but it is well that we keep our house in order. There is a campaign pending in which we are to elect members of Congressat least, I have seen it in the papers that they hope to change the complexion of our national government this fall. Now, then, why not postpone the election of congressmen? Why not dispense with the election that is coming? State matters are important just as well as national matters. There are important questions to be considered here, gentlemen. The Constitution of New Hampshire would stand amendment. I have been a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and have seen good measures passed in that body, only to be killed in the Senate and never more heard of. Now, gentlemen, is it right that a minority should control New Hampshire? It is done by our legislative methods. There are other things to consider. If the gentleman from Concord, Mr. Lyford, would offer an amendment to consider making our legislature evenly balanced, I would be willing to say I would accept his resolution on taxation. Taxation isn't everything in this world. There are some things more vital than taxation of timber lands. Why, the taxation of real estate isn't right. Taxation is one of the most puzzling problems that was ever put before a human being. We all try to dodge it. These men that are interested in timber lands have got this thing all fixed for us, gentlemen; there is no question about it. They are all men of wealth. Twenty years ago you could get a thousand feet of lumber for ten dollars, and today it is forty or fifty a thousand, depending on the kind of lumber you are buying; and, gentlemen, do not adjourn this Convention because the war is going on. War is with us, as the President of the Convention has suggested. Germany has her Reichstag convene and pass laws, and in England Parliament convenes and passes laws; and there are plenty of amendments to be added to this Constitution which would make New Hampshire a much more democratic state than it is.

Mr. Metcalf of Concord.-I haven't any speech to unload upon the Convention. I suppose my colleague from Concord, Mr. Lyford's, resolution is before the Convention. He says he doesn't want any amendment offered to it, but I propose to submit one amendment, and I wish he would accept it, and if he shows his usual good judgment he will. I wish to amend his resolution by changing the phraseology so that it shall permit the Convention to deal with three amendments instead of two, and I will indicate the purport of my amendment. I propose that this Convention, in addition to the consideration of these two amendments, consider another, to the effect that all future amendments to the Constitution of New Hampshire be submitted

to the people for adoption by vote of the Legislature of the State by a two-thirds majority. The idea that I have in mind is to get rid of this business of calling Constitutional Conventions every seven years and allow amendments to be submitted by the Legislature, which, with all due deference to us, is just as capable a body as this. That will avoid a great deal of expense and it will enable this Convention when it adjourns to adjourn sine die and not come together again, saving a large amount of money in that respect; and if it appears to the next Legislature that amendments are needed by the State, it can submit them to the people and they can be adopted just as readily and just as quickly as though this Convention comes together again, at large expense to the State, and proposes some amendments. Now, if the gentleman from Concord, Mr. Lyford, will accept that amendment--I haven't put it in writing, but that is the substance of it-I shall be glad to vote for this resolution. Mr. Duncan of Jaffrey.—I have the same amendment prepared in writing and I will offer it.

Mr. Duncan of Jaffrey offered the following amendment to the resolution of Mr Lyford of Concord:

Strike out the word "two" and substitute therefor the word "three" and insert after the words "other banks" the words, "and an amendment allowing the General Court to submit constitutional amendments," that the resolution as

amended shall read as follows:

WHEREAS, The United States is engaged in a world war for the preservation of civilization and for the perpetuity of free institutions a war that will tax our resources to the utmost, a war that calls for the undivided loyalty and support of every citizen of the Republic, and the sacrifice of all material and personal considerations in the interest of humanity, and a war that has already brought German atrocities to our shores; and

WHEREAS, Our thoughts are with our sons, our brothers and our kindred, who are shedding their blood on the battlefields of France, and whose efforts in our behalf and in behalf of the democracy of the world should have our constant consideration; and,

WHEREAS, The basic reason for calling this Convention is the desire of the people that the Constitution be amended so

that the Legislature may have greater latitude in levying taxes; therefore, in view of these conditions, be it

Resolved, That the work of the present session of this Convention be confined to three amendments of the Constitutionan amendment giving the General Court full authority to specially assess, rate and tax growing timber without regard to the rule of proportion otherwise required in taxation; and an amendment providing for an income tax, regardless of the rule of proportion otherwise required in taxation, which shall provide for legislative authority to specially assess, rate and tax money at interest, including money in savings banks and other banks; and an amendment allowing the General Court to submit costitutional amendments; and that when action. on these amendments has been taken, the Convention adjourn, subject to the call of a committee consisting of the President of this Convention and one delegate from each county, to be appointed by the Chair, a majority of whom are hereby empowered to issue a call for the Convention to reassemble.

