Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-23
Orders of the Dav.

Mr.. STAPLES of Knox: Mr.. Presi-
dent: | move that the rules be sus
pended so that all bills may he refer
red to a committee of the whole.
Mr.. MILLIKEN of Aroostook: Mr..
President: DO 1 understand by these
motions that there is to be no refer
ence OF any matters to committees?
Mr.. STAPLES: Except to a COM
mittee of the whole.
Mr.. MILLIkEN: And may I ask
the Senator whether the committee OF
the whole is to be simply the Senate
sitting under the same rules and hear
ing discussion, or whether it is tech
nieally committee of the whole as
contemplated by Reeds rules?
Mr.. STAPLES: I understand the
whole of the members of the Senate
are the committee.
Mr.. MILLIkEN: Mr.. President, as
I understand the situation we are OBJ
liged to return here a week from next
Tuesday to vote for United States
senator.
Mr.. STAPLES: l understand so.
Mr.. MILLIkEN: Mr. President:
think the members of the Senate will
bear me witness that it has never
been my desire to inject any techni-
calities or distractions of any nature
into matters of business. And ii is
my feeling now that all these matters
should be considered, taken up man.
fashion and debated without any re-
sort to unfair tactics.
When the suggestion was made yes
terday, by the Senator from Knox, in
n proper manner, that he, today
would ask for a suspension of the
rules, in order to avoid the reference
of these important matters to com
mittees and public hearings and re-
port to the Legislature in the usual
form, ii seemed to me that the action
was unwise. but in view of the fact
that l understood the plan of the adj
ministration was to get through with
this session and get away, next Tues
day or Wednesday, 1t did not seem
wise to object.
But it seems to me, Mr.. President,
that the situation, this morning, is
entirely different. We find ourselves
now Obliged to continue the session Of
this Legislature, this special session,
until a week from "Wednesday. There
is ample time, next week. as every
senator knows, to have these four i'm
portant administration matters heard
by committees in the usual way. re-
ported back 10 the Senate and House
discussed and disposed of. And we
then would be able to adjourn by
Wednesday April 3, the date We are
obliged to adjourn, anyway.
There are two reasons why it seems
to me it is uuwise, in view of the fact
that we have an idle week ahead of
us, to insist upon this extraordinary
procedure. The most important rea-
son is that this procedure will deprive
every man outside of the Legislature
from being heard. l submit, without
arguing the point further, that it is
unwise, in my Judgment, that meas
ures of so great Importance as to war
rant the calling of a special session
by the Governor of this Legislature.
be railroaded through here without
giving the public outside an oppor
tunity to be heard.
The next reason, and one that ap-
peals to me as important, is that mem
bers of the Legislature themselves
| have had very little opportunity to
| consider these matters. l assume that
! they have been duly considered in
Democratic caucuses but the rest of
| us have not had much opportunity to
peruse the bills, and, in fact, I I'M