CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 22577, 19 February 1937, Page 8

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S PROGRAMME RESOLUTIONS IN THE SENATE Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright WASHINGTON, February 18. Two resolutions proposing constitutional amendments limiting _ the Supreme Court were introduced in the Senate. One would permit the Congress to re-enact by a two-thirds vote each branch of the law invalidated by the court, but only after a regular election in which members ot the House were elected. The other provides for the voluntary retirement of justices at the age of 70, and compels retirement at 75. , _ During a debate in the Senate Senator M‘Kellar, in a two-hour speech defending the Roosevelt programme, was interrupted frequently by- Senators George and Connally. Senator M‘Kellar stated that the N.R.A. decision was correct, but the A.A.A. and other close decisions were blunders. He argued that President Roosevelt, by his victory at the polls, had a mandate to do something about the court. Senator George insisted that the plan was un-American, hut Senator Connallv merely interposed questions. Mr William Green announced that the American Federation of Labour would support the President . lie latest poll of the Senate showed 34 against, 33 for, and 29 not com* The ‘ Christian Science Monitor ’ held a poll which showed that more than two-thirds of the newspaper’s readers who supported President Roosevelt for re-election declared against the court proposal. Only 19 approved.