LIMITATION OF DEBATE.
Mr. PURNELL moved to reconsider the or-
der, found on page 748 of the journal of de
bates, adopted on the seventh of July, in re-
lation to the limitation of debate.
The order read as follows :
"Ordered, That the time allowed each
member for debate on any question before the
convention be limited to thirty minutes; And
that no extension of time be granted except
by a vote of two-thirds of the members pres-
ent."
The motion to reconsider was agreed to.
The question recurred upon adopting the
order.
Mr. PURNELL moved to amend the order by
striking out all after the word "that," in the
first line, and inserting the words "the time
allowed each member for debate on any ques-
tion before the convention be limited to ten
minutes; that no extension of time be granted
except by a unanimous vote of the members
present."
Mr. CUSHING. I move to amend the amend-
ment by striking out the word "ten" and in-
serting the word "five."
Mr. PURNELL accepted the amendment.
Mr. BRISCOE. I move to strike out all that
part of the order which relates to the unani-
mous consent of the convention for the time
to be extended. It may be possible we may
want some information some time, which
cannot be given in five minutes.
Mr. DANIEL. I move to strike out the
words "unanimous vole," and insert "the
vote of two-thirds."
Mr. DENT. I move to insert "twenty" in-
stead of " five." Five minutes is certainly
too short a time to allow for any intelligent
expression of views upon any subject of im-
portance that may be presented to the con-
sideration of this body. It would amount to
a perfect stifling of debate. It seems to me
we better adopt some order preventing all
debate, rather than adopt the order which
is proposed, and which would be a mere
mockery. I do not suppose there are many
subjects which would lead gentlemen to make
extended speeches during the short period
which we will remain in session. I was at
least in hopes that we might he prepared to
go on under the rule under which we have
been acting for the last week or two. Very
few persons have occupied so much time as
has been allowed under the rule. There
has not been much time consumed in debate.
I think there is a general disposition to get
away from here as soon as it can be done with
credit to the body. I hope the debate will
not be restricted to five minutes, but that at
least twenty minutes will be allowed, which
is a very short time.
Mr. DANIEL. I will move ten minutes, if
that is voted down.
Mr. MILLER. I think: that the twenty-min- |
ute rule ought to be adopted. The gentle-
man who moved to insert five minutes instead
of ten, is, I believe, the only gentleman who
has occupied the full time since the adoption
of the thirty-minute rule.
Mr. THRUSTON moved the previous question,
which was seconded.
The question was upon ordering the main
question to be put.
Mr. CHAMBERS called for the yeas and nays
upon this question, which were ordered.
The question was then taken, by yeas and
nays, and resulted—yeas 34, nays 32—as
follows;
Teas—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbott, Annan, Audoun, Carter, Cunning-
ham, Cushing, Dellinger, Farrow, Galloway,
Hatch, Hebb, Hopkins, Hopper, Jones, of Ce-
cil, Keefer, Kennard, Mayhugh, McComas,
Mullikin, Murray, Negley, Nyman, Parker,
Pugh, Purnell, Robinette, Russell, Schley,
Smith, of Worcester, Sneary, Stirling, Thrus-
ton, Wooden—34.
Nays —Messrs. Belt, Billingsley, Blackiston,
Bond, Briscoe, Brown, Chambers, Daniel,
Dent, Ecker, Edelen, Gale, Hodson, Hoffman,
Hollyday, Horsey, Johnson, Larsh, Lee,
Mitchell, Miller, Morgan, Parran, Ridgely,
Smith, of Carroll, Stockbridge, Swope, Sykes,
Thomas, Turner, Valliant, Wickard—32,
The main question was accordingly or -
dered.
Mr. SMITH, of Carroll, when his name was
called, said: I do not think that five minutes
is sufficient time for gentlemen to express theft
views upon the vital and important subjects
which have been brought to the attention of
this convention. We have occupied an im-
mense deal of time in talking about inconsid-
erable matters in comparison with those be-
fore us, and there has been no objection to it.
I think if gentlemen will confine their re-
marks to the subjects under discussion, and
quit when they are done, we will get along
much better. I think the order ought to be
modified, and fifteen minutes ought to be in-
serted. And with a view to further amend
the proposition which has been offered, I vote
"no."
The question was upon the motion of Mr.
DENT to insert " twenty minutes," as the limit
of time for debate.
Upon this question Mr. MILLER called for
the yeas and nays, which were ordered.
The question was then taken, by yeas and
nays, and resulted—yeas 40, nays 27—as fol-
lows :
Yeas—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Audoun, Belt, Billingsley, Blackiston, Bond,
Briscoe, Brown, Carter, Chambers, Daniel,
Dellinger, Dent, Duvall, Ecker, Edelen, Gale,
Hodson, Hoffman, Hollyday, Hopkins, Hor-
sey, Johnson, Larsh, Lee, Mayhugh, Mitchell,
Miller, Morgan, Negley, Parker, Parran,
Ridgely, Smith, of Carroll, Sneary, Swope,
Sykes, Thomas, Turner, Valliant—40. |
