Mr. FOWLER:—I have an amendment which I offer to the substitute proposed by Mr. Hitchcock—
Mr. RANDOLPH:—I object to it as out of order. Let us take the vote upon the various sections of Mr. Hitchcock's proposition. If they are rejected, then these amendments may all be moved to the committee's report.
The PRESIDENT:—I have already decided that the substitute is open to amendment.
Mr. RANDOLPH:—Then I will appeal from the decision of the Chair.
The PRESIDENT:—I will state the ground of my decision. It is true, as claimed by the gentleman from New Jersey, that if the propositions of Mr. Hitchcock are rejected these amendments may be moved to the sections reported by the committee. If, on the contrary, they are adopted, or either of them, so far as they are adopted they must stand as the order of the Conference, and are no longer subject to amendment. I understand the Parliamentary rule in such a case to be well settled.
A somewhat confused debate here arose, when Mr. Randolph withdrew his appeal from the decision of the chair.
Mr. BALDWIN:—I move to amend the proposition of the gentleman from Ohio, by striking out the words "nor shall Congress have the power to authorize any higher rate of taxation on persons held to service or labor, than on land." I do not think these words are appropriate in a provision of the Constitution.
Mr. HITCHCOCK:—I supposed the Conference would understand my purpose. It was to substitute my three sections for the third section of the committee's report. I did not suppose this series of amendments would be offered. For the present, I will withdraw my amendments.
Mr. HARRIS:—The gentleman forgets that if we once adopt them, they are no longer subject to amendment.
Mr. BRONSON:—I wish to make a suggestion. I don't know but Parliamentarians would call it a point of order. Now let us go on and decide whether we will, or will not, adopt the third section as reported by the committee.