Standing Orders 5 - And provided that no delegate shall rise to put a question while another delegate has the floor. A question shall be put without argument, and the answer shall be confined to the question without argument, but the Chairman may allow some latitude to a member of the Executive explaining the action of that body. A delegate need not answer a question addressed to him by another delegate. PRIVILEGE : (17) Breaches of privileges are disobedience to the Standing Orders of the Conference, and the offenders may be admon­ ished or reprimanded by the Chairman, and if the Confer­ ence so resolves be reported to the Province which they represent. Questions of privileges may be brought on without notice and all those that have recently arisen shall be entitled to precedence over all other matters and ord3rs. COMMITTEES - RULES FOR j (18 ) Conference resolves into Committee on a motion duly pro­ posed, seconded and voted on after discussion if Confer­ ence so wishes, on which Chairman of Conference shall leave the Chair, and the President occupy it. Conference in Committee shall only consider matters comm­ itted to it by Conference, unless an instruction has been given by Conference allowing it to discuss other matters. A motion in Committee need not be seconded. A member may speak more than once on any motion or amendment in Committee. Adjournment of the debate cannot be moved except at the time fixed by Standing Order (l) or resolution of Confer­ ence for the rising of Conference. If it is desired at any other time to adjourn the debate, this shall be done by moving that "the Chairman reports progress and asks leave to sit again". If the questions committed by Conference are finished the President shall take a vote on the question "that progress be reported" with any rider which the Committee may add. If this is agreed to, Conference in Committee will resolve itself again to Conference and the President will report to Conference what has been done, and the report will be minuted. Unless Conference otherwise directs, discussions in Committee will not be minuted or reported in the Press. The Secretaries shall take note of every resolution taken and every amendment agreed to in Committee and these shall be embodied in the Report to Conference and then minuted. Except as above mentioned, all other rules of procedure laid down for Conference shall apply to Conference in Committee. / ... - 6 - Standing Orders 6 SUB-COMMITTEES s (19) Conference may refer any matter for discussion and/or deoision and/or action to a sub-committee of such size as it shall then decide, with or without leave to sit during Conference or during Conference in Committee, or after the final rising ofConference with instructions to report to next Conference or the Executive. Conference, in appointing a sub-Committee whall nominate one member thereof as convenor, who shall be responsible for calling the Sub-Committee together when necessary. The provision of Standing Oyder No. 18 shall apply except when inapplicable to proceedings and reports of sub­ committees. OFFENCES s (20) Conference may on a motion duly proposed, seconded and agreed to by a two-third majority of those present at any time sitting suspend a delegate for definite length of time for :- (a) violating the Rules and Orders of Conference after his attention has been called to the breach; (b) making himself obnoxious to Conference by his behaviour. DISCRETIONARY POWER OF PRESIDENT OR VICE-PRESIDENTS : (2l) The Chairman for the time being shall decide any question relative to the procedure of Conference not dealt with in these Standing Orders, in such manner as he shall deem most in keeping with the laws, forms and usages, of the Legislative Assembly of the Union. And his decision thereon and on the interpretation of the Standing Order shall be final unless Congress shall by resolution duly proposed and seconded decide otherwise. ALTERATION OF STANDING ORDERS s (22) No alteration or addition to or suspension of any of the Standing Orders of Congress shall be made except after notice given under the provisions of Standing Orders Nos. 3 and 4. OPENING ADDRESS BY CHIEF ALBERT J. LUTHULI,'^ PRESIDENT-GENERAL, AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS TO THE 2 2ND BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN CONGRESS MEETING AT GANDHI HALL, JOHANNESBURG. ON OCTOBER 19 - 21, _________ ___ 1956. A SPIRIT THAT REFUSES TO SUBMIT TO TYRANNY. Once again another biennial conference is upon you. It is my good fortune to be privileged once more to open your biennial conference. It was in 1954 when I had the honour to open your 21st one. I wish this 22nd Biennial Conference opening today the blessings and guidance of the Almighty. My message at this conference will centre around summoning you and all who like you believe in Freedom For All to accept the challenge of Apartheid and solemnly