The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-02

The senate convened At 1l:fS o'clock,
Governor Utter presiding
From the calendar was taken r rero-
luton providing for Constitutional
amendment. the indefinite postponement
OF which'was recommended by the spc cial
legislative committee. The bringing up of
the bill started the only semblance of a
discussion. which has been seen in the
senate this session.
Senator McI<enua said ne wished 70 call
attention 10 the fact that the report was
not unanimously adopted by the commit
tee and that while the members OF the
majority were doubtless pleased at the
disposition being made OF the bill, they or
their successors would hear from II again.
for the matter was Of too much import
ance 10 be given up
IL any party or person or persons would
| he authorized 20 solicit names %. 800 10
disturb the Constitution they would be
] very careful who they approached and
the persons who were Gpproache would
| carefully inquire why il was proposed 10
! change the Constitution os the state.
I feel assured that IL would not be an
easy matter 20 get our citizens TO sub
scribe their names 10 request for Il
change in our organic law without good
reasons
II mas Detn Sdld III IL n DfHpCIdNlS
measure and none but a Democrat would
present. Gentlemen do not deude your
selves In the state OF oregon, which is
Republican. the initiative and referendum
Is a law. IN the state Of Ohio. which gave
an overwhelming majority for Roosevelt.
the bill has become n law and IL Is about
To become law i'm Massachusetts
/ was given TO understand we could
have hearing on the 18th of this month
and notified my friends Last Tuesday IL
was voted TO report this act with recon-
mendation OF indefinite postponement. My
colleagues have cited kindly towards me.
but can readily understand why this bill
has been thus acted on.
II Is because the house OF this state has
stepepd i'm and ordered that no hearing
shall be given. That is not the way
should he served or the way the people
| should be served. If this bill was passed
Il would abolish the political bone. II
| would give the people some OF their
| rights.
your successors will hear from this bill
| again.
BELIEVED IN HEARING.
Senator Remington Of Central Falls
said: | am sorry to see the committee did
not NJ 20 give a hearing on this mat
| ter because there are number who have
| petitioned for a hearing, and TO let them
be heard. ! move the bill be recommitted
| to the committee for further considerH-
| tion.
Senator Potter of scituate seconded the
motion.
Senator White chairman Of the special
| legislation committee. spoke I'm opposition
to recommitment OF the measure. He
said what had taken place I'm regard 10
a hearing was that Senator McKenna had
suggested that a hearing he had on Feb,
- l. 1,n NVfta
the matter before the committee This
had been done and the committee had de-
cided on the action taken. He moved 10
Iav on the table Senator Remington's mo-
tion 10 reCommit
Senator Remington asked permission 20
inquire ~ the senator from North smith
field n he had not been Informed by Gen
ersl Charles r. Brayton thar the bill was
approved by 90 per cent OF the people
and advised as 10 It's disposition.
The motion 10 recommit on yea and
nay vote. was lost.
MIR. MORGAN OPPOSED.
Mr. Morgan hoped the bill would be in
definitely postponed. because IL proposed
to do away with the sanest section IN our
Constitution and was I'm the line Of retro
sression.
You might a. we'll SOY five signatures rs
5000. Any one can get 1000 signatures. II
is only a question OF little moro physical
labor
Suppose we submit measure after meas
ure and when some interested person
brings the matter into the court IL is dis
| covered the signatures are fraudulent We
now have what our fathers struggled for
the staple form Of government which We
have today.
II va put this matttr into effect it will
not wipe us out. Rhode Island Will stil
exist but We want our constitution as II
s we want the staple government We
now have The referendum we have not
much objection as referendum. We
sometimes use Il IN important questions.
n shifts the responsibility from tho legis-
lature 20 the people. who are willing 10
assume it
The constitution Of Rhode Island has n
constitution modelled 80 closely as possi-
bic on that of tho United states. From
the standpoint Of a citizen. q political
! economist and lawyer I feel that this
constitution of this state Is one 20 be
proud OF The man who drew the constitu-
tion OF The United states and of this state
| vas "A mortar workman and / for one do