The following is the certified copy of the proclamation: STATE OF MICHIGAN LANSING To All Whom it May Concern: By virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Michigan, I hereby call the Legislature of the State to meet in extraordinary session on December fourth, 1923, at two o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of considering legislation to provide for the rearranging of the senatorial districts and apportioning anew the representatives among the counties and districts as provided by the Constitution of the State of Michigan. (Seal) Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the state By the Governor, (Signed) CHARLES J. DeLAND, Secretary of State. Governor. The following is the certificate of the Secretary of State: THE STATE OF MICHIGAN To All to Whom These Presents Shall Come: I, Charles J. DeLand, Secretary of State of the State of Michigan and Custodian of the Great Seal thereof, Do Hereby Certify that the attached copy is a true and compared transcript of a proclamation of the Governor issued November 15, 1923, convening the Legislature in extraordinary session December 4, 1923, the original of which is on file in this office. (Seal) In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and By unanimous consent the House took up the order of Motions and Resolutions. Mr. Stevenson offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be and is hereby directed to notify the Senate that the House of Representatives is ready to proceed with the business of the Extra Session. Mr Stevenson moved that the rules be suspended and that the resolution be placed on its immediate passage. The motion prevailed, two-thirds of all the members present voting therefor. The resolution was then adopted. Mr. O'Brien offered the following resolution: House Resolution No. 2. Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be and is hereby directed to notify the Governor that the House of Representatives is ready to proceed with the business of the Extra Session. Mr. O'Brien moved that the rules be suspended and that the resolution be placed on its immediate passage. The motion prevailed, two-thirds of all the members present voting therefor. The resolution was then adopted. Mr. Meggison offered the following resolution: House Resolution No. 3. Resolved, That the daily sessions of the House of Representatives during this Extra Session commence at two o'clock p. m., unless otherwise ordered. Mr. Meggison moved that the rules be suspended and that the resolution be placed on its immediate passage. The motion prevailed, two-thirds of all the members present voting therefor. The resolution was then adopted. Mr. Baxter offered the following resolution: House Resolution No. 4. Resolved, That the portion of House Rule No. 59, providing that "No bill shall be passed until it has been printed and in the possession of the House for at least five days" be and is hereby suspended during the present Extra Session. Mr. Baxter moved that the rules be suspended and that the resolution be placed on its immediate passage. The motion did not prevail, two-thirds of all the members present not voting therefor. The Speaker referred the resolution to the Committee on Rules and Resolutions. By unanimous consent the House took up the order of Messages from the Senate. A message was received from the Senate informing the House that a quorum of the Senate had assembled and that the Senate was ready to proceed with the business of the Extra Session. Mr Howarth entered the House and took his seat. By unanimous consent the House took up the order of Messages from the Governor. The following message from the Governor was received and read: EXECUTIVE OFFICE LANSING December 4, 1923. To the Members of the Legislature: The present session was called because the Constitution of the State makes it mandatory upon the Legislature in each tenth year after the session of 1913 to re-arrange the Senatorial districts and apportion anew the representatives among the counties and districts according to the number of inhabitants as determined by the Federal Census. During the regular session little opportunity was afforded to properly consider this vital constitutional requirement. Inasmuch, however, as an equitable determination of this issue is now the main purpose of your deliberations, a meritorious measure complying with the spirit as well as the letter of the Constitution should be carefully considered and adopted unhampered by any extraneous problems. The provisions of the fundamental law guiding us embody one of the most basic principles of American government,—that of representation according to population. To give practical effect to this provision and to assure its permanence in fact as well as in principle, the founders of the Republic with the foresight which characterized all their acts in preserving the people's rights imposed upon the legislative branch of the state and national governments the constitutional obligation of equalizing representation by definite periodical apportionments to meet the changes in population. The sections of our Constitution are in no respect uncertain or ambiguous. They contemplate an equality of representation as near as may be consistent with the exercise of a fair discretion on the part of the Legislature. It is with this thought in mind that the subject is now submitted for your careful consideration. Respectfully, By unanimous consent the House took up the order of ALEX. J. GROESBECK. Mr. Lee introduced Introduction of Bills. House Bill No. 1, entitled A bill to apportion anew the representatives in the State Legislature among the several counties and districts in this State. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Apportionment. Mr. Corliss introduced House Bill No. 2, entitled A bill to apportion anew the representatives in the State Legislature among the several counties and districts of the State as provided by sections 3 and 4, article 5 of the Constitution, conforming as nearly as possible thereto, and using as a basis of such apportionment the United States census of this State for the year 1920. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Apportionment. Mr. Rollie L. Lewis introduced House Bill No. 3, entitled A bill to apportion anew the representatives in the State Legislature among the several counties and districts of this State. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Apportionment. Mr. Howell asked and obtained leave of absence from tomorrow's session. Mr. Titus moved that the House adjourn. The motion prevailed. The Speaker declared the House adjourned until Wednesday, December 5, at 2:00 o'clock p. m. CHARLES S. PIERCE, NUMBER TWO. Lansing, Wednesday, December 5, 1923. 2:00 o'clock p. m. The House was called to order by the Speaker. Dr. Frank Kingdon, of the Central Methodist Episcopal Church of Lansing, offered the invocation: "Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast given us a man's part to play in the world. Grant Thy guidance to the deliberations of this body. Grant that they may issue such conclusions as shall be for the building of this Commonwealth to the honor of our great country, and to the glory of Thine own name. Amen." The roll of the House was called by the Clerk, who announced that a quorum was present. The following member was absent with leave: Mr. Howell. The following members were absent without leave: Messrs. Braman, Fuller, Henze, Jolly, Leedy, Rollie L. Lewis, Meggison, Miles Palmer, Sanson. Mr. Kirby moved that all absentees without leave be excused from today's session. The motion prevailed. Introduction of Bills. Mr. McEachron introduced House Bill No. 4, entitled A bill to fix the number of members of the House of Representatives, and to apportion representatives among the several counties of the State. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Apportionment. Mr. Lee introduced House Bill No. 5, entitled A bill to apportion anew the representation in the State Senate among the several counties and districts of this State. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Apportionment. Mr. Butler introduced House Bill No. 6, entitled A bill to apportion anew the representatives in the State Legislature among the several counties and districts of this State. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Apportionment. Mr. Culver introduced A bill to apportion anew the representatives in the State Legislature among the several counties and districts of this State and to provide for a division into representative districts by the respective boards of supervisors of counties entitled under this act to more than one representative. The bill was read a first and second time by its title and referred to the Committee on Apportionment. Mr. Titus moved that the House adjourn. The Speaker declared the House adjourned until Thursday, December 6, at 2:00 o'clock p. m. CHARLES S. PIERCE, Clerk of the House of Representatives. |