to resolve that somewhere and soon a halt must be called to this policy which is serious­ ly threatening peace in South Africa, by undermining confidence in the Government of the country and straining race relations in the country, especially black and white relations. No-one is more conscious than I of the difficulties that have to be contended with in building up this determination and that such a determination cannot be built overnight or by wish-' ful thinking but can only be built by stoic patient persistency. Important and urgent matters arising out of the tyrannical white rule in the Union of South Africa will come for con­ sideration at this Conference. But the Conference will have failed if it does not directly or indirectly generate a spirit of resisting this tyranny, especially at this time when the Nationalist Party Government through the Group Areas Act and other kindred Acts is robbing non-whites of their properties and seriously threatening their livelihood. I shall be happy, even if only in a small measure, if my con­ tribution to this Conference can help to create such a spirit of resistance to this arrogant studied tjnranny. I must begin by reminding you that the history of mankind shows that people in different lands throughout the Ages have had to meet such challenges as face the people of the Union of South Africa at this time but history teaches us that rarely, except for some temporary set-backs, have movements of the people to resist oppression no matter how ruthless the oppressor was failed. If we truly respect fundamental Hunsn Rights and Noble Divine concepts of man: the dignity of man and the worth of an individual; the brotherhood of man, we must come all out in defence of these values as they are being seriously threatened bjr evil forces in our land. We should remember that Providence has ordained it that a people who refuse to meet such a challenge deservingly suffer moral de­ generation and degradation. The grim story of oppressive rule over non-whites of succes­ sive white Governments in the Union of South Africa climaxed by the tyrannical rule of the Nationalist Party Government, which-has plagued the Union of South Africa for eight hard years, has confronted non-whites of the Union with inescapable challenge: either they meet it fearlessly to their honour and the salvation of South Africa or evade it to their dying 2/... Luthuli's Address. - 2 - shane and the desecration of our beloved land, South Africa. may I refer pointedly to the Indian connunity and ask you of -is connunity why Providence brought your forebears to South ^irica. wr.s it just to help the white nan to exploit self­ ishly tne wealth of this country? Was it just to help some of you to exploit its wealth too? ■<*as it just that the majority as ordinary hunble folk should nake a living? It night have been for all this - yes - but certainly it was or t" worthier cause than these. It v/as to harness the Indian onnumty m building in this land a tradition that respects virtuous conduct and noble hunan values since it is only u-oon such values that a young country like South Africa could build a civilisation worthy of a country that lays clain to Christ­ ianity and the best in the so-called Western civilisation. When we are faced with a Governnent that is carrying out a policy that is a negation of all that-is best and noble in a civilised countrys justice, fairplay, it is tine you in co-operation with other decent people in the land stood up unequivocally in defence - not of your property or property rights, but of your souls and hunan values that are being trodden underfoot by the Nationalist Party Governnent and those white people who unfortunately accept tte leadership of the Nationalist Party when it cones to the treatment of non- wnites; unfortunately at present such whites forn an over­ whelming majority of the White connunity, in the Union of South Ainca. Fortunately for you, you are well equipped for this noble but most exacting task that you have as your guide - as your in­ spiration - as your fount of sustenance in such testing times ttu noble tradition of resistance to tyranny of your leaders here m the land of your forebears; you have the undying ex­ ample of devotion to and sacrifice for a noble cause of your illustrious leaders? your Mahtma Gandhis, your Nehrus, your Jeenas and others here and in India. You dare not fail them for failing them is failing the best m life - Liberty”, for which they and others throughout the ages everywhere have sacrificed all to secure it and preserve 1 U • We young fighters for Freedom of this age stand between these heroes of freedom and posterity and our bounden duty is to deiend and preserve this Divine heritage - "Liberty" and all it stands for and hand it unimpaired to generations yet to be, Remember the inspiring words of an English poet I always like to refer to in such a connection.