entirely wrong when he asserts the proposition that there is anything to the contrary. I do not care whether it goes to any part or not. 1t is part of the report of the committee having this in hand. You first consider the majority report, then you take up the minority report and see what you will do with them, accept item or reject them, and when- ever you have accepted or rejected them, then there is before this body a perfected report of this committee, and then l. Is open to attack by anybody either in sections or as a whole. Un- til 1t is perfected, these other motions whether addressed to sectior6 or to the whole, are out of order.
 Mir. Howell-I rise to a question of parliamentary inquiry.
 The President-The gentleman will state his parliamentary inquiry.
 MT. Howell-Does a minority report of committee to a majority report stand the same relation as an amend ment to the main question?
 The President-Minority reports arc treated as amendments.
 MT. Howell--Is it not in order. Ii that be the case, to entertain the in troduction of a substitute for both the main question and the amendment?
 The President-Minority reports re late to amendments 10 particular sec tions only. Does the gentleman from
 Jefferson desire to be heard further or the point of order?
 Mir. Cornwell--I don't see how thi' substitute l am offering can come ir and be considered section by sectior
 when we are considering the commit
 tees report; we take the committee' report, and there are two, of them; 1T
 fact, there are three, but one especially
 readopts the present Article Of oui Constitution. Suppose the Convention
 should adopt that, what do you suppose would be done with the majority repor' then? You have covered the entire
 ground that the committee Is suppose to look after; then my substitute has no place in the Conven ton. It / would be no good. or
 the other hand. to offer substitute
 after the report has been adopted bI
 this Committee, what grounds would have then to introduce it? This mi
 norIty report is entirely different iron
 the majority report, because the mi nority report covers the entire article and there. is nothing left, yet 1t Il
 signed by two men recommending th'
 adoption of the present article in th' present Constitution. If you adopt thu majority report, then what will be come of this minority report recon mendation, and if you adopt either on'
 or the other. what becomes of the sub stitute? The Convention ought t
 have the right to consider that suostr ute, 1t strikes me. before either one otherwise the substitute is Of no forc' or effect.
 . Mir. White-This thought occurs t' me, not being a parliamentarian, bu
 as suggested by some, that the Com mittee has the right to go on and per feet its measure.
 . The President-That is undoubtedl. the rule.
 . MT. White-If that is true, where il the reason for going on and perfectinI . a measure which may be displaced fo d substitute2 The President-The substitute Is of fered because the party who offers l | supposes the measure is imperfect an' needs improvement by the adoption o | the substitute. The friends of tn , measure. before that question Is tested have the right to perfect their meas
 ure by amendment.
 l MT White-Then. when would tn substitute be in order?
 r The President-As soon a s the friend r of the measure have perfected it b, . amendment.
 MT. White-When will we know that ? The President-You will know tha 8 as soon as they cease to offer amend T ments.
 . Mr. White-It seems to me that wit ! this, like everything else, that the sub e stitute ought to be considered first.