ORDER FOR THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
Mr. UNDERWOOD obtained leave to submit the following:
Resolved, That the consideration of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which was made the special order for Tuesday, May 11, when taken up on that day shall be further postponed till Friday, May 14th, at 2 1/2 o'clock, and made the special order for that hour.
Mr. COFFROTH proposed to amend by striking out all after the word "be," and insert these words in lieu, "indefinitely postponed."
Mr. OVERMEYER moved to lay the proposed amendment on the table.
Mr. COFFROTH demanded the yeas and nays, which resulted-yeas 48, nays 53as follows:
page: 202[View Page 202]YEAS-Messrs. Baker, Beatty, Beeler, Breckinridge, Chapman, Davidson, Davis of Elkhart, Dunn, Fairchild, Field of Lake, Field of La-grange, Furnas, Gordon, Greene, Hall, Hamilton, Higbee, Higgins, Hutson, Johnson of Parke, Johnson of Marshall, Jump, Kerchival, Lamborn, Mason, Miller, Monroe, Osborn, Overmyer, Pierce of Porter, Pierce of Vigo, Ratliff, Ruddell, Sabin, Skidmore, Smith, Stanton, Stephenson, Stewart of Ohio, Stewart of Rush, Taber, Underwood, Vater, Wildman, Williams of Hamilton, Williams of St. Joseph, Wilson and Mr. Speaker-48.
NAYS-Messrs. Admire, Bates, Britton, Calvert, Carnahan, Cave, Coffroth, Cory, Cotton, Davis of Floyd, Dittemore, Fuller, Hutchings, Hyatt, Johnston of Montgomery, Lawler, Logan, Long, McDonald, McGregor, Miles, Miner, Mitchell, Mock, Montgomery, Neff, Shoaff, Shoemaker, Tebbs, Welborn, Wile, Williams of Knox, and Zollars-33.
So the amendment was laid on the table, and the question recurred on the adoption of the resolution.
Mr. UNDERWOOD demanded the previous question on the adoption of the resolution, and under its operation the vote was taken, resulting-yeas 53, nays 29-as follows:
YEAS-Messrs. Admire, Bates, Beeler, Bobo, Breckinridge, Carnahan, Cave, Chapman, Cory, Cunningham, Davidson, Davis of Elkhart, Davis of Floyd, Dittemore. Fairchild, Field of Lake, Field of Lagrange, Fuller, Furnas, Green, Hall, Higbee, Hutchings, Hutson, Hyatt, Johnson of Parke, Jump, Kercheval, Lawler, Long, Mason, McGregor, Miles, Mitchell, Montgomery, Overmyer, Ratliff, Ruddell, Sabin, Skidmore, Smith, i Stephenson. Stewart of Rush, Taber, Tebbs, Underwood, Wile, Williams of Hamilton, Williams of Knox, Williams of Union, Wilson, and Mr. Speaker.-53.
NAYS-Messrs. Baker, Beatty, Britton, Calvert, Coffroth, Dunn, Gordon, Johnson of Marshall, Lamborn, Logan, Miller, Miner, Mock, Monroe, Neff, Osborn, Pierce of Porter, Pierce of Vigo, Shoemaker, Stanton, Stewart of Ohio, Vater, Welborn, Wildman, Williams of St. Joseph, and Zollars29.
Mr. CHAPMAN explaining, said he voted aye for the postponement, because his temperance bill was not yet passed.
Mr. COFFROTH explaining. I am unwilling to give any vote to consider this Constitutional amendment till the people of the State shall have first passed upon it. I vote no.
Mr. DAVIS of Floyd, explained. I, too, desire that the Constitutional amendment shall not be considered here till the people shall have had an opportunity to pass upon it; but, as this resolution does not require us to consider it on Friday, and, as there is yet some little business to do, I vote aye.
Mr. GORDON explaining. I hold that no man has a right to ask me to vote to postpone any proposition to a day certain. I am ready to vote on any proposition coming; properly before the House now, or when the vote is called-whether I vote for or-against it is nobody's business, therefore I vote no.
Mr. MITCHELL, explaning. I have determined within myself to do everything in my power to prevent the 46th General Assembly from passing upon the question of the XVth amendment; but for the purpose of prosecuting our business and passing the necessary bills of the session I vote "aye."
Mr. OSBORNE, explaining. I do not believe, sir, that the question as to whether the Legislature should consider that Constitutional Amendment ought to interfere with our legislation; though I believe we ought to pass that amendment to-morrow and I believe the Democratic member' ought to stay and see it done. Therefore I vote "no."
Mr. PIERCE of Vigo, explaining, referred to the fact that at the close of the last session, when the House was composed of the same members, with one exception and when this proposition was up; it would be remembered with what remarkable unanimity we of the Republican party voted against postponing the consideration of the Constitutional Amendment; and, though voting against the postponement himself; he then doubted the propriety of refusing to postpone. But now he did not propose to stultify his record here by voting further to postpone this question. He voted "no."
Mr. RUDDELL explaining said: We have had an exhibition of Democratic feeling on this subject, and may be well enough satisfied as to how determined they are upon it; and we know that by urging this question we shall stop the business o: the session. Therefore, I vote "aye."
Mr. SABIN explaining for the first time. I feel instructed to vote in favor of this postponement. My personal feelings are against it. I vote "aye."
Mr. ZOLLARS explaining for the first time said, he voted "no" on this proposition for two very obvious reasons. In the first place, as remarked by the gentleman from Marion [Mr. Ruddell] as to the Democratic determination on this floor, he considered that hitherto we have been entirely consistent on this question. We first proposed to submit it to the people; we next proposed to postpone; and these having been refused the rest is told. Individually he had made every effort for night sessions, and to pursue business in the regular order; and he had been in favor of all questions by which we might have got along with business. For consistency now he voted "no."
So the resolution was adopted.
Mr. Pierce, of Porter, obtained I present a petition numerously signed by his constituents, requesting him to vote and use his influence for the ratification of the Constitutional amendment.
The House then took a recess until 2 o'clock.
