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pose can be accomplished if we cease the
discussion of GP-5 at this time and pass on
to the next item. Then when the Commit-
tee rises it can request the Convention not
to put it on the agenda until a later date.
Would that be satisfactory?
DELEGATE BOYER: Completely, Mr.
Chairman.
I would like to point out it was certainly
not the intention to scuttle or do away with
this, but merely give everybody an equal
opportunity to consider it with all the
many ramifications that might be involved.
THE CHAIRMAN: Very well.
Is there any objection to the Committee
of the Whole ceasing further consideration
of GP-5 at this time?
Delegate Jett?
DELEGATE JETT: No objection, sir, on
my part.
In order to agree with that, I was just
wondering whether it would be helpful if
we withdrew our amendment at this time,
also?
THE CHAIRMAN: No, I think the mat-
ter can just stay in the present status and
we just move on to another item.
The Chair would like to suggest to Dele-
gate Boyer, however, that since it is our
objective to complete consideration before
we adjourn on Thursday of this week of
all matters before the Committee of the
Whole, I would hope that this could be
back on the agenda for Thursday.
If you would speak to Mr. Brooks, I am
sure he would assign somebody to do the
necessary research very quickly.
There being no objection, we will now
cease consideration at this time of the
Committee Recommendation GP-5 and will
take it up at such later time as it is among
the general orders.
The next item is the consideration of
Committee Recommendation GP-7.
The Chair recognizes Delegate Boyer,
Chairman of the Committee.
Delegate Boyer.
DELEGATE BOYER: Mr. Chairman,
the General Provisions Committee is at-
tempting, in order to expedite and save
some time on this matter, a novel approach
to the remaining sections before us, that is,
GP-7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
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We feel that there will probably be
some questions, we hope of a minor nature,
but mere explanation, and to save the time
of the Convention instead of asking them
or repeating them on the floor the Commit-
tee has had as volunteers various members
to act as sort of specialists in these areas.
I would appreciate it if the delegates would
make a note of this.
If there are any questions, for instance,
that you may want to ask by way of
explanation only, if you would see on GP-7
Delegate Edward Clarke, on GP-8 Delegate
Gerard Caldwell, on GP-9 Delegate Arthur
Kirkland, on GP-10 Delegate Sosnowski,
and on GP-11 Delegate Marvin Singer.
These gentlemen have agreed to act as
experts in these fields and will be glad to
answer your questions and perhaps save
the time of the Convention.
The next item before us, Mr. Chairman,
would be GP-7 dealing with the amend-
ments to the constitution.
Amendments to constitutions are gen-
erally initiated by three methods: one, by
legislative action; two, through state con-
vention; or, three, through normal initia-
tive petitions. Most states allow the use
of either the first or second method. Thir-
teen states, however, permit amendments
by the initiative directly by the people.
Your Committee considered all these
matters and adopted the identical condi-
tions contained in the draft, and that would
allow amendment to the constitution by two
methods: one, through the legislature by a
three-fifths vote of the membership or, two,
through a Constitutional Convention called
by the legislature.
We were satisfied that the initiation of
the proposed amendments through legisla-
tive action in conjunction with the modern
form of state constitution was a sufficient
safeguard to the rights of the people, par-
ticularly since they would have the oppor-
tunity to vote on the adoption or rejection
of the amendments if and when proposed
to them. We have adopted the commission
draft, and we have recommended this in
our proposal GP-7.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any ques-
tions of the Committee Chairman?
The Chair hears none.
Delegate Boyer, I have a notation indi-
cating that you were going to correct a
typographical error in this proposal to the
numbers.
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