Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-30

HIS lIlOTHlilp lue llOust, WIFI Sln8U-
lar tardiness of the locking the e-stable-
door -after-th horse e-has-beeu-stolen or
der, awoke to realization of the
injury that had been wrought to the
States financial resources by the passage
of this bill. 1t is well known, of course,
that the State-that is, the general fund
lis financially hard up just now-the
cash to pay off the special constables
had to be borrowed from the school
fund-and needs every dollar it can get;
can i'll afford to surrender any source
of revenue, But why didn't the mem
bers Of the House think of this when the
bill came up for passage, day before yes
terday.
Whatever the reason, they resolved to-
day to get the bill back, reconsider it
and kill it. Therefore, early in the
morning session, Captain Dasey moved
that the clerk be directed to request the
Senate to return the bill. The motion
was agreed to and Clerk Layton at once
marched into the other chamber and
profferred his petition.
As it happened, however, the desired
bill was actually in the House and on
the clerks desk at the time. 1t had been
brought over by the clerk of the Senate,
few minutes before, as an enrolled bill
''sigued by the Speaker of the Senate
and ready for the signature of the
Speaker of the House"
So, when the Senate received Clerk
Layton's message, Clerk Hardcastle in
formed the Senators that he had Just
carried that very bill into the House.
Whereupon the sagacious Senators de-
cided that the proper thing for them to
do would be to counter on the House
and ask it to return the bill to the
Senate, and Clerk Hardcastle marched
into the House and preferred the same
request that Clerk Layton had short
time previously delivered in the Senate.
1.-THE Senate has asked the House."
explained Speaker Whiteman to his
fellow members, ito return to il this bill,
which came in here as an enrolled bill
| in order that the Senate may comply
with the request of the House and return
the bill formally to the House for recon-
sidcration."
The House complaisantly, courte-
ously and unhesitatingly granted the
request, and Clerk Hardcastle walked
| back to the Senate with the coveted bill.
Then the House settled down again
to the work in hand, the third reading
| of other bills, and the time gllded by
until all the bills ready for passage had
| been disposed Of. Then, with the weeks
work wound up and the House ready to
adjourn over to Monday, it was recalled
that the Senate had not sent the bill
back.
So the members of the House settled
| back to wait. The few minutes length
| Is hnl
the news that the Senate had taken a
recess to , p. M, with the bill unre-
turned.
Representative Armstrong was in the
Speakers chair when this news was
brought in. "Don't entertain any mo-
ton to adjourn till come back" said
Captain Dasey, eXcitedly, and he made
a break for the Senate chamber. He
found the report confirmed; the willy
members of the other branch were dis
persiug for dinner
Upon Captain Daseys returning and
disseminating this information, the
members of the House resolved that, if
this was to be waiting game, it was
one that two could play at; so that they,
too, instead of adiourning, took recess
to p. III. At that hour they reassem-
bled for the express purpose of getting
the bill back and reconsidering it, and
for the transaction of no other business.
The Senate, upon reassembling at the
same hour, placidly proceeded to the
first reading of some House bills sent up
to the clerks desk by Mr.. Pllling, and
for half an hour or SO it looked as
though the matter Of the, Inheritance
Tax bill was to be ignored. But the
Senators no more desired to miss the
afternoon train than did their brethren
of the other chamber, and, besides, some
of them were willing to cooperate III
the killing of this bill. Thus it was
that, about 2.30 p. M, Mr., Pilling's am
munition for delay running low, Mr..
Lacey arose and moved that the request
of the House, made four hours before,
be granted.
Mr. Records dissented. 81 object to
that motion for to-day" said he; 81
shall be willing to vote for it on Tues
day. Laughter. The bill has passed
both houses; everybody knew what they
were voting for; it passed the Senate by
unanimous vote, and, as | understand,
it passed the House by unanimous vote.
Since then a State official Clreasurer
Burnite) has been using his influence to
kill this bill. | don't think the Senate
or the House should listen to one man;
think we are old enough to know what
VIC are doing, If this bill goes back to
the House it will be sent back there with
the understanding that il is to be killed.
Senator LACEY voted the other day
for the passage of this bill, but, while
doing so, thought it best not TO do so.
There is a bill now in the hands of a
brother senator to lessen the tax on
manufacturers and merchants. A ma
iority of the senators are interested in
that and would be benefited by the
change asked for, but the lsenator who
has the bill and had u consultation
and We concluded that this was not the
time to do it, lie was interested and so
was |; it would put money in our
pockets; but | don't think the State
treasury at this time could abide the
passage of that bill. And yet We have
passed this bill which takes about So, 800
year out of the revenue. We are
trying TO economize, and yet this bill
has gone through by our default and
will take $4,000 off, and do think,
after giving this thing mature con
sideration, that if any man in the world
can afford to pay tax it is the man
who has money given him and all he
has to do is to pay small inheritance
tax.
Senator Records-You stated the in
come at about $4,000. Ii you will look
at the auditors report you will lind it
has not been $4,000 in the last two
years
Senator Lacey-Yes, it is S2,5O0-
Senator Records-And the people