dignified, appropriate, great act for this Society; I believe it will inure to its lasting fame, that it is the first thing upon the records of the Congress of 1899; because as I expect, we can never come together again, directly after an international war such as this-coming years may bring war though heaven forfend the necessity-but we as an organization can never come together again to a first Congress, and the first day, and the first recorded action after this great war. I say, then, immortalize our coming here; bring it before the country, and we will immortalize the men, and the nurses too, who have lost their lives. (Cries of "Time!" "Time!”)

PRESIDENT GENERAL. The question is on the postponment. Mrs. MCLEAN. I am speaking against the postponement. Mrs. RICHARDSON, of South Carolina. I would like to say that it is such a very momentous movement that of course every patriotic heart here approves of it; but it is so very momentous that I think the postponement would give us an opportunity to think it over. [Applause.]

Mrs. SHIELDS, of Missouri. I am in full sympathy with the motion of Mrs. McLean, Madam President, but it seems to me that the motion for the postponement is wise just now. We have no idea that we have anything in our treasury; why should we place ourselves in a position that might make us very unhappy ultimately?

Mrs. MCLEAN. I wish to state here that I am perfectly happy to have you act on this resolution at exactly what hour seems to you best, whether it is the day that we first come together and it was a cherished project of mine that it should be on that day-but if it seems wisest and best to this Congress to postpone the consideration of and action upon this question, do so. It is for the sake of the whole National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution that I offer this resolution, therefore it is in their hands to do what seems best. PRESIDENT GENERAL. Are you ready for the question? (Cries of "Question!") All in favor of postponement, as offered by Mrs. Jewett, will please say, "aye;" those opposed, "no." The motion is carried.

Dr. MCGEE. I move the adoption of the program.
Seconded.

PRESIDENT GENERAL. It is moved and seconded that the program be adopted. All in favor will please "aye;" those opposed, "no." The motion is carried.

Mrs. LINDSAY. I arise to a question of privilege.

PRESIDENT GENERAL. I think the ladies on that side of the house cannot hear you well. Would you kindly come to the stage?

Mrs. LINDSAY. My experience as Chairman of the Editing Committee of 1898 convinces me that it is impossible to keep a satisfactory record of the proceedings of the Congress under the methods which have prevailed in the past. The most earnest efforts of your Recording Secretary General and the stenographic reporters cannot prevent confusion and misplacing of papers. Many things which would be perfectly plain if found in their regular order, become utterly unintelligible when separated. It is impossible for the stenographer to identify by her report papers which do not come into her possession, and equally impossible for the Recording Secretary General to so mark the papers delivered to her as to enable the Editing Committee to decide with absolute certainty the places where they should be inserted in stenographic reports of the proceedings. Under the present rule, the stenographer does not take down the motions. The motions ought all to be delivered to the Recording Secretary General, but in the pressure of business some of them do not reach her hands because it is nobody's particular business to deliver them to her after they are read, and in some instances they are lost or misplaced before she can possibly get them into her possession. There seems to be but one remedy for this, and that is the stencgraphers report all motions in full, taking down as they are read by the Official Reader and thus making a complete report. Many members of the Congress have not been free from blame as some of the motions were sent up at the last Congress written on both sides of small slips of paper and in some instances were unsigned. Therefore the Editing Committee had to copy all of these motions before they were sent to the printer. If the stenographer takes these down, the signature becomes unimportant, as the Editing Committee will have

the benefit of the stenographic report and also of the original paper for comparison.

It is an absolute necessity for the original motions to be handed over to the Editing Committee that they may be compared with the stenographic report to prevent any possibility of mistake. Under past methods reports of committees as well as written motions were sometimes unavoidably lost. Last year the report of the Continental Hall Committee was lost, and the Editing Committee was compelled to write to Mrs. Shepard in Chicago for a copy, which she was fortunately able to furnish.

Some one person should be appointed as assistant with no other duty to perform except that of receiving and delivering the motions and reports of committees to the proper persons so soon as they are read and accepted.

I shall take the liberty to read a letter I received, which will show how necessary it is for you of the Congress to have and understand a method of delivering reports in the proper way to the proper persons.

