The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-12-24
A ROW IN THE HOUSE.
AN ANGRY DISCUSSION BETWEEN
HASKELL, EVANS AND OTHERS.

HASKELL, EVANS AND OTHERS.
Tho r.w County Bill the Cause OF the
Kow--What Was Said and How the
Members Vottd--Tho BnI Killed and
Then Reconsidered.
COLUMBIA, S. g., Dec. 1.-THE bill to
provide new system of county gov
ernments, the full text of which you
published few weeks ago, come up in
the House Tuesday as special order.
After four CT five sections of the bill
had been read Mr.. Haskell moved to
strike out the enacting clause.
Senator Beasley, of the conference
committee, thought it would ne better
to wait to hear what the conference
committee ee had done
The President doubted if any action
could be taken on a bill not on the
Presidents desk,
Senator Wilson referred to Joint
Rule 4, and argued that under it the
amendments from the House, constitu-
ting the message of the House to the
Senate, could he considered.
Senator Smythe proposed to remove
all doubts with a motion that the Sen
ate require the conference to return to
the Senate the bill and all amendments.
Senator Evans suggested that the
conferees be allowed to report in due
form.
The President replied briefly to Sen
ator Wilson, explaining his ruling and
its propriety, and then proceeded to
put Senator Smythe's motion.
Senator Evans moved To adjourn and
upon the PRESIDENT declaring the mo-
ton lost demanded division. The
Senate 10y vote Of 19 to refused to
adjourn.
Senator Evans then moved as a sub.
Stltute for Senator Smythe's motion
that the Senate conferees be required
to report the results of the conference.
He again demanded division and was
again defeated.
Senator Smythe's motion was then
adopted and Senator BeaSlcy handed
up the bill and amendments, which
were cad by the clerk.
Senator Evans moved to continue the
debate until tomorrow. LoSt-lS to II.
Justhere Senator Bigham arose. Two
or three hours before, while Senator
Bigham WAS innocently perambulating
the lobby with All enrolled bill in his
arms, the famous fish patrol-amend-
ment had come up in the monotOnous
course Of business and been ruthleSsy
assassinated under the very ears Of its
parent. Senator DOZier having offered
IA motion for non. concurrence, which
went through by default. Being in
formed Of this, Senator Bigham had
been on pins, and in the midst Of the
| iilibustering on the free pass bill arose
with the untimely suggestion that the
vote OF non concurrence in the fish
patrol bill be reconsidered. a roar of
laughter greeted this unexpected in
| terpolation Of eXtraneouS, ancient and
| iish-like matter. Senator Bigham was
informed of the fact and sat down.
Senator Woodward then spoke on the
free pass bill. He said Senator who
had voted for the bill had told him he
| would support it no further, as it was
u slap in the face of the Administra-
ton. Nobody had the right to say the
bill was slap in anybody's face; but
he wanted to know if the time had
come when Senators of South Carolina
| we're to be controlled in their action on
the floor by the fear of slappinR some
body's face; when anybody was to be
treated as a Car and have his feelings
and wishes deferred to by the represen-
| tatiyes Of the people in the conduct of
public business and the execution Of
| their sworn duty.
Senator Strait, member Of the con-
| ference committee, made peppery
speech in reply. He said he stood on
record as against free passes. He had
| always refused them. But he believed
the matter should be left to the people.
| 1t was for them, not for the Senate, to
| say who should or should not receive
| free passes. That was matter for
every man to decide for himself. Only
| "A few years ago. as the Senator from
| Fairfield had said, an anti-free pass bill
had been passed through the Senate
| and pigeon holed in some Of the House
| committees, he supposed by some Of the
men who issued free passes from the
Speakers desk and wanted to continue
| dong so. There were men, he said,
who gave out free passes with their
| own hands. He wanted to see them
| exposed. Some of the very men who
| were now urging and nlibustering and
trying to get this bill through had
voted against it when it was up in past
years. Another element was in power
| now; that explained their change of
thought.
lie though. himself that the Gov
| ernOr had been uuWise in accepting the
passes, but the Governor was ready to
go before the people and answer. He
believed and the people believed that
men in the Legislature had been bam-
boozled and debauched by such means.
"Thc Movement" had purgad most of
these out and would purge yet further.
One or two places for bambo0Zling and
debauching remained in this city. Men
were carried to the wine clubs and
other places, and when they had been
drenched they were in condition to
promise anything, and after they re-
covered they found themselves bound.
Senator Smythe sad he did not know
who the Senator alluded to. He and
his colleague, two Of the Senators who
were in the Senate when the bill alluded
TO was offered before, had voted for it.
Senator Buist said he had been com
ing to Columbia from Charleston
twelve years and had never accepted or
given tree pass, and had voted for
Senator Woodward's bill when it was
offered before.
Senator DoZier, as one of the old
Senators, declared that he had never
accepted or used free pass and had
voted for Senator Woodwards bill be.
fore. lie proceeded with some remarks 8