Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-06-13
End of The Legislature.

End Of The Legislature.
The Legislature adjourned sine die at
noon last Saturday. There were the usual
closing scenes, the rushing of work all the
previous night. the scrambling and must
line. the midnight lunch and the fre-
ouent libation. When it met carry
Saturday morning it was consider
ably disfigured, but still in the ring. Be-
fore the gavel fell silverware, gayels,
ievelry, watches, diamonds and horses
and carriages were scattered with lavish
hand.
All was confusion in the House at Har-
risburg, last Friday night. The big hall
was like menagerie at feeding time, with
a Fourth of July celebration thrown IN
The racket continued nearly all night
The noise began early in the day and
grew with the time. All sorts OF pranks
were played. Big cannon crackers were
exploded under members seats, but no
one was injured. Files and books
sailed through the air, beans by the quart
rained down on unsuspecting legislators,
and altogether the big house looked like
a pigsty ct butchering time. Wetsponges
sailed through the air and slapped up
AGAINST some members face, allow ing
huge quantities of dirty water to run
down over his cheek and clothes and In all
this confusion one of the biggest fights OF
the session was in progress.
The general appropriation bill passed
the senate Friday with the $11, 100000 Tor
schools. The senate amended it to in
clude 500, 900 for the commission to In
yestigate the city government of Phila-
delphia; SIS, 900 for the Kennedy school
commission: SIC, 900 for the commission to
investigate prison labor; $1,000 for COM
mission to ascertain the number OF aliens
in charitable and penal institutions OF the
state, and $50, 900 for the Atlanta exposi'
ton commission. When the bill went
over to the house for concurrence Mr.. Fow
of Philadelphia objected to the appropria-
ton tor the senate investigation commit
tees. He claimed the resolution should
have been joint one. There were just
l3 votes in favor of concurring.
Speaker Walton appointed as the house
conference committee, Marshall, Alle-
gheny; Ritter, Philadelphia, and Collins
Lycoming. Thesenate committee was com
posed of Penrose, Grady of Philadelphia
and Fruit of Mercer.
The committee wrangled over the mat
ter all night. At midnight Senator Grady
said the senate representatives had agreed
to drop the senate investigating amend
ments if the house would agree to the cut
of 81, ,000, 900 in the public school fund.
This could not be done without a great
fight which would last beyond the hour
scheduled for final adjournment.
The house conferrees reported to that
body they coald not come to agreement
but were sent back to the conference.
The senators insisted on their amend
ments covering the expenses OF the lnves-
LEGATIONS and Senators Penrose and Grady
and Representatives Rite. and Marshall
held out for the cut of 81, ,O00,0O0 on the
schools. Senator Fruit and Mr.. Collins
opposed it.
At the hour of 4 o'clock Saturday morn
ing the crisis was reached in the Senate,
when Senator Penrose attacked Senator
Finn, and accused him of influencing the
House to stand out against the two items
of expense. Senator Finn hurled back
the insuation, and for while the air was
blue and the noise from the boiling polit-
ical pot was terrific, until the lid was re-
stored.
The climax occur sd IN the House about
o'clock, when, by vote of 81 to 81, the
lower branch refused to recide from its
position not to pass the two items
mentioned.
At this stage there was great danger of
an extra session, unless the joint rule was
suspended that no bills could be sent
to the Governor after s O'Clock. Lieuten-
ant Lyon appeared on the scene, and
promised that if the House would vote to
suspend the rule the Senate would give up
the fight. This was done. 1t is said the
man in Beaver used the long distance
telephone about o'clock, and ordered his
Senatorial lieutensnts to stop the battle,
advising them that the money for the
Philadelphia Investigation would have to
be raised by subscription.
The general appropriation bill carries
about sic, 900. Outside of the usual
items for the executive, legislative and
judicial branches of the State Government
are the following: Payments of clerical
ane other expenses required to be perform
cd by the Auditor General under a con-
current resolution of the tax conference
revenue bill, $4,000; Senate election COM
mittee for expenses of Heller Laubsch
contest, $50, 900; to pay expenses of joint
committee charged with Investigation of
convict labor and to what extent it in
terferes with the industries, 5000; to pay
OApOAcoo VA tHO OottoA DtatOs EApOeiliuu
Commission, $50, 900; to pay Senate COM
mittee appointed in 1893 to Investigate
working of the Brooks high license act,
$7l5; to pay ex-Representative Albert
Crawford for money refunded to the State
Treasury, 81, $40; TO pay necessary expenses
Of joint committee appointed to investigate
how many unnaturalized persons of for
eign birth are now quartered upon the
State in the charitable and criminal in
stitutions, $4,000; to pay joint committee
charged with investigation OF the Norris
town and Wernersville Hospitals, So, 768,-
80; to pay expenses of women commission
ers to the Cotton States Exposition, $s,-
900; to pay funeral expenses of the late
Representative W. B. Lemon, 81, ,4O2 10;
to pay necessary travelling expenses of
State Board of agriculture, s., 900, provided
that vacancies in the membership of the
Board shall hereafter be filled; to pay for
portraits of ex-Gov. Psttison and exit.
Gov. Watres, $500 each; to pay expenses
attending the counting of the vote fer
State Treasurer next January, $1,000; for
Harrisburg fire companies, 81. 200; to pay
deficiency in general appropriation act of
1893 aud interest on public debt. $27 $685.
SO; for support of public schools, $lI, O00,-
So