session and ready for the transaction of business reported that it h performed that duty. The report was accepted and the committee discharged. The committee appointed to act with a like committee of the Sena in notifying the Governor that the two houses were in session and read for the transaction of business, reported that it had performed that du and that the Governor had signified his readiness to meet the Legislatu in joint convention today at 2:30 o'clock p. m. The report was accepted and the committee discharged. Mr. Farmer offered the following resolution : House resolution No. 7. Resolved by the House (the Senate concurring), That the two house of the Legislature meet in joint convention today, February 26, at 2:1 o'clock p. m., to receive the message of the Governor. The Speaker announced that under Rule 50 the resolution would li upon the table one day. Mr. Lord moved that Rule 50 be suspended. The motion prevailed, two-thirds of all the members present votin therefor. The question being on the adoption of the resolution, Mr. Verdier moved that a special committee be appointed to draf suitable resolutions relative to the resignation of Hon. Paul H. King Clerk of the House. The motion prevailed. The Speaker appointed as such committee Messrs. Verdier, Farme and Henry. Mr. Lord moved that the House take a recess until 2 o'clock p. m. The motion prevailed. AFTER RECESS. The House was called to order by the Speaker. 2 o'clock p. m. The following named members entered the House and took their seats: Messrs. Chambers, Currie, Dusenbury, Milliken and Taylor. Mr. Haviland moved that a committee of three be appointed to notify the Senate that the House was ready to meet in joint convention to receive the message of the Governor. The motion prevailed. The Speaker appointed as such committee Messrs. Haviland, Currie and Wolcott. A message was received from the Senate, informing the House that the Senate had concurred in the adoption of House resolution No. 7, Fixing the time for holding the joint convention to receive the Governor's message. The Speaker announced the following appointments: Committee Clerk-Frank J. Simon. Messengers-Emory J. Whiting, Luther Wright, Jr., Clifford Martz. Janitors-D. D. Dunning, Floyd Jason, James Anderson. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced the committee of the House appointed to notify the Senate that it was ready to meet in joint convention. The committee, through its chairman, Mr. Haviland, reported that it had performed the duty assigned it, and was discharged. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced the Lieutenant Governor and members of the Senate, who were admitted and conducted to seats. JOINT CONVENTION. 2:15 o'clock p. m The joint convention was called to order by the President of the jo convention, Hon. John Q. Ross, President of the Senate. The President of the joint convention announced that the two Hous of the Legislature had met to receive the message of the Governor. The roll of the Senate was called by the Secretary, who announc that a quorum of the Senate was present. The roll of the House was called by the Clerk, who announced th a quorum of the House was present. Senator Moriarty moved that a committee of five be appointed to noti the Governor that the two houses of the Legislature were assemble in joint convention and were ready to receive his message. The motion prevailed. The President of the joint convention appointed as such committe Senators Watkins and White and Representatives Ball, Chambers an Glasner. Senator Miller moved that a committee of five be appointed to invi the Justices of the Supreme Court to be present at the joint conver tion. The motion prevailed. The President of the joint convention appointed as such committe Senators Miller and Freeman and Representatives Graves, Woodruff an Taylor. Senator Snell moved that a committee of five be appointed to invi the state officers to be present at the joint convention. The motion prevailed. The President of the joint convention appointed as such committ Senators Snell and Putney and Representatives Hinkley, Warner ar Raudabaugh. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced the committee of the joint conve tion appointed to invite the justices of the Supreme Court to attend t joint convention. The committee reported that it had performed the duty assigned i and was discharged. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced the committee appointed to invi the state officers to be present at the joint convention. The state officers escorted by the committee entered the Hall and we conducted to seats. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced the committee of the joint convention appointed to wait upon the Governor. The Governor, escorted by the committee, entered the Hall and was conducted to a seat at the Speaker's desk. The President then presented to the joint convention the Governor, Hon. Chase S. Osborn, who read to the convention his message, which was as follows: Special message to the Forty-sixth Legislature of Michigan in extraordinary session: Acting under the authority of Section 7, Article 6, of the Constitution of the State of Michigan, I, Chase S. Osborn, Governor in and over the State of Michigan, have called the Forty-sixth Legislature in extraordinary session, for the purpose of giving it opportunity and authority to consider and enact a presidential preference primary law. This proposition is in the interest of all the people and gives