The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-02-19
Committee VS.. Jim Tillman.

In the senate Thursday Mr.. Blake
ney, for the committee on rules, asked
leave to insert in the journal the
reasons actuating the committee in
deciding in response to request for
an opinion, that 60 a motion to postpone
indefinitely is open to debate under
Rule IA of the senate. The presiding
officer.replied that the committee had
permission to insert in the journal all
of Jefferson's Manual, Cushing's
Manual, or the Marquis of Queensbury
rules if it so desired. The committee
did not avail itself of this privilege,
however, but prepared the following
clear and pointed statement, which
will appear in the senate journal
today:
By resolution of the senate, it was
referred to the committee on rules to
consider and report whether or not
motion "to postpone indefinitely" is
debatable under Rule IA of the senate.
The committee reported that the said
mption is debatable under the rule
and this report was unanimously
adopted by the senate. Whereupon the
president, to sustain the previous rul-
ing of the chair, which was at variance
with the report of the committee, says
in the journal as follows: seS
"The chair respectfully cites the
committee to Jefferson's Manual and
heartily commends it to the commit
tee on rules for diligent study.
Of course the Interpretation placed
on the rule by the committee on rules
will be henceforth observed, however
much at variance it may be with par
liamentary law" sssssS
The committee on rules takes no
pleasure in antagonizing any ruling of
the chair, but it will not shirk its
duty in reporting upon any matter
referred to it. ss1
Rule IA provides eight motions that
may be entertained when a question
is under debate, "the first four of
which shall be determined without
debate - The motion to postpone
indefinitely is No. 5 of said motions
and therefore comes within the same
category as motion tto amend,' or
''to strike out the enacting clause. "
Not being one of the first four motions
that are to be decided without debate,
the motion "to postpone indefinitely"
is necessarily debatable in the absence
of any other rule of the senate to the
contrary. There is no such rule.
Therefore, "expressio unius, exclu-
sio alterius. -
The rule IA was amended at the ses-
sion of 1901 (See senate journal, page
164, so as to make the motion in ques-
tion debatable to meet the then ruling
of the chair. This amendment was
necessary, because a motion ''to post
pone indefnitely'' is strictly motion
on the merits. Subsequent to the
adoption of the amendment at the
last session, the present presiding Off
Ger of the senate allowed the motion in
question to be debated See senate
journal 1901, pages 1S9 and 395).
Now. however, the rule as amended is
ruled non-debatable and Jefferson's
Manual is cited as authority.
Under rule ~ of the senate, Jeffer-
sons Manual governs only in cases not
embraced in the rules of the senate.
AS shown, this question is so en-
braced, but a '1diligent study Of
Jeffersons' Manual only sustains the
report of the committee. 1t is need
less to quote, but see Jeferson's Man
ual, rule %, page 14S: also see rules
U. S. house Of representatives, page
240, rule 26, subdivision 4, under
heading debate. - This is also con-
frmed on pages 369 and 373, under
heading, postpone" On page 46S,
we find. "On motion to postpone in
definitely the whole question is open
to debate. - Nowhere in Mr.. Jeffer-
sons works, as complied by resolution
of the United States house of repre-
sentatives, do we find that Il motion
to postpone Indefinitely is not debata
BILE.
W. S. Blakeney,