Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-03-05
THE AMENDMENT KILLED.
SEA BIZ TaM VOTEs OF
SUsBEX.


Emo DobHto ana FINAL WOto ON IN
Increased Representation Amend
ment-A Rare and Racy session o
the House
Special Correspondence Of Gazette and journal.
DOVER, Feb. 25.-At last the agony
over and the representation amendmen
Ia dead-literAlly slaughtered in tn
house OF Its friends. II Was one Of tn
choicest measures OF the State administra
tion, and the aAddest feature Of its down
fall is that II received It's DEATH blow q
the hands Of the delegation from Suisse,
county, where both the governor ant
his secretary Of state reside.
There was an air Of eager expeotanoy
about the House this morning, rs II WA
generally understood that the amendment
would be called up II all the members
were present. Roll call showed . ful
house, and the lobby soon became filled
with q crowd Of interested spectators
The senators took 9 recess as soon as the
proceedings started, and afterwards wen,
back and adjourned In order to attend
the session Of the House.
The friends OF the amendment opened
the battle not only hopeful but confident
of success. Representative johnson o.
Kent, who was originally opposed TO the
amendment, had come over few days
ago, and this left but one vote necessary
to success. II was supposed, this morn
ing, that this vote had been found In the
person Of Representative Hearn Of
Sussex, and with this idea the issue was
forced TO determination.
Representative Armstrong, who has had
charge Of the amendment from the first,
initiated the proceedings by moving tina,
the ratification bill be taken up for con.
siderstion. In support Of his motion he
presented the well-worn but effective
arguments In favor Of increased repre-
sentation for New Castle county. Hesde.
hvered himself with good effect, and
made strong plea for the iulhilment Of
the deliberate pledge made by the party
that elected the present representatives
In the General Assembly that the amend
ment would be ratified.
Trouble began as soon as Mr.. Arm
strong concluded. John r. Salisbury
arose and after stating that he did not
expect the amendment to be called up
this morning moved that II be made the
special order for 10 O'Clock to morrow
morning. Mr.. Armstrong said the mem
bers had had ample time to consider the
subject, and Speaker Comegys, calling
Mr.. AoCAbe to the chair, said he was
opposed to putting OF . vote on the
question any longer. This was the first
day for long while that there had been
full attendance, and he was ready 10
vote, and glad OF the opportunity to cast
his vote in favor Of the amendment.
Mr.. Salisbury said he was ready TO
vote, but wanted an opportunity to pre-
sent his views upon the question in q
suoolnct manner, which be could not
then do, as he had not his notes with
him.
Speaker Comesys thought the gentle
man from Kent ought TO be ashamed to
say that he was not prepared to give his
views upon the question. II was not q
new one, by any means, ss II had been
before the people Tor two years.
Representative Moore Of Wilmington
Joined In Mr.. SAulsbury's request for .
days delay. BE said his constituents
were divided upon the question. He did
mot expect . vote to be taken to day, and
last night while he was in Wilmington, q
number Of people osme to him and asked
him not 10 let the bill come TO vote
until they could be heard from. They
had not understood until recently that
the amendment made Wilmington sepa-
rate and single district, and were In favor
Of . system that would divide the city
into two or more districts.
Speaker Comegys replied that the ques.
tion of districts was settled two years ago
when the Legislature refused to grant the
district system. II the gentlemen from
Wilmington have any friends in New
Castle county who are opposed TO this
amendment, they are afraid to face this
House and put themselves on record. Il
has been opposed by men in Kent and
Sussex, but they have not shown them,
selves publicly, and have gone around
tion Of their views.
This insinaAtion aroused the ire Of
John +. and rising to his feet he said
~ want the gentleman from 81. Georges
TO understand that am just as respon-
sible for my vote as he Is for his and
have Just as much ct stake. have
never gone behind the door to oppose this
amendment. Nine out Of every 10 men
In Kent county are opposed 10
the measure, and the only ones
who favor II are q few who oringe
to the official powers and crook
the pregnant hinges Of the krse, that
thrift may follow fawning.' ''Ii the gen.
tleman says that the men Of Kent county
do mot come ont and openly oppose this
amendment, he says what is false" Mr..
Salisbury then made another plea for
delay, saying he was suffering from y
severe cold, and did not feel In proper
shape but II the House insisted on pro-
oeeding, he would be ready to prove that
some OF the New Castle county men who
came down to favor the amendment had
never even refd II.
Discussion then ceased, and vote was
taken on Mr.. saulsbury's motion for q
postponement, which WAS lost by q vote
Of 10 to 8. The eight votes looked
ominous, but as they Included those Of
Messrs. Moore and MoCRbs, who were
known 10 bs In favor Of the amendment,
and Of Mr.. Hesrn, who was supposed 10
be all right, the friends of the amsnd.
ment took courage and started ahead.
JOHN P. HOLDING THE LIMBS
Mr.. Salisbury was not pleased. One
particular reason why he wished post,
ponement was that all his carefully pre-
pUIbu uOtth lOI htb bpboOh Woho ~ hVhho
and he wanted to have them with hin
when he spoke. He wanted revenge, aud
he started In for square fight, with tn,
determin alton TO show the majority mem
bers that, II they did mot grant him 1
postponement then, he could make then
SO tired before he got through that they
would be glad to accommodate him.
de started In with motion to adjourn
on which he called the yeas and nays
Next came q otion that when the Hous'
adjourned II be to meet at 10 O'Clock to
morrow morning, with another roll call
Speaker comeeys soon became provoked
and declared that the dilatory notion
were made only for the purpose Of delay
81 asked this House," retorted Mr.
Salisbury, sin . courteous, gentlemaul!
and diRnifisd manner, to grant = simpl
request which l never knew to be refused
in any other legislative body, and on
which q gentleman cannot refuse. Ye
the members OF this House, simpl.
because they have the power, refuse m
this Bimpls courtesy"
81 hurl back With soorn the imputa
tion Of the gentleman from Bast Dover,
hotly retorted Speaker Comegys. .
claim to be as much Of . gentleman q
he is."
ssThs gentlemen 10 welcome to hi
opinion and to mine. claim to be abb
TO protect myself, inside OF this House {
out Of IT," was John F.'s defiant II
sponRe.
Further discussion wAs eut short b
the roll call on the motion to adjouT
during which Mr.. salisbury asked to