equal rights to all parties and all factions of parties. It is for the purpose of extending the rights of all the people and giving greater insurance that the majority shall rule in the nomination of a presidential candidate, rather than that a minority by power, influence, peculiar strength or other unusual intrenchment shall override and overrule. If it is right and advisable to enact a presidential preference primary law it is proper to give it immediate effect. The Constitution of the State of Michigan empowers the Legislature to give effect at once to acts making appropriations or to acts immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety. I assume that the Legislature is the final judge of these conditions. At its regular session this Legislature gave immediate effect to seventy acts. One-half these seventy acts were not appropriation bills in the ordinary meaning of the term, and twenty-one of them carried no appropriation provision whatever. Some of the acts given immediate effect were so trivial as to make absurd any contention that such an important law as the presidential primary measure cannot be given immediate effect. The constitution was just as sacred last year as this year. Any presidential preference primary law which the Legislature may pass can with perfect justice and propriety contain a provision for making an appropriation to pay the expenses of delegates. The presidential primary law of the State of Oregon, I am informed, provides for a payment of $200 to meet the expenses of each delegate from Oregon to a national presidential political convention. In the past a common custom in Michigan has been to send to national presidential conventions only delegates who could financially afford to go. This custom has militated against men entirely as wise and worthy, but without means and unable to afford the privilege of attendance at such conventions. This argument might be regarded, however, as such a subterfuge as would be resorted to by those who desire to use the constitution against the interest of the people. It is not necessary to borrow any device to justify putting a presidential primary law into immediate effect. Whatever is right is constitutional. In the past there has been an unfortunate tendency on the part of some courts and corporation lawyers to resort to constitutional interpretations, supervenient or otherwise, that would serve the ends of selfishness and stand between the peop their moral rights. Better courts and better lawyers now rega constitution as being broad and elastic enough to cover and w what is right and especially when there is no dispute as to the Abraham Lincoln said: "The life of this nation is greater tha constitution." I am of the firm belief that there is a grave menace to the pea safety of Michigan whenever the indicated rights of the people are held. The effect of withholding these rights, now for the first ti plainly marked and desired in Michigan, may not be immediate parent. The resulting harm is more apt to be cumulative and forth in passionate reprisals, in revolutions long delayed and in cal upheavals that may be both unwholesome and destructive. social cataclysm has been preceded by years of cause in whic strong have oppressed the weak in one way or another. Who what the harvest of destruction may be from such seed sowing? minute bacterium tuberculosis, translucent and grayish, a nodul size of a millet seed comparatively easy of discovery, is the cause o white plague and a grim terror of civilization. Its presence ma everywhere and unknown. No one would think of inviting it or a vating it. What then are we to think of the bacillus of social un if I may be permitted the simile? It cannot be seen or measure the most powerful miscroscope. It is formless and colorless an subtle and insidious as to be the most deadly germ that threatens lar government. Who will sow it broadcast? Who knows when being sown? Who planted the deadly seeds of the French revolu When were they distributed and permitted to inoculate the heart, and soul of France? Far easier is it to detect the little leaks jeopard the dykes of Holland. Surer and plainer the knowledge o structural weakness in the death-dealing dams built by foolish m Johnstown and Austin. Shall we so fatuously and plainly invite lar disappointment and dissatisfaction and their disturbing effec would be done by withholding that which the people desire and is wholesome right to have? This is not the theatrical language of one who wishes to perpe himself in office, but of one who, like yourselves, loves his state and v chiefest ambition is to serve it unselfishly. Only last week Mr. Gary, of New York, head of the United States Steel Corporation, statements more startling than these when he proclaimed that the tion in America today is similar to the condition in France just to the Reign of Terror there. I do not think we are as badly off as but I do wish to repeat and to emphasize to you the fact that the and safety of our state is endangered every time any plainly k rights of the people are withheld. On every farm and in every workshop and factory, in mine: wherever workingmen congregate, there are multitudes who rest and rightfully demand a fuller opportunity to participate in affa government without being watched by bosses and those of ur strength and influence about them. Their desire for a presid primary law is deeply rooted and causes them to feel that with they not only are often not represented but may be misrepresented. |