Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-08
OPENING OF THE SESSION
The First Day of the Leglsla-
of 'o1.
DISCOURAGEMENT OF DIVORCES
William T. Parvis of Milford,
to be Reading Clerk.
Mr.. Smith Gives Notice Of the First Bill of
the session--What the Speakers said--
The Committee on Inauguration.

Special Correspondence Of Gazette and Journa
DOVER, Jan. elf the weather had
peen made to order for the initiation OF
the General Assembly of 1891, it could
hardly have been improved upon, and
the members-elect freshened from ardu-
Gus caucus labors by delicious morning
maps, felt buoyant in tone with the
weather. How the houses were duly
organized has been told. In the
House ex-Clerk Gum performed quite
fairly the great act Of his life--for it is
NO small ordeal to a bashful man to
command the representatives of the ma
Jesty OF the people to quit making a
noise and get ready for business. "The
House will come TO order,n said Mr..
Gum as bravely as he could, emphathiz-
ing the remark with a loud thwack of
the gavel. "'The election of speaker
pro TEN will be in ORDER" he added, and
Mr.. Ridgely nominated William F..
Hutson for that position. He was
chosen without opposition and Mr..
Gum gladly relinquished to him the
direction of affairs. Horace j. Hick-
man was chosen clerk pro TEN and then
the temporary organization proceeded
to inangurate the permanent officers.
The caucus nominees were chosen with
out hitch, as reported by telegraph.
The vote on speaker showed that Mr..
Sirman, the Democratic nominee, cast a
blank ballot, while Mr.. Smith, his
Republican competitor, voted for his
proposer, Mr.. John @. Higgins. When
the sergeant-at-arms came to be bal
loted for, the Republicans having named
no man for this post, four of their num-
Der refrained from voting, while the
other three gracefully complimented the
Democratic nominee with their ballots.
Meanwhile in the Senate similar
scene was proceeding on small scale,
the Democratic caucus nominees for the
speakership, clerkship and sergeantcy
being chosen by the party vote of five
to four
Having been duly escorted to the
chair ny Messrs. Smith and Ridgeley,
Speaker Slrman addressed the House as
follows:
Gentlemen Of tie House Of REPRESENTATIVES.
Allow me to thank you for the honor you
have just conferred upon me. 1t is with d
sense Of great responsibility that assume
the duties deyolving upon me rs your pre-
siding officer, shall endeavor to perform
those duties to the best of my ability with
strict impartiality, relying upon your cor
dlal cooperation. Again thanking You for
this mark of your confidence and esteem,
am now ready to proceed with the bust,
ness of the House.
In the Senate, Speaker Donahoe ten
dered his acknowledgment as follows;
Gentlemen Of he Senatc. assure YOU of
my thanks for this very high compliment
OF being chosen speaker of the Senate Of |
Delaware, compliment which accept at |
your hands, and trust that YOU will each |
Of you give me your valuable and best as
slstance, so that may the better be en-
abled to perform the duties devolving
upon the office, and that we may thereby
AID each other in accomplishing that piir-
pose. possibly may make some disap-
but believe me, gentlemen.
lhey Will only arise from sincere and
honest belief that it will be right even
though an equally honest difference of
opinion may exist in others. But we will
be expected, each of us, to give his best
and experience to assist in all
our deliberations for the benefit of our
state and its people. | trust that when
his session shall have ended, the people
whom we represent here shall have had
heir measures properly attended to and
icted upon.
The afternoon session was short, but
,wo years ago there was no afternoon
'ession at all on the opening day. The
most noteworthy feature of it was the
pointer it developed in the Senate
against the encouragement of divorce
applications. After some routine bust
less had been transacted, Mr.. Moore
'iered resolution authorizing the
peaker to appoint the regular standing
This brought Mr.. Williams
O his feet with an amendment striking
nut the divorce committee and the com
nittee on roads and highways The
was seconded by Mr.. Pilling
nd supported by Mr.. Hall, and the
esolution was adopted as amended. If ,
he course thus mapped out be strictly
dhered to, it means the appointment Of
special committee for every divorce 5
ase that the Senate may take under !
In the House notice was given during !
he afternoon of the Introduction of five
ills, as follows: BY Mr.. Smith-To {
ontinue the charter Of the Wilmington /
avings Fund, which expires on Feb
uary LIST; to amend the law relating TO \
ne sale of lands by executors and adj c
BY Mr.. Ridgely-To in :
the Globe Packing Company. /
Kent county enterprise not vet def
itely located. BY Mr.. Hutson-For /
ne relief of school district IL and 81, t
-ent county; to amend chapter 55s, {,
ulume XVIII, This is an act of the l
ession of 1899, imposing certain re- :
.rictions upon shad fishing along the
oast and in the creeks of Kent county.
BY joint resolution the following b
ere appointed committee to make 2
for the Inauguration of :,
overnor-elect Reynolds: Senators Hall
nd Richardson and Representatives ii
utson, Hickman and Day. n
There are several applicants for the 8
ositlon of reading clerk in the House, \
Notwithstanding the caucus limitation !,
the compensation to $500, but it is Il
itremely probable that William L. d
arvis of Milford will be the lucky man. "
The name of the Sussex man who is st
'lieved to have captured the post Of b
'eman for the session is Charles W
oward, and he halls from Baltimore a
inbred. :,
Wesley D. Hawkins of West Dover SC
inbred, has come out as a candidate ST
r State Librarian and says he is going h
get there if he can. He makes the
tn in the field, the others being Henry h
Carsons of Dover, Ezekiel Cooper Of 9,
'illow Grove, Peter Cruel of South a.
urderkill, and G. w. Kenney OF n,
lurel. The office is in the gift Of the =
vernon, and the appointment will be is
AIDE about April. r
Thomas B. Smith of
ilmington, is about the finest looking
an in the House. CO