MY DEAR MRS. LINDSAY: I am very sorry my report cannot be found. I left it in the office at 902 F street. Having but one copy left, I have sent it directly to be copied by typewriter. You will receive it in a few days. Hoping the delay has not caused you serious inconvenience, &c.

Therefore, I move a member of the National Board be appointed by the President General to take charge of all motions and of all reports of Committees, and deliver them to the proper persons.

PRESIDENT GENERAL. Is there a second to this motion? Motion seconded.

PRESIDENT GENERAL. It has been moved and seconded that a member of the National Board be appointed to receive all motions and communications and place them in the hands of the proper persons.

Mrs. MCLEAN. May I amend so that it be the Recording Secretary General, as the natural officer to take charge of all such written matter?

Mrs. LINDSAY. I know that the Recording Secretary Gen

eral should take charge of them, but they are so often lost before she gets them; before they are given into her hands.

Mrs. MCLEAN. As I understood, it was to appoint an officer to take charge of these motions; and I amended that it be the Recording Secretary General; then, of course, the difficulty would be obviated.

PRESIDENT GENERAL. You have heard the amendment of Mrs. McLean. Is there a second to it? (Seconded.) All in favor will please say "aye;" opposed, "no." The motion is lost. The question recurs to the main motion, that the presiding officer appoint a member of the National Board to receive all motions and reports of committees and place them in proper hands. Are you ready for the question?

Mrs. BALLINGER. May I ask, will we be informed who the officer is, or if not, how else would we know unless we are informed?

PRESIDENT GENERAL. When the appointment is male I am very sure the presiding officer will announce it. If this motion is carried you will know who it is. All in favor of this motion will please say "aye;" opposed, "no." The motion seems to be carried.

Mrs. MARY SAWYER FOOTE THOMAS. Madam President, it becomes my sad duty to present the following resolution in regard to the death of one of our most esteemed and gifted members, Mrs. John Ritchie. "Resolved, That whereas the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revo ution has met with an irreparable loss in the death of Mrs. John Ritchie by reason of her distinguished and valuable services to this Society as Vice-President General and as the State Regent of Maryland, that this Eighth Continental Congress express its sense of loss in the demise of so beloved and gifted a member, and that it extends its deepest sympathy to her daughter here present and to her family by a rising vote; that this resolution be spread upon the minutes and be published in the AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE."

Seconded.

Mrs. ROBERTS. May I say that my earliest recollections in connection with the interests of the Daughters of the American Revolution were connected-(interrupted.)

PRESIDENT GENERAL. The, motion has not been seconded. Mrs. ROBERTS. I seconded it at once.

PRESIDENT GENERAL. The motion will be read.

READER. "Resolved, That whereas the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution has met with an irreparable loss in the death of Mrs. John Ritchie by reason of her distinguished and valuable services to this Society as Vice-President General and as the State Regent of Maryland, that this Eighth Continental Congress express its sense of loss in the demise of so beloved and gifted a member, and that it extends its deepest sympathy to her daughter here present, and to her family, by a rising vote; that this resolution. be spread upon the minutes and be published in the AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE.”

Mrs. ROBERTS. I would like to second that resolution. My earliest associations with the Daughters of the American Revolution were connected with the magnetism of Mrs. Ritchie. Although it was in a neighboring state, at a neighboring city, where I met Mrs. Ritchie through relative, a mutual friend, I can assure you that there is no one whose memory I value more than that of Mrs. Ritch'e in connection with this work.

a

Miss FORSYTH. As former State Regent of New York, associated very closely with Mrs. Ritchie on the Board, it gives me the greatest pleasure to add another second, and I believe the entire Board wishes to join.

Mrs. EDWARDS. I move that the resolutions be accepted unanimously.

Seconded.

PRESIDENT GENERAL. That is out of order. The motion is on the adoption. Before it is adopted I would like to say one word. My earliest recollections of interest and power and love and affection for this great Society were shown by my association with Mrs. Ritchie, and I would like to bear my grateful tribute to her memory. [Applause.] Are you ready for the question?

Miss DESHA. I would like to add my tribute. From the very beginning of this Society Mrs. Ritchie was always a help and always a comfort, and always on the right side; and several times when it was thought necessary to write to