Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-20

the record upon which this question WIS
determined: after the discussion as u
what the status OF the bill was, this que5-
ton was preferred to the President: Mr.
President. lid l understand the Chair to
state that the first reading Of the bin
was not a matter that went forward by
notion To be sure it is our habit to
do these things a q matter of practice.
but as a matter Of fact would It NJ. re-
quIle the vote Of the Senate that il
should be given its first reading:
The FRESIDENT-Certain
And unon that question and rep,y. Or
that ruling. z motion was understood for
the FIRST reading Of the bill and that mo-
ton was denied. It has been suggested
that whatever have attached ID the bill
as the result OF tha- was lo-t bccalse of
the motion CT the senator tr5rn Kennebec
y 10 indefinitely postponed. Whether Or
rot that motion was essential. he fact
is that what the Senate lid was done. /.
vas not within the power II a friend or
an enemy CT this measure to take away
from it its force and effect. The friends
If the bill were conscious that this had
in all probability beer iost-.hat this
measure could only he reached bv one
Of twc parliamentary proceedings which
have suggested. Z recors Iteration. Or
acton Of the House; and that is demon
strated fully By the fact that or Satur-
day morning. when 4 motion 10 recon
slider could be made. a senator friendly
10 this measure moved to take q recess
for the purpose of continuing tho parlia-
mentary day and to have the motion 70
reconsider filed The motion vas not
| fled on tie parliamentary day allowed
.. for it; but they did corsside: It necessary
70 file q motion 10 reconsider. regarding
il Of irnpor Cance. as s evident 10 ever
member of this Senate; and was so when
o. Saturday morning. after we had
adopted the usual order relating 10 adj
tournament to sd P ". 4Iondar. therc
came the motion to take a recess vnicil
in effect continued the legislative day
until then.
| submit that in neither instance
whether for my contention or against i.
does their action go 10 the mel; ot ii:
but | do ask that the Senate should not
allow II. because d motion was made 70
indefinitely postpone, TO in any sense d.
tract from the justice Of our argument.
Another fact. When bill comes here
for its first reading and 6 motion * un7
derstood b. the ChaiT-and let me SAL
here that the habit Of understanding mo-
tons by the Char and putting them is 4
logical grow tn Of parliamentary proceed
ure Two or three hundred years ago.
when the Angio-SaXnn raca first began
TO create parliame ntary procedure. and IL
began to take form. rren were not etl,r-
Gated iii respect to parliamentary yrD-
cedure and coming together We're pro
SIDED over, as We are, by a man learned
In the law: and il was the dut,- If that
man to shape discussion by framing
utstiors ana motions. As time mo
gressed. and average intelligence grey
greater. this habit fell into disuse. until
We come to tn present time when mo
tto's are supposed to be prepared from
the floor. and are. in fact-that there +
left This rehc Of the olden days. % thlt
motions are understood
Now this question Of first reading
comes to US in this form. in this partic-
riar oil-dnd this is as well for the
purpose Of illustration, as any other bill
II Is laid on the table. printed ana the
Senate informed OF its contents. 1.
comes up for consideration upon ths
question whether we shall adopt the re-
port Of the committee. and after discus
sion the Senate decide to adopt that r.
Port ana Put this bill before them. What
Tor: To act upon it, 10 pass it or not to
pass. to dc what We please with it That
course was had. The bill was before IL
Now the President says. being before rs
We are perforce obliged TO give IL one of
It's parliamentary stages. He. by this
ruilrg' takes away from the people on
safeguard against hasty legislation. He
might as well say it did not require u
pass to be enacted. The rules as they
exist demand that every step should
Continued on Page Four)