Question being on the amendment offered by Mr. Duncan of Jaffrey to the resolution offered by Mr. Lyford of Concord,

Mr. Lyford of Concord. - have been asked by the author of this amendment to accept it. This opens up the very thing that we desired and hoped to avoid. It opens up a discussion, which, in permitting an amendment of that kind, would mean almost as many opinions as there are members of the Convention. My one reason in confining the work of this Convention to the two tax propositions is that the basic reason for calling this Convention by the people, when they voted for it, was on the subject of taxation. Now, then, the gentleman from Concord, Mr. Metcalf, and the gentleman from Jaffrey, Mr. Duncan, are interested in this amendment. There are others interested in other amendments, which they think just as important as the amendment suggested by the gentleman from Ward Seven, Concord. If you admit that, you, out of courtesy, should admit others, the initiative and referendum, perhaps a question of the election of judges by the people, the reduction of the House of Representatives, the increase of the Senate, the abolition of the Governor's

Council, and so on, until we have exhausted our appropriation and we have perhaps not agreed upon several amendments. You have got to limit this proposition here or you open the door justly, if this amendment is admitted, to the admission of other questions upon which we are not even agreed as to the form in which they shall be submitted.

Mr. Brennan of Peterborough. - I am in sympathy, Mr. President, with the idea that it would be expedient for this State to adopt some mode other than the one we now have to amend the Constitution, and that the initiative step, in my opinion, should be in the Legislature, where most States have it; hence I am not in opposition to the idea formulated so hastily by the gentlemen from Concord and Jaffrey; but I am opposed to having it presented in the way it is, not because it would more conveniently open the door for amendment. A convenient and wellconsidered mode should be adopted. There are many changes for which the door should be open, and while changes should be made in our Constitution and ought to receive our careful consideration, it is very evident that the delegates and voters are in no frame of mind during this war to give the important questions such consideration; hence we must cut the business off somewhere, and I believe it should be just where this resolution cuts it off, and I believe further that this hurriedly written, haphazard amendment to this carefully prepared resolution would leave it in a very poor, if not ludicrous form. I am not able to determine at the present moment whether this suggested amendment would entirely abolish the Constitutional Convention feature or make the introduction of proposed changes in the Constitution really emanate from both a new kind of a Convention and the Legislature. My friend, the gentleman from Concord, Mr. Metcalf, unfortunately lost his glasses and was not prepared to put it in form, and my friend, the gentleman from Jaffrey, Mr. Duncan, has come to the rescue and helped out; but the form does not satisfy me. My choice on the whole would be to extend the legislative power relative to taxing growing timber and adopting an income tax, and then adjourn until after the war; but if that cannot be, then I must be content to see adjournment without action on any measure.

Mr. Metcalf of Concord. — I was not proposing at this time to draft the amendment to the Constitution which I proposed should be considered by this Convention. I was simply offering an amendment to Mr. Lyford's resolution, so that this Convention could proceed to consider the three amendments instead of two. He says his amendments are all ready to be submitted. The amendment which I suggested is not ready to be submitted, but

I want to assure the gentleman from Peterborough that the intention which I have in mind is to get rid of the farce of a Constitutional Convention absolutely, and have amendments submitted hereafter by the Legislature, either by a two-thirds or three-fourths vote, as may be deemed expedient on consideration; but I hope instead that this business of voting every seven years by the people of New Hampshire upon the question, “Is it expedient to call a Convention to revise the Constitution?” where not more than one fourth of the voters ever consider that question at all, will be got rid of; and I believe that is the sentiment of three fourths of the members of this Convention here today, that this work should be abolished for the future. Now, in reference to the admission of any number of amendments if we admit this, you don't preclude the admission of other amendments any more by submitting two than you do by submitting three, and Brother Lyford is a man of sense and he knows it. Now, if we adopt a resolution in this Convention in which we consider an amendment providing for the abolishment of Constitutional Conventions and the submission in future of all proposed amendments by proper vote of the Legislature, we get rid of this farcical calling of Conventions, and we get rid of this Convention right away after these three amendments are disposed of; and we don't have to come together again at large expense to the State, but the Legislature which is in session next winter can consider any amendments that may be deemed necessary and submit them to the people if they see fit.

Mr. Brennan of Peterborough. Will the gentleman permit a question?

Mr. Brennan of Peterborough. — Is he in favor of this amendment, and if he is in favor of this amendment, does he understand this amendment abolishes Constitutional Conventions or makes the introduction of proposed amendments concurrent in the Legislature and in the House of Representatives?

Mr. Metcalf of Concord. — I would have it absolutely abolish Constitutional Conventions.

Mr. Brennan of Peterborough. Are you in favor of this amendment?

Mr. Metcalf of Concord. That amendment is really in amendment of the proposed resolution by the gentleman from Concord, Mr. Lyford.

Mr. Varney of Rochester. - Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention, I believe there exists among the members of this Convention a very strong sentiment, as well as among the people of the State, that this Convention should adjourn without taking