Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-10

"a Ahtlh6, JUST the SAME DIS IL u
mad come up yesterday or next Tuesday.
or any other day. I think the gentleman
ought to be shown the courtesy, and l
should be very sorry if the House did not
allow him to do that Any member here
might get caught any time, and l do not
think this is what my Brother Barnes has
in mind at ALL think he has mistaken
the position Of the gentleman from Lis
bon, Mr.. Clason, in making this request.
Mr.. ALLAN Of Portland: Mr.. Speaker
I understand that my brother from Lis
bon Falls has an important engagement
on another matter specially with the Gov
ernor, and inasmuch as he simply wants
to offer this amendment, have it printed
and perhaps assigned. it seems to me to
be only courtesy to him that permission
be given, rather than for the matter to
go over to some future time.
/ should be in favor of granting the
courtesy.
Mr.. BARNES Of Houlton: Mr. Speak
err, then 1 understand the rule will be
this session that until measures get
around to the final stage they can be
taken up Fridays. / want to be clear on
that. 1 am not in any wrong position
yet. and I do not propose to get into one
knowingly. Do 1 understand the rule to
be that through the various stages of
legislative action up to the final passage.
action may be insisted upon on Friday
morning?
The SPEAKER: The gentleman from
Houlton has stated the unwritten gentle
mems agreement that has been observed
in the Legislature, that in any matter
upon which there is any contest, or IN
any matter upon which there is diner
ence of opinion, no advantage Is to pe
taken by bringing it up Friday morning.
Mr.. COLE of Eliot: Mr.. Speaker
think perhaps it might be well for the
House to come to some tacit agreement
on this matter. and, while we would not
want to go on record by any vote on any
thing of the kind, l do not believe there
is any member here who would take any
advantage in trying to push through
either some special legislation on when
there might be question or any
legislation of public interest on
Friday mornings or on Saturday
mornings when Saturday morning scS-
sions are held in order to expedite
business; but, as | understand, any
matter, even Of public interest COM
ing through in the regular order OF
business. whether on a Thursday, Fri
day or Saturday morning. can have
an amendment offered to it, and the
gentleman who offers the amendment
must have manhood enough when ne
offers his amendment, to give the 9th
H. LOT n
portunity to look into that. So, if
we should have a session Saturday
morning, and there should only be a
bare quorum present these things
must come up off the table automatl-
cally in their order, and il a member
at that time wanted to offer an amend
ment, we should expect having offer
ed the amendment, he would immedi-
ately move to lay it upon the table
for consideration at some future time.
If he did that, he would simply be
/ keeping his gontleman's agreement
and. at the same time. preserving his
rights in order to offer +he amend
ment: for, if he did not do that it
would get past him anyway. and he
would either lave to lay it on the
table at that time and offer his amend
ment sometime later and stop business,
or he could offer his amendment in
the regular course Of business and lay
the whole thing on the table, pending,
printing and pending the question of
assignment for consideration of his
amendment. II seems to me that is
as far as the gentlemen's agreement
goes.
Take the matter of majority and mi
nority reports. There is no member
here, having an amendment who
would think of having those reports
taken up and considered on Friday
morning or Saturday morning: but Of
fering an amendment to bill on its
passage is a different proposition. That
is simply providing the necessary ma
chinery which shall be considered at
some future time. | do not see that
there is a thing out of the way if any
man wants to offer an amendment on
any bill in its passage through this
House, and if it happens to come up on
Friday morning. | do not see why he
has not the same opportunity to offer
his amendment at that time as he
would have to offer it Tuesday. pro-
vided he goes a step farther and moves
lNen 10 lay tHe Hitter on lne table
until he is sure the members will be
here.
He does not ask the passage of his
amendment on Friday morning. which
is a different proposition than if he at
tempted to take it up and let the whole
thing go through.
1t seems to me, Mr.. Speaker, that
we all ought to understand some gem
definite policy which is to be pursued.
If we understand that there is no con-
sideration of these matters and that
the general discussion for them should
not take place on these days without
notice to anybody, for it is soon coming
time when we cannot make any diff
ference between Friday and every 9TH
er morning, if we expect to get
through: but until that time comes
and some notice is served on US, it
seems to me that every member will
simply attempt to put in everything
he has to put in every morning, and
then lay the matter on the table. Every
person interested in the matter will
then have plenty of time in which to
investigate. and his rights will be fully
protected on some other morning than
Friday or Saturday.
Mr.. HARRINGTON of Augusta: Mr..
Speaker
The SPEAKER; Before the Chair