The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-21

their officiai duties. That is all 1 care to say on the subject. l submit that amendment. and call for the previous question on the section and the amend ment, and call for the ayes and noes.
 MT. Jackson--I would like to suggest to the gentleman that he amend his amendment by striking out the words General Assembly and inserting in lieu thereof Legislature.
 Mir. Brooks-If I have a right to do so. will do 1t.
 Unanimous consent was given. and the amendment allowed.
 Mir. Brooks-I call for the ayes and noes. @
 The call was not sustained.
 The President-The question is on the call for the previous question, on the section and the amendment. The question is. shall the main question bs now put?
 Upon 8 vote being taken. division was called for.
 MT. White-I rise to point of order. The ayes and noes were ordered.
 The President-The call was not sus- tained.
 Upon the division by vote of fifty noes and thirty-two ayes. the motion for the previous question was lost.
 Mir. Coleman (Greene)-If it is not out of order, I wish to say when . question of this importance is intro- duced before this Convention and dis cussed in a tone of voice that all of us cannot hear, and we do not know what we are voting upon, to move the previous question under such circum- stances. does great injustice to the members of this Convention who de- sire to know and understand the Ques- tions they are voting upon. An im- portant question like this ought to be examined. and we ought to have an opportunity to read it. I sent up to the Secretary to try and get the amend ment to ascertain what was in 1t, but under the circumstances he could not let me have it. I move, if it is in or- der. that this question be postponed, to be taken up and considered in con- nection with the ordinance that was introduced this morning and referred to the committee.
 The President--Does the gentleman from Greene direct his motion to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Mobile?
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-Yes, sir.
 Upon a vote being taken. the motion to postpone consideration was carried.
 MT. oates-I move the adoption of the section.
 A'vote was taken. and Section S9 was adopted.
 Section 40 was read as follows:
 Sec. 70. The offense of corrupt solic- itation of members of the Legislature or of public officers of this State or of any municipal division thereof and any occupation or practice of solicitation of such members or officers to influence their official action. shall be defined by law. and shall be punished by fine and Imprisonment in the penitentiary, and the Legislature shall provide for the trial and punishment. of the offenses enumerated in the two preceding sec- tions. and shall require the judges to give the same specially in charge to the grand juries in all the counties of this State.
 Mir. Oates-The amendments to the section as 1t stands in the present Con- stitution are plain. and l presume that every one who has read it understand 1t. and I move the adoption of the sec- tion.
 A vote was taken and the section adopted.
 MT. Long Cwaiker)-I ask permission to introduce a short resolution, to be referred to the proper committee.
 Objection was made to the resolution.
 MT. Long (Walker)-I move that the rules be suspended and that the reso- lution be read.
 Upon a vote being taken. the rules were suspended and the resolution read as follows:
 Resolution by MT. Long (Walker):
 Various threatening suiphuric fumes have arisen In this Convention to such an extent as to make conservative and thoughtful members apprehensive of their safety in the future. therefore be it
 Resolved, That immediately after the passage of this resolution, the Ser geant at arms be, and he is hereby, or- dered to close the doors of this hall, and to search the person, desk and room or each delegate for railroad passes, pis- tols, dirks, brass-knucks and razors, and to deliver them forthwith to the secretary; all such articles so found to be sold by the secretary to the high est bidder the proceeds of the same to be paid into the State treasury. in the interest of harmony and good govern ment.
 MT. Oates-Just now, when Section ~ was adopted, it escaped me that an amendment, which was adopted, in the first line of Section 38, struck out the words corruptly, which Is repeated in Section 40. and, in order that they may correspond. I move to reconsider the vote by which Section 40 was adopt ed with a view of striking out that word I move a suspension of the rules for the reconsideration.
 The rules were suspended. and ths motion to reconsider prevailed.
 MT. Oates-I move to amend by strik- ing out the word corrupt" in the first line of Section 10, to correspond with Section 3S.
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-I think we should move with more care on this matter. Read that section: 'The of fense of corrupt solicitation" Read 1t without the word corrupt" and you have the offense of solicitation. What does that mean. to solicit or to ask. members of the legislature or public officers of this State or of any muni- cipal division thereof, and any occu- patton or practice of solicitation Of such members or officers to influence their official action.' You cannot ask a members of board of town, or of the legislature and you cannot solicit him in any way. When you ask him to do anything it is for the purpose Of influencing his action. You cannot ap- proach him with argument or reasons and it seems to me we are going too far in this mltter. Now everything that ought to be covered has been con- sidered and we have gone as far as is Is right and proper to go in the adop- tion of Section 3S. hubTyou9 could not under this amendment even advocate the measure before a Committee. or a member of a hoard without subJecting yourself to prosecution. l therefore move to lay the amendment upon the