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


cd upon the measure submitted by that
committee. under Rule l.. which has
teen invoked, il is necessary that the
substance Of the report, and the sub
stance OF the resolve accompanying K
shall be put to tie House so that. when
we vote upon that committee report.
We may know exactly what We are
voting upon.
1 submit that Rule Il in plain tern
conte.nplates informing this Senate Of
the substance Of matters when they
are first Introduced. II reads that ''ev-
cry paper shall be once read at the
table before any senator shall be oblig-
ed 10 vote upon it," This paper was
voted upon in substance when the con-
-nttee report vas submitted here. and
acted uron when that report came in.
Had it been the desire Of the Senate to
act UPON il without having il printed.
L must necessarily have been read II
the Senate. q We would not have
known what We We're acting upon. /
submit that Rule Il applies clearly 10
the reading OF the paper at that time,
when it is reported from the commit
tee. The word paper is used advised
= -
report" 1t IS a comprehensive and dis
tinct ternl-"raneT Any matter com
ing into The senate must Be read be-
fore We snail be obliged to act upon
il. If It Is introduced il the form OF
an order. ii must be read; and if It
comes from a committee and We are
asked 70 Vote upon the report Of that
committee. il must then and there be
l. IN
10 the legislative progress. Legislature
progress demands a first readng-thac
IS Il term applied 70 steD-a progress
sive step. Il does not relate TO. and is
not in any sense controlled by Rule
y. Under the joint rules Of the House
and Senate which in fact control US. as
we'll as cur Other rules. YOU find Rule
10 Every bill or resolve reported n
either House by committee, and laid
upon the table shall he printed and dis
tributed in both Houses before having
its first reading" That, I submit.
brings the matter up in its joint rela-
ton. That contemplates giving notice
TO the House.
Now. in fact, this particular measure
came before US in the form of report.
without an attempt to act then. there
ing lis reading. il was laid upon the
table to h. printed: and it was printed.
The House was informed Of il: and the
reason Of Rule l. did not apply.
No senator here needed To be told
what was in that bill. He had seen it.
Il had been put upon his desk. II Re
had desired 10 know what was in it. lie
could have asked for its reading before
7sr,i- -
II is falsn and constrained
deduction of that rule 10 ask tina; i shall
enter in here and become a part Of ou.
parliamentary progression. II am right
IN my attitude toward thu matter. Rue
Il does not apply. RUE !. does nothing
more than give the Senate a right to
have any paper submitted ana read. II
gives a right to the Senate to taxi il into
its hands and consider it; and this right
had been exercised under the joint rules:
and that paper was within our knowl-
edge.
Now. upon that question, it having been
established: First that our rules con-
troll Us: second. that Reeds Rules and
Cushings Manual control US. l wish to
/ offer to the Senate from Cushings Nan
ual, which has Teen brought into this
discussion. the following paragraph 1t
is found on Page S33 Section 2lGi: "Ac-
cording to the modern practice. each of
the different steps in the progress OF a
bill can only be taken IN pursuance of Z
motion regularly made and seconded. or
supposed u BE- 50. and resolved in the
affirmative by the House: and If. at any
point in the regular course, the proper
motion for proceeding with the bill is
| not made. it remains precisely in the
state in which it is thus left. Thus. when
bill is received. it is laid on the table
and remains there without being read
until a motion is made for the first read
iIs: so. when bill has been read the
first time. no further proceeding takes
place. as matter of course but a motion
must be made ard seconded for the sec
ond reading. All the other proceedings
must in like manner. be instituted By
motions regularly made and seconded.
without any interference or direction on
the part of the Speaker. II the proper
motion for proceedings with a bill. at each
Of its several stages. Is not regularly
made. the bill Is said TO be dror?ed
This. gentlemen. is according to mod
ern practice, and not ancient: So then
a bill has heen read the first time and no
further proceeding takes place. a. a mat
ter OF course, a motion must be made and
seconded for its second reading and 9TH
er proceedings must. in like manner, be
instituted by motions regularly made and
seconded. without any interference or d.
rection On the part OF the Speaker.
I submit that under this section OF
Gushing it is evidently modern practice
that these stages must be had by motion
Coming down directly to this question
that Is before US. this Is an abstract Of