Even before his election, his predecessor, Mr. Taft, had led the Republican party in its effort to make two amendments to the Constitution, one allowing an Income Tax, the other commanding the election of Senators by direct vote of the people.

The Constitution had not been amended by peaceful means for over a century; yet both of these amendments were now put through easily.

Facing the duality of incapacitythat of the Government because it was not permitted to act and the States because they did not know how to exercise the power they possessedthe Federal Government sought new power for new needs through Constitutional amendments.

This effort proved fruitless and despairing, for with more than two thousand attempts made in over a century only three amendments were secured, and these were merely to wind up the Civil War.

The whole fifteen amendments taken together have not added the weight of a hair of permanent new power to the Federal Government.

The Cape Parliament passed amendments which involved giving up the scheme of proportional representation as adopted by the convention.

Similar amendments were offered by the Orange River Colony in which the Dutch leader sympathized with the leader of the Afrikanderbond at the Cape in desiring to swamp out, rather than represent, minorities.

In Natal, which as an ultra-British and ultra-loyal colony, was generally supposed to be in fear of union, many amendments were offered.

The actual plan was that a Bill rejected by the Lords should be sent up to them again, "but when the Bill came down to the House of Commons in the second session, and the Commons would not agree to the amendments of the Lords, then the Lords should be bound to accept the Bill."

Mr. Gladstone, too, in his last speech in the House of Commons on the wrecking amendments which the Lords had made on the Parish Councils Bill, dwelt on the fundamental differences between the two Houses, and said that "a state of things had been created which could not continue," and declared it to be "a controversy which once raised must go forward to an issue.

The Lords' amendments were destructive of the principle, and therefore equivalent to rejection.

But even a few days before those amendments were returned to the Commons the Conservatives refused to believe that the passage of the Bill in its original form was guaranteed.

It only remained for the Lords not to insist on their amendments.

After a heated debate, chiefly taken up by violent recriminations between the two sections of the Opposition, the Lords decided by a narrow majority of seventeen not to insist on their amendments, and the Bill was passed and received the Royal assent.

To the last gasp we will insist on our amendments.

[The committee having gone through the bill, and settled the amendments, the chairman was ordered to make his report the next day.

The report was read, and the amendments to the clauses in debate, which then ran thus: That the officers and soldiers to be quartered and billeted as aforesaid, shall be received, and furnished with diet and small beer by the owners of the inns, livery stables, alehouses, victualling-houses, etc. paying and allowing for the same the several rates mentioned.

We may otherwise waste our time in debates, to which only our own forgetfulness gives occasion; we may raise objections without reason, and propose amendments where there is no defect.

W.D. Christie, Serjeant Pulling, Mr. Chadwickas well as bestowed much thought of my own, for the purpose of framing such amendments and additional clauses as might make the Bill really effective against the numerous modes of corruption, direct and indirect, which might otherwise, as there was much reason to fear, be increased instead of diminished by the Reform Act.

With their large majority in the House they could have carried all the amendments, or better ones if they had better to propose.

As far as I am able to judge from subsequently acquired knowledge, President Wilson at the time he received my letter of December 23 had a typewritten draft of the document which after certain amendments he later laid before the American Commissioners and which he had printed with a few verbal changes under the title of "The Covenant."

In January, 1844, this convention was ratified by the Senate of the United States with two amendments, which were manifestly reasonable in their character.

Upon a reference of the amendments proposed to the Government of Mexico, the same evasions, difficulties, and delays were interposed which have so long marked the policy of that Government toward the United States.

These defects and such amendments as are deemed important were set forth in the last annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury.

These amendments are again recommended to the early and favorable consideration of Congress.