The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-01-02
ON HIS DIGNITY.
SPEAKER JONES RESIGNS AND
THEN aECONslDERs 1T.

THEN PECONSlOERS IT.
He Construes Vote of the House as a
Vote OF Want of Confidence and Resigns.
The House Calls Him Back-A Dramatic
| Scene.
COLUMBIA, S. c.. Dec. 22.-The
night session in the House started off
without incident, and there did not
seem to be the least prospect of any
+! thing occurring beyond such as is us,
ual to the end Of 3 legislative session,
such as conference reports. ETC.. but
it is always the unexpected that hap
pens" and it did happen and in
this wise.
The majority of the House wants
S. per diem for this season, claiming
that the salary reduction bill should
not affect them if it did not affect the
State officers. The Senate and mi
nority of the House favor a 81 per
diem, and to adjust the differences be-
tween the two Houses conference
committee was appointed. On the part
of the House Speaker Jones appointed
at the morning session Messrs. Brea-
zeale, Thomas and Whitmire. and at
the night session this committee rec
commended an agreement with the SEN
ate. This report did not suit the S.
men and they claimed that it did not
reflect the sentiment Of the majority
Of the House, and Mr.. Cooper of Cole
ton offered motion that the House
proceed under rule Is to elect com
mittee. Messrs. Breazeale, Thomas,
Winkler and one ortwo others opposed
the motion as slap at the Speaker, or
as one that might be so construed,
even if not so intended by the mover.
The motion of Mr.. Cooper was put
and carried by vote of 45 to A, and
then followed one Of the most sensa-
tional incidents of the session. Pend
ing the announcement OF the vote
Speaker Jones had called Mr.. Breazeale
to the chair and when the vote was
announced, he at once stepped out on
the floor, and in & clear ring ging voice,
said: "Mr. Speaker, Ihave the honor
to tender my resignation as Speaker
of this House"
The scene that for few moments
followed this isannouncement bafHesde-
scription. For mcment there was
dead silence and then Mr.. Bacot, a6-
dressing the temporary presiding Off
Ger, said: ''Mr. Speaker, move that
this House do refuse to accept the
ISpeaker's resignation" The motion
was put and carried unanimously,
and the voice of Speaker Jones was
heard again, declaring that he would
no longer serve as Speaker, and mo-
ment or two later he retired from the
hall. Then for a few moments there
was scene of confusion and the House
did not seem to know what to do in
the dilemma that confronted it. Some
half a dozen or so moved that the
House take recess for fifteen minutes,
but this was voted down. Mr. Thomas
moved to reconsider the Cooper resolu-
ton and this motion would have gone,
through like flash, had not Mr..
Cooper taken the floor and withdrawn
it -.
MGary then offered q resolution:
| that the House appreciated the distln-
guished services of the Hon. Ira B.
Jones as its Speaker and had every
confidence in his ability and integrity,
and requested him to reconsider his re-
signation. This was adopted unani-
mously and conveyed to Mr.. Jones
through Messrs. OTIS, Goodwin and
Cooper, as committee from the House.
In a few minutes they returned with
him, and as he reentered the hall he
was received with loud applause, in
which the galleries joined.
Upon resuming the chair, Speaker
Jones said that he appreciated the
great honor they had done him in re-
calling him to the char, and he felt
very deeply this expression of their
kind feelings. He had felt that the
vote on the passage of Mr.. Cooper's
resolution offered under the peculiar
circumstances was vote OF want Of
confidence, for which the rules of the
House permitted such resolution.
He had never known one such passed
in the history Of legislation in this
State, and he had too much pride to
occupy-she seat of presiding officer
over House THAT lacked confidence in
him. All men were liable to mistakes
and he was glad to know that he had
mistaken the sentiment of the House.
This ended this dramatic incident
and from that time forward everything,
went on smoothly. Anew conference
committee on the per diem bill con.
sisting Of Messrs. Cooper. Townsend
and Floyd was appointed.
At few minutes to twelve, the ap-
preparation and per diem bills and
several other measures being still in
the hands of the conference committee
the House adjourned until 3 o'clock
to morrow morning, by which time
the engrossing department will be up
with its work. and an agreement be-
tween the two houses reached in time
for an adjournment before noon omor-