Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-21

the presiding officer shall at once
state the motion to the Senate, and
the following calendar day but one.
he shall lay the motion before the
Senate and direct that the Secretary
call the roll, and, upon the ascertain
ment that q quorum is present, the
presiding officer shall. without debate,
submit to the Senate by an aye-and-
nay vote the question:
Is 1t the sense of the Senate that
close?'
And if that question shall be de-
cided in the affirmative by a two
thirds vote of those voting. then said
measure shall be the unfinished bust
ness to the exclusion of all other
business until disposed of.
thereafter no Senator shall be en-
titled to speak in all more than one
hour on the pending measure, the
amendments thereto. and motions af-
lecting the same, and it shall be the
duty OF the presiding officer to keep
the time of each Senator who speaks.
Except by unanimous consent. no
amendment shall be in order after the
vote to bring the debate to a close,
unless the same has been presented
and read prior to that time. No dila-
tory motion. or dilatory amendment,
or amendment not germane shall be
in order. Points of order, including
from the decision of the presiding Off
Ger. shall be decided without debate"
IL the motion signed by sixteen
Senators has not been presented to
the Vice President and there has been
a vote by the necessary two-thirds of
the Senate, conditions remain as they
were before this amendment. Then,
1t was the usual practice for the Sen
ator in charge Of a measure which
was under consideration and which
na 1rh ofn
was any express desire to do so, to
address the Senate and state that the
measure had been under consideration
for some time; that all the Senators
who had indicated to him a desire to
take part in the debate had done so
and that. as he was not aware of
desire on the part of any others to
ADDRESS the Senate upon it, to re-
quest that unanimous consent be
given that upon a day stated, the
Senate should proceed to the consid
GRAFTON of the pending measure and
all amendments thereto. and vote
thereon before adjournment upon that
calendar day: and that upon that day
speeches upon the measure should be
limited in time. If one Senator arose
and entered his objection the request
was denied.
Nothing, therefore. remained for
the Senator in charge of the bill but
70 renew his request at some later
ing granted. In the meantime the
measure being the unfinished business
of the Senate, automatically came up
for consideration when unfinished
business was reached: and if no Sen
ator wished to speak upon the bill
dent or presiding officer to put it to
q vote.
The power to defeat legislation
which any section of the Country be-
lieved to be injurious to its interests.
by protracted debate. was early
seized upon by Senators from that
section: and not necessarily by Sen
ators from any particular section, but
by minority, even though small
one. composed of Senators from diff
The Senators from the South be-
lieve that. by the exercise of this
power. they prevented the passage of
the Force Bill, and Senators from
other sections of the country of long
experience and broad craftsmanship
assert that. while there have been
vexatious delays. upon the whole the
absence of the power to close debate
has served very useful purpose. and
that never in the history of the Coun-
try has measure in which the Ma
tion as whole was deeply interested
been defeated.
In order to successfully exercise
this power 1t was only necessary that
a group of three or four Senator'S of
strong physical condition and pos
band together.
Senator La Follette. in the closing
days Of a. session. was alone able to
keep the floor long enough to prevent
action upon measure which he de-
sired to defeat 7 recall one concrete
illustration of how this power was
used.
After the outbreak Of the European
War, it seemed to the then Secretary
Of the Treasury that the time was
rine and that this could be most Eff
fectualiN accomplished by establish
ing shipping board. A bill to this
effect was introduced and finally
ished business. All bills which are
introduced must be referred to Com
mittee for consideration and after
such consideration are reported o'the
Senate. The Chairman of the Com
moves to take it from the calendar
and to make it the unfinished bust
ness Of the Senate. Under its rules.
the first two hours of a daily session
are devoted to what is called Morn
ing Business" which is called for by
the presiding officer under different
headings. as the introduction Of petit
lions and memorials. reports of Com
mittees. bills and resolutions and
consideration OF bills upon the calen-
dar. etc. Senators, during this period.
present petitions which have been
sent to them, introduce bills and oc-
cupy considerable time in the inser-.
ton IN tho Congressional Record.
by unanimous consent, of newspaper
cjippings. editorials. addresses upon
ali kinds OF subjects; in fact. upon
almost anything, the necessary con-
sent being seldom refused. as all wish
to avail themselves of this privilege.
At O'Clock the Vice President an
nounces that morning business is
closed and lays before the Senate the
mca sure which. by vote OF the senate
has become the unfinished business
for that day or which has come over
from the preceding day. II no Sen,
ntor desires to speak upon the bill
and the Senator in charge OF the bill
does not move that the unfinished
business be temporarily laid aside the
pending measure automatically goes
to q vote. ,,,
The methods used to defeat the bill
70 create Shipping Board We're
those usually employed in n filthuster:
This bill had been referred to Conn.,
mjttee. reported back favorabiy and
had been made the unfinished bust
ness OF the Senate. 1t soon became
anna rent that there was good deal
Of opposition to it: but that. as the
Senate was constituted. II could he
nassed. the poll of the Senate dis
cinslnr that there would be a tie vote
.upon it. and it being known that the