life of high vocation. Let now its nobleness
into our lives. Interpret for us its sacred
opportunity to serve the people of this
state, not alone for the present but for
many generations to come. Help us to face
with courage and discernment these press-
ing, human problems with their challenging
complexity. Touch with Thy glory every
cloud of sorrow. Shine with light through
the atmosphere of care. Above all, grant
that humility may be our sanctuary and
Thy supervision be the true joy of our
lives. We ask this in Thy Name.
Amen.
THE SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT: Roll
call.
(Whereupon a roll call was taken.)
THE SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT: Has
everyone registered his vote? The Clerk will
register the roll call.
Report of the Committee on Calendar and
Agenda. Chair recognizes the Chairman.
DELEGATE POWERS: Mr. Chairman,
I move we adopt today's calendar.
(The motion was duly seconded.)
THE SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT: All
those in favor of the motion, signify by
saying Aye; opposed, No. The Ayes have
it. It is so ordered.
Reports of standing committees, consider-
ation of the Eleventh Report of the Com-
mittee on Rules, Credentials and Conven-
tion Budget. The Chair recognizes the
Chairman, Delegate Scanlan. Does Delegate
Scanlan wish to come forward and give his
report?
DELEGATE SCANLAN: Mr. Vice-Pres-
ident, fellow delegates, I have the honor to
present the Eleventh Report of the Com-
mittee on Rules, Credentials and Conven-
tion Budget. Our report today deals with
the Convention budget. Hopefully you
should have before you not only a copy of
the Committee's Report, but an attachment
to that report showing the estimated budget
and divided into three columns, 90-day ses-
sion, 105-day session, 120-day session.
I also believe you should have before you
a memorandum by the Secretary of the
Convention, Secretary's Memorandum No.
30, which I believe was circulated yester-
day, and which indicates the expenditures
paid and incurred thus far in the opera-
tions of the Convention and compares with
the budget for the particular items listed,
and indicates the balance remaining. |
It is not completely uniform. As 1 under-
stand it, the salaries and per diem expenses
of the delegates referred to in Mr. Marti-
neau's memorandum are as of October 18,
whereas all the other expenses are as of
October 23rd.
Earlier in the session, I believe there was
circulated a list of all the staff people, all
the employees of the Convention, and their
respective salaries and compensation.
I am not going to go into great detail in
the report here from the rostrum. You do
have our report and you do have the
budget. I would just like to touch upon a
few points that I think may be of special
interest to you.
It is clear under the rules that the Presi-
dent and officers of the Convention have the
primary responsibility of preparing the
budget under which the Convention must
operate. That has been done.
It is also reasonably implied that the
Convention itself should finally approve or
disapprove any budget prepared for it and
presented to it by its officers. Section 11
of the Enabling Act specifically permits the
Convention to incur such expenditures as
may be proper to carry out its work. It for-
bids the Convention from incurring "total
expenditures in excess of the amount ap-
propriated by law for its expenses." I think
there is very little doubt that in the final
analysis, the budget is the Convention's
responsibility, because in the first instance,
as your committee entrusted with the func-
tion of reviewing the budget in your behalf,
we have the duty to review it and to report
to you concerning it. This is the first op-
portunity we have had to do that. We have
had the privilege of having the President
and other officers of the Convention, and
budget analysts from the comptroller's of-
fice, all of whom appeared before your com-
mittee on October 11. At that time, they,
and the President especially, went over in
great detail the various items on the esti-
mated budget that you have before you
today.
There is one change. The only significant
change in the budget as presented to us on
October 11, and the budget you have in
your possession today, is the fact that the
post-Convention expenses, should the Con-
vention go the full 120 days, is reported
as $22,580, rather than the $35,000 or so
that was listed in the original budget,
which would have resulted in a technical
deficit of some $12,000.
I think the President was very candid in
his appearance before our committee. He |
