Speech #620269247

Is the committee amendment an amendment to strike out the Senate bill and insert other matter. so that the whole subject matter of the bill is before the committee. or is the committee amendment an addition to the Senate bill. so that amendments must be germane solely to the new matter inserted by the committee? The gentleman from Massachusetts has cited paragraph 5870 of Hinds Precedents. I call the attention of the Chair to paragraph 5873 of the same volume: And amendments providing for an educational test for Immigrants was held to be germane to the bill to regulate the immigration of aliens into the United States. On M1ay 22. 1902. tie Committee of the Whie House on the state of the Union was considering the bill (H. It. 12199) to regulate the immigration of aliens into the United States. when Air. OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD. of Alabama. proposed an amendment p oviding an educational qualification. there being no suci qualification in the bill. A polnt of order was maide that the ameidmeut was not germane. The Chair has the ruling before him. in which the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole held that the bill being r. bill upon the general subject of immigration. it was a germane amendment to provide that persons should not be permitted to enter into the United States who could not read and write. Is the general subject of immigration before us on this proposition now? Certainly. if the committee amendment is one to strike out the Senate bill and to insert something else. the whole subject matter of the Senate bill is before the committee. and any amendment which is germane to the general subject of immigration is a germane amendment to the cominittee amendment. the whole subject of immigration being now ur.der consideration. I will wonder continually whether the new rules of the House of Representatives. which were advertised to enlarge the freedom of consideration by the House and committees of bills. are to be so construed that when an immigration bill is brough: before the committee and the House the Chair will be constraiined to hold nothing can be offered to the subject matter of this general bill relating to immigration unless it relates to a spet:lifc proposition which has been recommended by the committee.