The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-06
Patterson Matter Postponed.


 for tomorrow, so that it is probable that MT. Pattersons speech will be postponed until Wednesday,
 MT. Galilnger succeeded during the day in securing the fixing of a date for vot- ing on the shipping bill the hour named being Wednesday, the l4th inst, at D. m.
 day and Nr ,eltsr made speech In reply s,8.Ae a. 'rpMe bill. At tho oael- ing of the session ,he Senate adopted resolution reappointing former Senator Richard Olney as a member of the board of regents of the Smithsonian institution.
 Mir. Tillman presented and the Senate adopted resolution calling on the post master general for information as to tne number of postal clerks killed III raii- road accidents during the past liNe seais' and also asked how many steel cars are now used in the postal service and whetn- or the fatalities have been so great lh those cars as in other cars.
 Causes a Sensation.
 Mir. Patterson caused sensation oy ih- troducing and by having read the tolioW- ing resolutions; ,r,,toa ctates nroyfdes that the Senate or the limited States shall be composed or two sanators from each state, chosen py the Legislatures thereof and that each sen- ator shall have one vote and
 .,yvhereas each senator before assunl- inc the duties of his office Is requlreu ' .o solemnly swear and affirm that ne WIZ snnnort and defend the constitution or .na TTnited states, and that he will faith- fullv discharge the duties Of the olNce unon which he is about to enter; ana
 ssyvhereas because 1t was currently re- ,ortad that one or more democratic sen ators might vote upon a certain mat,er nending before the Senate contrary to lhe views of a majority of the body or demo cratic senator's, the democratic senators ,,,ere called to caucus upon such mat ters and. .,,-
 "Nvhereas. 1t was found at such caucus that said reports were correct and that certain democratic senators might Vote ar would vote contrary to the views or the said majority; and,
 aWhereas. thereupon the following res olutions were presented and adopted by more than two-thrds Of the senators present at said caucus; and.
 Caere were inserted the resolutions adonted by the democratic caucus)
 ..Whereas the apparent purpose of sald resolutions and actions was to improperly induce or coerce democratic senators who might believe that the best interests or inc country required the resolution or said treaty. ana WHO lHtitipit HSiu " " be their duty to vote for it's ratification into disregarding that part of their paths in which they declared that they would faithfully discharge the duties of the or fee of senator's; therefore, be 1t
 Violation of Constitution.
 ..Resolved. first, That such action by the said or any other caucus is in plain violation of the spirit and intent of the constitution of the United States.
 Second That for two-thirds or any number of the senators of any party to meet and declare that 1t shall be the duty of any senator to vote upon any question other than as his own convictions irnpel him, is in plain violation of the manifest intent and spirit of the constl- tuition all have sworn to uphold and de- fend.
 .Third. That the one vote the consti- tuition declares such senator shall have is his own vote, and not the vote of any other or of any number of senators, and for a senator to cast that one vote against his convictions of right and duty in the premises Is to disfranchise his state in the Senate, and to deprive 1t of the representation in that body the con stitution providing it shall have
 Fourth That when any number of senators. by combination or otherwise, undertake any species of coercion to in- duce other SendtOTS 10 vote, except as their judgment and conscience tell them, it is an invasion of the rights of state to equal representation with other states in the Senate, and is subservent of the rights of equal representation and the votes of its senators in the Senate that the constitution has provided for
 Fifth That the senator who permits anybody or other senator to declare and define for him what his duty is in the matter of his vote in the Senate, and who casts his vote in response to such inter- ference, votes. not as a senator from his own state, but as senator from other states, and he augments the power of the other states beyond that permitted by the constitution, and weakens and de- grades the power of his own state in the Senate in protection of the spirit of the constitution.
 Sixth, That for any senator to vote