Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-02-20
of the Charleston Courle
FROM COLUMBIA.

OONon|A1
A little incident happened in the House Of
Representatives this morning, which, in a
measure, broke in upon the monotony of the
regular daily work Of that illustrious body,
and for time threatened to create riot of
no trifing character. 1t happened in this
wise: The Committee on engrossed bills had
reported as correctly engrossed, and ready for
third reading, bill to make appropriations
to meet the expenses incurred under the proc
lamation of the Governor, commonly known
as the ku-klux swindle-the bill to pay the
rewards offered for the ku-klux. Among the
most strenuous of the opposers of this bill
was Representative Hamilton, of Beaufort
the same member who in December last at
tackled the Rev. w. NJ. Thomas, member from
Colleton. Hamilton, it seems, had given no.
tice of his intention to amend the bill on its
third reading, and accordingly made an effort
to do so.
But by reason of the confusion that existed
at the time, the bill was hurried through, very
much after the style usual on occasions when
it is desired to hurry a bill through the
House without letting anybody know any
thing about it. The Speaker, probably seeing
that the supporters of the bill had an over.
whelming majority, and desiring to hurry up
the business Of the House, didn't stop in the
routine, but put the question very much in
this style: GAS many as are in favor of the
bill passing say aye; opposed no. Ayes have
it. Bill received three several readings in
this House, and ordered to be sent to the Sen
ate." This excited the wrath of the member
from Beaufort, in whose system the bump Of
combativeness seems to be very largely devel-
oped, and he arose to privilege question. Of
late the members of the House have resorted
to fashion of arising to privilege question
on the most trivial provocation, and in conse.
quence the business of the House has been
very materially retarded. After stating his
privilege question the Speaker ruled it no
privilege question at all, and requested the
member who was every moment showing signs
of fight, to take his seat. Hamilton, howev.
er, who had evidently read in the columns of
the Courier, the novel manner adopted by the
Honorable June Mobley, under similar cir.
cumstances at the State Convention in last
August, was not to be put down, and seizing
one of the immense cut glass inkstands, that
adorn the desks of the members, began forth
with to sling the ink around, and to commence
an indiscriminate sounding with it upon the
desk. These belicose demonstrations had the
effect of causing hasty retreat on the part
of the members in the immediate vicinity, and
Mr.. Hamilton was left master of the field,
until the arrival of the geant-at-Arms, to
whose counsels of peace, he finally lent an
ear and resumed his seat But the affair did
not end here These outbreaks have been so
frequent of late, that the members began to
open their eyes to the fact, that they were de-
cidedly Gin for Dig" and motion was forth
with made to expel the refractory member
| from Beaufort.
Upon this the honorable Samuel Green, a
Youthful member, from Beaufort, who is
known among his more intimate confreres as
Sammy Greene, and who votes for Patterson
and makes speeches on all possible occasions,
arose and made very sensible speech. He
called the attention of the House to the un-
ruly behavior of its members, and to the
curious fact that although there were large
number of white men and Democrats in the
House, as yet the only disrespect that had
been shewn to the Speaker was shewn by men
of his own color. The Speaker, who was q
colored man, had always been treated with
proper respect and decorum by the white
members of the House, and it was only by
colored men that his authority was defed.
He admired the bravery, &C., of his colleague,
Mr.. Hamilton, but he desired to state right
here, in this honorable body, in the language
of Shakespeare, ri would rather have man
to go right up to the mouth of cannon.
knowing that he was going to be killed, than
to have him 60 up not having an idea that
he was going to be killed.
Without stopping to explain the book and
page wherein this apt and beautiful quota
tion was to be found, Mr.. Greene went on to
urge upon the House that their duty was to
put down the brakes right here. This idea
was further urged by DIR. Boseman and Rep.
resentative Boston, and so successfully urged
that the House adopted resolution expellng
the member for the balance of the session.
In consequence of which Beaufort will be
deprived of one of her representatives for the
remainder of the present session, and "Peace